Search and rescue crews from across the Wasatch Front were stretched thin Monday when several distressed hikers on various mountain trails required aid.

"It's the last three-day weekend of the year where the weather is still good and where places are still accessible before winter," said Kathy Jo Pollock, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman. "Trails are being heavily used."

Besides the tempting three-day weekend and good-weather factors, more Utahns were available to visit nearby wilderness areas than in years past: AAA predicted a 6 percent drop over Labor Day weekend for Utah road trippers traveling more than 50 miles. Nationally, travel was expected to fall 13.3 percent.

"If it has to do with outdoor recreation, it's full," said Jeremy Craft, Provo Fire and Rescue battalion chief.

Craft's crew rescued a 20-year-old woman who had a history of seizures from Y Mountain on Monday after she suffered an episode. Crews drove a John Deere Gator cart — an oversize and specially outfitted golf cart — through the trailhead's "packed" parking lot and up the busy path until they found her. She was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where she is in good condition, Craft said.

At Corner canyon in Draper, Salt Lake County Search and Rescue lowered an experienced hiker from a chopper to assist two men, one in his 70s, the other 58, and a woman, 50. The trio called 911 early Monday morning and complained of exhaustion after hiking Jacob's Ladder trail the day before. The woman was eventually airlifted out; crews helped the men hike down, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Corey Latham.

"Big crowds in the canyons today," Latham said. "Just huge."

While still attending the Draper rescue, which lasted till 5:30 p.m., the sheriff's office called another crew to bring down a 27-year-old man who was hiking the Red Pine trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon with his wife. Apparently the man had a history of medical problems and was showing symptoms of a heart attack. As in the Y Mountain rescue, medical personnel used a small, specialized ATV to reach and transport the victim.

In Big Cottonwood Canyon, a hiking party scrambled to reach higher ground so they could get cell phone reception to report a serious injury.

A large rock, which had become dislodged, tumbled into a 40-year-old woman's ankle, severely tearing tissues and causing a large laceration, Latham said. The call came at around 1:30 p.m., but rescuers could not reach her until around 4:30 because a helicopter couldn't maintain a hover at her location — near the top of the 11,100-foot Dromedary Peak — due to high winds and thin air, Latham said.

Instead, the pilot dropped crews a couple of miles below, and they had to hike up and then carry the woman down to a safer pickup location. She was then airlifted to a hospital, Latham said.

About 300,000 more visitors are hitting Utah's state parks this year, up nearly 5 percent from last year, according to the Utah office of Tourism. National parks, including Utah's five, are experiencing even steeper visitation numbers. Bryce Canyon, for example, is up about 23 percent.

e-mail: jhancock@desnews.com