Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation
Duchesne
Camp, Kayak, and Swim
Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation is a Utah State Parks unit wrapped around Starvation Reservoir, a lake of about 3,500 acres on the Strawberry River in the Uinta Basin, roughly 4 miles northwest of Duchesne. The Bureau of Reclamation finished Starvation Dam, an earthfill dam, in 1970 as part of the Central Utah Project, and the park opened in 1972. It was called Starvation State Park until 2019, when it was renamed for Fred Hayes, who directed the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation from 2012 until his death in 2018. The water sits at roughly 5,700 feet among tan sandstone bluffs and juniper.
From U.S. 40 at the west end of Duchesne, turn north on SR 311 by the Sinclair station and drive about 2.5 miles to the entrance booth. The swim beach is in the main developed area. Past the booth the road drops to the boat ramp, and the sandy day-use beach and Beach Campground sit on the point just west of the ramp. Overflow parking is in the upper lots above the ramp near the park office and Mountain View Campground. Rangers ask that nobody park on the road shoulders or the grass.
The beach is sand, and the park rents shaded beach picnic cabanas for $20 a day, reservable up to 120 days ahead. The park's pages do not mention lifeguards, so plan on swimming unsupervised. This is a deep high-desert reservoir, so the water is cold in May and June and warms through July and August. Afternoon wind often picks up across the open water, and ski boats and personal watercraft use the same lake, so keep swimmers close to the beach and away from the ramp lane.
Day use costs $10 per vehicle for up to 8 people, rising to $15 on weekends and holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Every vehicle that enters pays, and a paid campsite covers day use. Summer hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is not free, but the fee is a flat state park entry charge with no separate beach fee.
Check conditions before you go. In early October 2026 the park listed the reservoir at 54 percent full and still dropping, with the boat slip dock closed for low water and the fishing pier's water line below its concrete approach. As the lake drops, the shoreline moves out and the walk from the sand to swimmable water gets longer and muddier. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality samples the State Park Day Use Area for E. coli and algae. Results were clean in June and July 2026, but on September 18, 2026 DEQ posted a Warning advisory for a harmful algal bloom on the reservoir with the instruction not to swim or water ski. Read the DEQ Starvation page for the latest update before getting in, and keep dogs out of the water while an advisory is up.
Most people come for the fishing. Starvation is one of Utah's best walleye lakes and also holds smallmouth bass, yellow perch and several trout species. The park has two developed campgrounds with hookups, four primitive campgrounds around the shore, four rentable cabins, a 3D archery range near Indian Bay that is free with the day-use fee, disc golf and geocaches. OHVs are allowed only at Knight Hollow. Ute tribal land surrounds much of the park and is closed to trespassing, and groceries and fuel are back in Duchesne.
More Information
Camping | Utah State Parks
Camping Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation Follow this parkFacebookBeach Campground: Flush restrooms with hot showers Electricity in every site Water in every site Fire pits in every site Picnic tables in every site Shade shelters in sites 1-15 and 18-24 Sewer in sites 1 and 18 Sites that are closest to the water include 3-15 Mountain View Campground: Family-style flush restrooms with hot showers Electricity in every site Water in every site Fire pits in every site Picnic tables in every site Shade shelters in sites 9-22 and 28-41 Sewer in sites 24-27 Sites that are closest to the water include 6-20 Cabins Available Cabins and Cost: King’s Peak, Black Tail, Lookout and Tabby: $100 per night
https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/starvation/camping/Current Conditions | Utah State Parks
Current Conditions Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation Follow this parkFacebookBoat Slip Dock: CLOSED due to low water level.
https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/starvation/current-conditions/Discover Starvation Reservoir | Duchesne City
Explore Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation for boating, fishing, camping, swimming and shoreline recreation near Duchesne City, Utah.
https://duchesnecityut.gov/?p=833Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation | Utah State Parks
Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation Follow this parkFacebookThe sprawling waters of Starvation Reservoir offer great fishing and boating. Find a secluded campsite at one of four primitive and two developed campgrounds. Bring your off-highway vehicle and ride on nearby trails, try our 3D archery course, walk our slacklines, play disc golf or go geocaching.
https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/starvation/Park Fees | Utah State Parks
Park Fees Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation Follow this parkFacebookPay your day-use fees CategoryItem / SiteDetails / DurationFee Day-Use FeesDay-Use Fee (Standard)Per vehicle up to 8 people$10 Day-Use FeesDay-Use Fee (Peak Weekends)Per vehicle up to 8 people. Weekends/Holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.$15 Camping - DevelopedBeach Campground (Busy Season)Per night. All sites.$40 Camping - DevelopedBeach Campground (Winter)Per night. All sites.$20 Camping - DevelopedMountain View Campground (Busy Season)Per night. Partial hookups (1,2,6-23, 28-41) and Full hookups (24-27).$40 Camping - DevelopedMountain View Campground (Winter)Per night.$20 Camping - DevelopedAdditional Vehicle FeePer additional vehicle, per night. Max 8 people per site.$15 Camping - PrimitiveRabbit Gulch East / Juniper Point / Knight HollowPer vehicle, per night. No strict vehicle limit per site unless campground hits max capacity.$15 Camping - PrimitiveIndian Bay / Rabbit Gulch West CampgroundPer vehicle, per night. No strict vehicle limit per site unless campground hits max capacity.$25 Camping - PrimitiveAdditional Vehicle FeePer additional vehicle, per night. For all campgrounds.$15 Camping - BoatBoat CampingPer night$20 Group AreasMain Group AreaPer night minimum (Covers up to 75 people). $3 per extra person over 6 years old.$200 Group AreasIndian Bay / Rabbit Gulch Group AreasPer night minimum (Covers up to 25 people). Sites #1, 3, 11. Extra people over 6 years old: $3/night ($2/night at Indian Bay).$120 LodgingCabins (Peak)Per night. May 15th - October 31st.$100 LodgingCabins (Off-Peak)Per night. November 1st - May 14th.$85 Marine and StorageBoat SlipsPer night$20 Marine and StorageDry Storage (Nightly)Per night$10 Marine and StorageDry Storage (Monthly)Per month$75 Day-Use RentalsBeach Picnic CabanasPer day$20 Day-Use RentalsMountain View Group-Use PavilionPer day$50 Fees and FeaturesFred Hayes State Park at Starvation Park Fees Current Conditions History Boating and Decontamination Camping Things to Do View All Parks(opens in a new tab) Directions Let's go! Take me to the park. Reserve Reserve a campground Day-Use Pass Purchase a day-use passConditions: View more park conditionsSummer Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Winter Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/starvation/park-fees/Starvation Reservoir Recreational Water Quality Monitoring - Utah Department of Environmental Qualit
DEQ's Starvation Reservoir recreational water quality monitoring checks for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) & Waterborne Pathogens (E. coli)
https://deq.utah.gov/dwq/water-quality-health/starvation-reservoirStarvation State Park Utah | Visit Dinosaurland
Visit Starvation State Park near Vernal, Utah for boating, trophy walleye fishing, sandy beach camping, and wide-open desert views. Plan your visit today.
https://dinoland.com/starvation-state-park/Starvation State Park | Utah | Recreation.gov
Reserve camping, permits & activities at Starvation State Park, Utah. Book official reservations on Recreation.gov.
https://www.recreation.gov/gateways/15107Things to Do | Utah State Parks
Things to Do Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation Follow this parkFacebookThere are so many ways to enjoy Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation! Check out all the ways you can make memories with the adventures listed below.
https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/starvation/things-to-do/
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Duchesne
- Head west on US-40 W/
W Main St toward N 100 W St (0.5 mi) - Turn right onto UT-311 N (138 ft)
- Slight left onto UT-311 N/
W Starvation State Pk Rd/ State Rte 311 Continue to follow W Starvation State Pk Rd/(3.9 mi)State Rte 311 - Turn left onto Beach Campground Rd/
W Starvation State Pk Rd (0.1 mi) - Turn right to stay on Beach Campground Rd/
W Starvation State Pk Rd (210 ft)
Starvation Reservoir seen from the south near U.S. 40, looking north across the water toward the Uin courtesy of Danenlott↗ (Public domain↗)
Personal watercraft crossing the open water of Starvation Reservoir on a June day. courtesy of Chris Light↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)
A shoreline campsite among sandstone boulders and juniper across the water on Starvation Reservoir. courtesy of Chris Light↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)
Sunset over the main body of Starvation Reservoir in July 2026. courtesy of Vkoid↗ (CC BY-SA 3.0↗)
Juniper-dotted sandstone shoreline along a bay of Starvation Reservoir. courtesy of Chris Light↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)
Starvation Reservoir in winter, with skim ice on the water and snow on the bluffs. courtesy of Staplegunther (talk)David Jolley↗ (CC BY-SA 3.0↗)
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