The best Utah counties for outdoor access.

Washington County is Utah's southwest corner, a low desert basin around St. George with the high red country of Zion rising to its east. Its score tops the ranking because a national park and a string of state parks, from the reservoirs of Sand Hollow and Quail Creek to the sandstone of Snow Canyon, sit alongside a very high share of public land. This is the one region on the list I serve directly as the local agent.

San Juan County is Utah's southeast corner, high plateau country at the base of the Abajo Mountains, with Blanding its largest town and Monticello the seat. The Needles district of Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, Hovenweep, and Bears Ears all sit inside its lines, the most national park and monument units of any county on this list. Its two state parks, Edge of the Cedars and Goosenecks, round out the tally.

Sevier County runs through central Utah along the I-70 corridor, with Richfield as both seat and largest town. Its score rides almost entirely on public land, one of the higher federal shares among the counties here, rather than on a long list of named parks. The one state park inside its lines is Fremont Indian.

Tooele County sits on a high valley floor west of the Wasatch Front, with the seat and the largest town both named Tooele. It is the purest public land story in the top half of this list: no state park and no ski area inside the county, so the ranking rests on the federal share alone. That share is the highest of the twenty counties.

Millard County follows Interstate 15 through the Pahvant Valley in central Utah, with Delta its largest town and Fillmore, Utah's original territorial capital, the seat. The one named state park is Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore. Most of the score is carried by the county's wide federal land rather than by that single park.

Juab County crosses central Utah along the I-15 and US-6 corridors, with Nephi as both seat and largest town. Yuba is its one named state park, and the Little Sahara Recreation Area adds BLM dune country to the picture. Public land carries most of the score.

Uintah County is the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah, a high desert basin with cold winters, and Vernal is both its seat and largest town. Dinosaur National Monument lies inside the county, and the state parks at Steinaker and Red Fleet add reservoir water nearby. The wide federal share of the county supplies most of the score.

Iron County is Southern Utah's mountain valley, a four-season basin with Cedar City the largest town and Parowan the seat. Cedar Breaks National Monument, Brian Head Resort, and Frontier Homestead State Park give it all three kinds of access the score counts, and a high federal share adds points on top. This is my home county, and I know its trails and slopes well.

Wasatch County is Wasatch Back country around Heber City, a mountain valley with long, cold winters. Its three state parks, Wasatch Mountain, Jordanelle, and Deer Creek, sit inside its lines, and no ski area does. Park City and Deer Valley lie nearby but across the county line, so they earn this county no points.

Sanpete County is the Sanpete Valley in central Utah, with Manti the seat and Ephraim the largest town. Palisade and Yuba are the two named state parks, with Yuba shared across the line with Juab County. The federal land share carries most of the score.

Summit County is the Wasatch Back high country around Park City, a mountain valley with long, snowy winters and the county seat at Coalville. Park City Mountain and Deer Valley sit inside its lines, along with Rockport and Echo state parks. Its score stacks ski points on top of a solid federal share.

Utah County lines the south end of the Wasatch Front around Provo and Utah Lake. Sundance sits in the foothills above the valley, and the two state parks are Utah Lake and Camp Floyd. Public land makes up a large share of the county, so the score splits between named parks and open mountain country.

Carbon County is the Castle Valley corridor in eastern Utah, with Price both seat and largest town. Its one named state park is Scofield, and no ski area sits inside the county. Federal land carries most of the score, with a large share of the county in public ownership.

Duchesne County is the western Uinta Basin in eastern Utah, with Roosevelt its largest town and Duchesne the seat. The one named state park is Starvation, and no ski area is inside the county. Public land supplies most of the score.

Cache County is Cache Valley around Logan in northern Utah, a valley that runs cold in winter. Beaver Mountain and Cherry Peak sit on its mountain edges, and Hyrum State Park is the one named state park. The score here comes from ski points plus a federal share of the county that is a solid chunk of the total.

Box Elder County runs north of the Wasatch Front below the Wellsville range, with Brigham City as both seat and largest town. Golden Spike National Historical Park sits inside the county, and Willard Bay State Park is the one named state park. Its federal land share supplies most of the score.

Salt Lake County centers on Salt Lake City below the Wasatch, and it is the most populated county in the state. Its ski areas, Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude, sit in the mountains above the valley, while its state parks sit low at the Great Salt Lake and along the Jordan River. The score comes from ski points more than public land, because private ground covers most of the county.

Weber County is the Wasatch Front country around Ogden, with Ogden both seat and largest town. Its ski areas, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley, sit in the mountains above the valley floor, and Fort Buenaventura State Park is the one named state park. Ski points drive the score far more than public land, which makes up a small share of the county.

Davis County is the narrow bench below the Wasatch between the big counties to its north and south, with Layton the largest town and Farmington the seat. Its one named state park is Antelope Island, out in the Great Salt Lake, and no ski area sits inside the county. Private land covers nearly all of it, so the score lands near the bottom of the list.

Morgan County is the Weber River valley running between the mountains east of Ogden, with the town of Morgan both seat and largest town. Its state parks, East Canyon and Lost Creek, sit in the high country above the valley floor, and no ski area is inside the county. Almost all of its ground is private, the smallest federal share of the twenty counties, which is why the score is lowest here despite two named parks.