Deer Creek State Park is located in the beautiful Heber Valley in Utah. This park offers lots of great water activities, activities for those who prefer to stay on the land, and activities for the more adventurous, who enjoy having their feet off the ground and in the air.
Deer Creek Reservoir was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation in the late 1930s. Construction was completed in 1955, and the Provo River Water Users Association agreed to oversee the maintenance and operation of the reservoir. During this time, water sports were not allowed on the lake, which was mostly used for fishing. In early 1971, the responsibility for recreational use on the reservoir and its adjoining state lands was given to the division of Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation established Deer Creek State Park and opened the lake for other recreational uses. The park’s elevation is 5,400 feet.
The reservoir has a surface area of 2,965 acres, is about six miles long, its maximum depth is 137 feet, and the minimum depth is 65 feet. It is surrounded by 18 miles of shoreline.
Water-Based Activities
Deer Creek State Park offers lots of water-based activities. In addition to outstanding fishing opportunities, Deer Creek State Park offers windsurfing, kayaking, waterskiing, boating, wave running, swimming, and sailing. Park facilities also include two boat launching ramps.Maybe you’ve seen kiteboards on the water, using the wind’s power to fly through the air, and would like to try it. Now you can with the help of Uinta Kiting lessons on the Deer Creek Reservoir. Uinta Kiting is Utah’s only Kiteboarding School permitted to teach in Deer Creek State Park. Their kiteboarding lessons focus on safety, learning, and fun. They use the safest current equipment in the sport. They offer private lessons so you can build your confidence and move at your own pace. Their lessons are available for beginner, intermediate, or advanced kiteboarders.
Deer Creek Island Resort is located beneath glorious Mount Timpanogos on Deer Creek Reservoir. This resort will cater to all your water activity needs. They offer rentals of paddleboards, jetskis, boats, and other water-related accessories.
Deer Creek Island Resort also offers wakeboard lessons.
Hiking, Biking & More
Deer Creek Trail is 8.03 miles long and located on the western hillside above Deer Creek Reservoir. It is part of the Provo-Jordan Parkway Trail. No motorized traffic is allowed on this trail. It is designed for bikers, equestrians, and hikers. The trail also provides entrance to the western side of Deer Creek for fisherman walking in from nearby locations.Deer Creek Trail offers a great hike on Utah’s hills and mountains. Be sure to wear durable shoes or hiking boots. As you hike the trail, you are likely to encounter some of Utah’s wildlife. Utah is home to more than 600 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
Deer Creek Trail has two trailheads: Soldier Hollow Trailhead which is located at Soldier Hollow; and Deer Creek Trailhead which is located along U.S. 189, south of the Deer Creek Dam. There is no trespassing within 1500 feet of the dam.
Dogs are not allowed on Deer Creek Trail because Deer Creek is a major source of drinking water for Salt Lake City and other Wasatch Front communities. Water owners want to do everything they can to protect the quality of the drinking water. Therefore, dogs are not permitted on the trail, on boats, in the water, on the beaches, or below the high water mark.
Deer Creek State Park also offers a 75-unit campground with modern restrooms and showers, fish-cleaning stations, and paved parking area. At night you can look up into the dark sky and marvel at the vast array of stars.
If you have an interest in history, Wasatch Mountain State Park, also located in the Heber Valley, was once the home of Swiss immigrants, Johannes and Maria Huber. You can visit the Huber Orchard to learn something about pioneer family life. Between 1871 and 1880, the Hubers raised a large family in a small cabin and kept a productive apple orchard. You can visit their cabin and see some of the items Maria made, such as her tatting (delicate handmade lace), and some of the tools she used, like her butter mold and precious silverware.
Ziplining
For the more daring, adventurous, extreme-sports enthusiasts who like their fun in the air, located at the Rainbow Bay entrance to Deer Creek State Park you will find the longest zip line in the world! Zipline Utah also includes a challenge and rope course. Zipline Utah offers several record-setting courses, like the Screaming Falcon, which is a nearly 4,000-foot zip line over Rainbow Bay, making it the longest zip line ride over a body of water. The Screaming Falcon course also has 10 zip lines and 7 aerial suspension bridges, totaling over two miles of fun. There are also over 400 stairs. This course is for those who are physically fit and enjoy a challenge.If you don’t think you’re up for the challenge of the Screaming Falcon, Zipline Utah offers five different tours, and four of them start on an 80-foot tower. Each and every one of these tours offer some great views, and there is a shorter course for those who aren’t up for the Screaming Falcon or who are new to ziplining.
No matter if you’re a fisherman, camper, hiker, water activities enthusiast, history buff, or daredevil Deer Creek State Park, Utah has something for you and your family. Spend your days exploring, getting wet, flying over Rainbow Bay, hiking, or learning. Then spend your nights relaxing, cooking over a campfire, or gazing up at the stars. Come and experience Deer Creek State Park.