Utah's top 10: For little or no cost, Utahns can enjoy wealth of recreation

Getting out and enjoying some of the benefits of living in Utah need not be that difficult, that costly or that time consuming.

There are …

More than 400 miles of raftable rivers.

About 23 percent of the state is high-elevation country, roughly 9 million acres, featuring some of the most majestic mountains anywhere, and probably twice that amount of country in rugged, rocky desertlike areas, along with 17 designated wilderness areas.

Areas designated as scenic byways and backways, all spotlighting some of the best landscapes the state has to offer.

More than 30 museums, showcasing everything from the state's pioneer history to its earliest residents — dinosaurs.

Forty-three state parks, five national parks, seven national monuments, two national recreation areas, one national historical site and one of the most spectacular lakes found anywhere in the world — Lake Powell.

More than 400 public and private campgrounds.

More than 1,000 fishable lakes and a similar number of streams and rivers.

A spider web of trails covering the state for biking and hiking, ranging from the very easiest to the extreme.

The best part? Most of these places can be visited for a small fee and, in some cases, no cost.

These are just some of the perks available to those living in a state that offers convenience and diversity — mountains, lakes, parks, desert and a rich history — most located pretty close to home.

Most of the activities require little long-range planning. In fact, many of the activities can be done spur-of-the-moment.

There are a number of books available detailing recreational possibilities here in Utah, books on camping possibilities and hikes ranging from difficult to comfortable. There are books pinpointing historical sites and even movie locations, fishing opportunities, state parks and services, scenic drives on byways and backways, animal viewing and things to do in the national forests and parks.

The best place to start, and it's free, is the Web site put together by the Utah Division of Travel Development — www.utah.com.

For starters, here are 10 places to start:

Biking

There are thousands of miles of riding opportunities, ranging from paved roads to single-track trails almost too rough to hike.

Each of the 29 counties have identified biking routes for road riding and mountain biking.

One ride to consider is the Rail Trail route from Park City to Echo Junction — 30 miles. This was once a railroad grade that has been patched and smoothed out for bike riders and walkers. The trail is managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation, which has a detailed map showing parking, access points and distances.