Active Pursuits

One of the top spots for fishing, boating, and swimming in this area is Utah Lake State Park, 4400 W. Center St. (tel. 801/375-0731; www.stateparks.utah.gov), Utah's largest freshwater lake. The 96,600-acre lake is especially popular with owners of speedboats, personal watercraft, and sailboats, although the occasional canoe or kayak can be seen gliding by. Mountains dominate the view in all directions, and at night, the lights of the city illuminate the panorama to the east. Anglers catch channel catfish, walleye, white bass, black bass, and several species of panfish. While there are boat-launching ramps, there are no boat rentals. Although the park itself has no hiking or biking trails, the Provo River Parkway Trail leads from the edge of the park into Provo Canyon.

The park's 54-site campground is open April through October only; the park is open for day use year-round. The campground has no RV hookups, but it does have a dump station as well as modern restrooms with showers. Day-use hours are 6am to 10pm in summer, 8am to 5pm in winter. Day use costs $9 per vehicle. Camping costs $20; reservations can be made by calling tel. 800/322-3770 or through the state parks website (www.stateparks.utah.gov). Take I-15 exit 268, Center Street west; it's about 3 miles to the park.

Outdoor recreation enthusiasts also head into the Uinta National Forest, which practically surrounds Provo and offers hundreds of miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails. Check with the Forest Supervisor's office, 88 W. 100 North (tel. 801/377-5780; www.fs.fed.us/r4/uwc), for maps and tips on where to go.

Right in town, the 15-mile Provo River Parkway Trail winds from Utah Lake to Provo Canyon, following the Provo River part of the way. This slag trail (slag is the rock left over when a metal is mined) is open to both bikers and hikers.

Among the public golf courses in the area are Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehi (tel. 801/768-7400), an 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by golf pro Johnny Miller, with greens fees of $65 to $85 for 18 holes, cart included; Cascade Golf Course, 1313 E. 800 North, Orem (tel. 801/225-6677), which has a driving range and 9 holes and is par-35, with greens fees of $12 to $13, plus $7 per person for a cart; and East Bay Golf Course, 1860 S. Eastbay Blvd. (tel. 801/373-6262), on the south side of the city, which is an 18-hole, par-71 course with greens fees of $13 for 9 holes ($20 with cart) and $24 for 18 holes ($38 with cart).

Lehi is home to a huge (150,000-sq.-ft.!) Cabela's, 2502 W. Grand Terrace Pkwy. (tel. 801/766-2500; www.cabelas.com), selling every kind of outdoor gear imaginable. They've even got a restaurant, horse corrals, and an indoor archery range.