There are, in the United States, 57 national parks, 73 national monuments, 40 national historic sites and 18 national recreation areas.
Here in Utah there are five national parks, along with seven national monuments, two national recreation areas and one historic site.
Utah also has more than 40 state parks.
Add all this along with the protected forests and Bureau of Land Management lands together and nearly 80 percent of the state is publicly owned and falls under federal or state control.
All of these offer camping opportunities. All have a variety of camping features, ranging from primitive camps with little more than an open piece of ground to sites with running water, picnic tables, shade canopies and hot showers.
It's no wonder that camping is so popular. The latest report from the Outdoor Industries Association shows nearly 650,000 Utahns went car camping last year, which means they camped in places like state and national parks where parking was close by. Another 110,000 will take extended hikes to go camping.
Thus far this year, the number of people taking weekend camping trips has been up. According to Deena Loyola, with Utah State Parks and Recreation, this past Memorial Day holiday was one of the busiest on record.
"Nearly every reservable campsite was reserved for that weekend, and it appears that this early-season trend is continuing," she said.
Of course, it helped that most of the lakes and reservoirs with state parks on their shores filled this year.
Good camping options for August, she added, are Wasatch Mountain State Park, with miles of hiking and biking trails and a fishing pond for kids; Rock Cliff Nature Center at Jordanelle State Park, which offers shady campsites with boardwalks spanning the Provo River and is close to the Wasatch Front; Palisade State Park, which has several new campsites, now allows small electric motors on the reservoir and has an 18-hole golf course nearby; and Green River State Park, which is a little more of a drive from the Wasatch area but has great camping opportunities.
The two most popular sites are Zion National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Each is expected to receive more than 2 million visitors this year.
Zion, the oldest park in Utah, was recognized in 1919. This cliff-and-canyon landscape has a unique blend of beauty and boldness. Views along the Virgin River, especially in the fall, are breathtaking, yet at the same time monoliths like the Great White Throne and Angels Landing, along with the sculptured rock walls, are formidable barriers to the visiting traveler.
Glen Canyon was established in 1972. Behind the Glen Canyon Dam is Lake Powell, which runs for nearly 200 miles from the border of Arizona through the southern tip of Utah. The lake provides a fun house of activity, including all types of water sports, hiking, camping and exploring. It is also home to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, the world's largest natural bridge. From the ground to the top of the bridge is 290 feet, which is nearly the height of the Statue of Liberty. It spans 275 feet.
State parks offer a whole supermarket of recreational opportunities, including boating, hiking, camping, fishing and off-highway riding.
The most recognized of the parks is Antelope Island, located in the Great Salt Lake. It is one of the state's most popular wildlife viewing sites. More than 700 American buffalo roam the island in the spring and summer. There are also antelope, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mule deer. On the eastern shore there is a restored ranch that dates back to the 1800s.
Dead Horse Point is located north of Moab. The grazing mesa sits more than 2,000 feet above the Green River.
Edge of the Cedars near Blanding is the site of a pre-Colombian Puebloan Indian community. Along with a museum, there are also examples of early dwellings.
Goblin Valley is located 40 miles north of Hanksville. In the midst of the park are thousands of goblin-like formations growing from the ground.
Wasatch Mountain State Park, located in Midway, is one of the state's most popular parks, partially because of the mountain landscape and deluxe campsites and because of the 36-hole championship golf course.
There are, in fact, golf courses at four of the state's parks — Wasatch, Palisade, Green River and Jordan River. Last summer, a new 36-hole course opened at the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue west of Heber.
For camping reservations to any of the state's parks, call 800-322-3770.
National parks will need to be contacted individually. Some parks have reservation policies, but most campsites are first-come, first-served. For Arches call 435-719-2299; Bryce call 435-834-5322; Canyonlands call 435-719-2313; Capitol Reef call 435-425-3791; Zion call 435-772-3256; Cedar Breaks call 435-586-0787; Dinosaur call 970-374-3000; Grand Staircase call 435-644-4300; for Hovenweep call 970-562-4282; Timpanogos call 801-756-5238; for Natural Bridges call 435-692-1234; for Rainbow Bridge call 928-608-6404; for Golden Spike call 435-471-2209; Flaming Gorge call 435-784-3445; and Glen Canyon call 928-608-6404.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com