After years of planning and construction, Utah’s newest state park is in its final stretch to reach “substantial completion” ahead of its anticipated grand opening in late April — though the exact date remains uncertain.
Park Manager Brad Walker, who stepped into the role in January, said the finishing touches are underway, but some key details — including park fees, finishing campgrounds and final visitor center preparations — are still being sorted out.
“We’re down to some of the last, hard operational things, so it’s kind of all coming together all at once,” Walker said. “We’ll get it sorted out because we have to.”
Walker said the goal is to have many of these details completed by the grand opening, but not everything will be ready by then.
“I am excited to get the public in here and get people on the trails and start holding programs and showing everyone all the great work that’s been done here [including] efforts we’re taking to try to preserve and educate about the history and the stories in this park.”
From fossils to a state park
Established by the Utah Legislature in 2021, Utahraptor State Park spans over 6,500 acres and includes the Dalton Wells and Willow Springs areas, both known for their paleontological and historical significance.
The park’s Dalton Wells bone bed is one of North America’s largest fossil sites, containing thousands of dinosaur bones, including those of Utahraptor ostrommaysorum, the state’s namesake dinosaur and one of the largest known raptors.
The area was also home to a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s, which was later repurposed during World War II as an isolation camp for Japanese American internees deemed “troublemakers” by U.S. authorities. Interpretive displays at the park will highlight both the paleontological and historical significance of these sites.
Although the park was designated in 2021, development faced delays due to funding constraints, rising construction costs and the challenge of bringing essential utilities to the remote site. Securing water and power access required drilling wells and extending utility lines, which contributed to the timeline.
Those systems have been a major focus, with water and wastewater treatment infrastructure installed to support both visitors and staff. The park now has functioning wells, septic systems and fire monitoring in place, though some final adjustments and testing are ongoing.
COVID-19-related supply chain and labor shortages also slowed construction, leaving the park in an undeveloped state for several years. Now, with key infrastructure nearing completion, the park is preparing to officially open with modern amenities, designated campgrounds and improved access.
Campground and infrastructure updates
Walker said the modern campground is nearing completion, with 61 campsites across three loops. Each site has water hookups, electrical service, fire rings and picnic tables. Every loop includes modern restrooms with showers, and some sites have shade structures.
Additionally, 27 improved primitive campsites are already in use. These sites feature designated parking, picnic tables and fire rings but remain first-come, first-served until online reservations become available.
“The primitive campgrounds are virtually done,” Walker said, though some grading and final numbering work need to be completed.
Reservations for both modern and primitive campsites are expected to be available online by the grand opening, though the approval process has not been established.
Primitive campsites currently cost $15 per vehicle, per night, with modern campsite prices yet to be announced.
Visitor center and park facilities
The visitor center is expected to be open in time for the grand opening, featuring interpretive exhibits, a small gift shop and educational materials about the park’s paleontology and history.
While the goal is to have all interpretive signage installed by the grand opening, Walker said some may follow shortly after.
Walker also confirmed that the Utahraptor statue is nearly ready for installation, pending the completion of a custom stand.
(Brad Walker) Workers install dinosaur-themed murals inside the Utahraptor State Park visitor center, which is expected to mostly completed by the grand opening in late April.
Park access and fees
Walker said the park’s entrance fees are in the final stages of approval and will be announced soon.
One unresolved issue is whether visitors using Willow Springs Road to access Arches National Park will have to pay a Utahraptor State Park entrance fee. Walker said discussions are ongoing to determine that policy.
“That also is a meeting that I’m going to have to have with our operations director and the people above me,” Walker said. “That is a unique situation, and I don’t want to say anything one way or the other until we have a solid answer.”
Recreational and trail improvements
Utahraptor State Park includes approximately 50 miles of trails, frequently used by hikers, mountain bikers and off-highway vehicle riders.
Walker said the park is working with nonprofit groups and volunteers to install signage and improve trail conditions, but the project remains ongoing.
“The trail signage project was part of a grant, and it’s a long-term one,” he said. “All the posts are set to receive the signs, but we still have to name them, get approvals and order custom-made signs.”
Walker also said that the planned 3-mile extension of the existing Moab Canyon Pathway, connecting directly to the Utahraptor State Park visitor center, is moving forward.
The Utah Department of Transportation has allocated $8.8 million for the project, which will run parallel to Highway 191, providing a safe, non-motorized route for cyclists and pedestrians between Moab and the park.
Walker, who was recently added to the UDOT committee responsible for selecting the engineering firm to design the project, said the extension will be an “excellent addition.” While planning is advancing, a construction timeline has not yet been set.
Grand opening plans and looking ahead
Walker said the park has formed an internal committee to plan the grand opening programming, though specific activities are still being decided.
“There absolutely will be [events], I just don’t know what that is right now,” Walker said.
Beyond the grand opening, Walker said the park will continue focusing on hiring more employees, trail maintenance, installing interpretive signage and expanding educational programming.
“There’s a ton of potential here, but the low-hanging fruit is the trails — bringing them up to Utah State Parks standards,” Walker said. “And as we get our feet under us, we’ll lean into more programming and interpretive programs, but we’ve got a whole lot of irons in the fire at the moment.”
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.
