Stats show how visits sank at Lake Powell, Utah's national parks

National Park Service data shows that Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Lake Powell, June through September had about 133,000 fewer visits than the previous year.

Visitation has declined, too, at three of Utah’s five national parks. The declines have implications beyond the park and lake boundaries. Utah’s lodging tax, for example, is shared across the state. Jordan Smith, the director of the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism at Utah State University, told 2 News that visitation generally flattens out in the summer months as the summer continues to get warmer and there are economic and political factors at play as well.

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