- Piute State Park in Piute County is Utah's second least-visited park.
- Manager Lance Eliason values its tranquility and personal connection to the area.
- Despite low amenities, it attracts visitors for ATV trails and dark sky events.
JUNCTION, Piute County — Some Utah state parks are packed with visitors, boats, and crowds during the summer months.
Piute State Park is not one of them.
Located in Junction, in Piute County, Piute State Park had about 1,800 visitors during the last fiscal year, making it the second least-visited state park in Utah.
But for park manager Lance Eliason, the peace and quiet is exactly what makes the park special.
"It's wonderful, I love it," he said.
Eliason manages the remote reservoir and recreation area, but he said the park means much more to him than just a job.
"I won't go anywhere," he said with a laugh. "I'm staying here until I'm done or until I can't walk. I love it that much."
Part of that connection comes from growing up nearby.
"I grew up fishing on these reservoirs with my dad," said Eliason. "I just loved coming over here and thought, man, if I could ever get that job, it'd be a dream and it worked out."
Piute State Park is different from many parks in Utah because it doesn't offer things like a visitor center, gift shops or even RV hookups.
"It gets overlooked because it doesn't have the amenities that some of the other big parks have," said Eliason.
Camping is mostly dry camping, where visitors find a spot and set up on their own.
"It's for people who are self-contained. They don't need a lot, and they want to be away from noise and the craziness and just unplug and enjoy the quiet and the dark skies," said Eliason. "Sometimes we look at what a place doesn't have, but here, where we don't have power and water, sometimes you have to look at how that can be a strength, too."
The park sits near the Paiute ATV Trail system, which attracts many visitors who use the park as a base camp.
"You can ride for days," said Eliason. "It's really cool to have that this close to the park and super easy to get to."
Visitors also come to fish, water ski and enjoy the reservoir, although fluctuating water levels can create challenges.
"We're half full right now. We're 50%," he said.
Eliason said lower water levels can hurt visitation numbers, but he still encourages people to visit.
"It could be a rough year," he said, "but people should come enjoy it while they can."
Even during years with lower water levels, Eliason said the park still offers something many people are searching for.
"You do need to unplug from things and just chill once in a while and let life take a breather," he said.
The park is also exploring opportunities connected to its dark skies with events like the Central Utah Astronomy Festival.
It's an event Eliason would like to do every year.
"We're really excited to try this dark sky thing because we've never done it. I can't imagine it's any darker anywhere else," he said with a laugh.
Although official visitation numbers remain low, Eliason believes more people visit the park than the statistics show because many travelers stop briefly without paying entrance fees at the "iron ranger," as he puts it.
"We get a lot of people that swing in and say, 'Well, I'm just stopping by,'" he said. "So, I think the numbers are slightly higher."
Many visitors discover the park unexpectedly while traveling between Utah's national parks on Highway 89.
"They pull in and are like, 'Wow, I didn't even realize this was here,'" Eliason said.
For him, though, Piute State Park has never really been about numbers. It's more about the memories.
"It's just the pace," he said. "I love the slow, quiet pace. We're far from any big cities. It's relaxed. It's just chill, and I love that."
