Tourism Boosting Sanpete County Economy

Unemployment is low in Sanpete County, and businesses are showing interest in locating here. Home construction is strong and the population is steadily growing. Things look good economically for Sanpete.

One of the most rapidly growing sectors of the area’s economy, however, is tourism.

This increase in visitation is evident simply by the increased number of side-by-sides and ATVs seen in Sanpete cities, but the numbers show it as well. Money collected through the restaurant tax and the transient room tax — an amount charged to visitors staying in hotels, tourist homes and other guest lodgings — was up 26.8% in 2021 over 2020 for the period of January through September.

Whether the increase is due to COVID travel restrictions keeping travelers closer to home or more people discovering the many recreational opportunities Sanpete has to offer is hard to say, but there’s no doubt that visitation is booming here.

“I think we’re getting noticed. We’re on the map as far as outdoor recreation, which we haven’t been in the past,” said Kevin Christensen, Sanpete County travel and economic development director.

Christensen said he’s had people from all over the country in his office this past summer looking for information about recreation in Sanpete. At one ATV event, a man from Salt Lake City told Christensen he hadn’t known Sanpete even existed.

Sanpete County is hidden between two major highways; people driving toward St. George on I-15 or toward Moab on Highway 6 miss Sanpete completely. It’s a hidden gem travelers don’t learn about while driving somewhere else. As more visitors come, however, word is getting out. The internet is a big draw, with many people learning about the Arapeen Trail online. The media has also brought more attention to the area in recent years, with several television shows featuring recreational opportunities in Sanpete. “We’re having people come from all over the United States to ride the Arapeen Trail system,” Christensen said. Sanpete County may be rural and off the beaten track, but it’s still near major population centers such as Utah and Salt Lake counties. It’s often a surprisingly short drive for people discovering the area. In addition, new trails and events are being developed and held in Sanpete County, promising to draw even more people here. Christensen said a number of new bike trails have been developed in Ephraim Canyon during the past two summers, and new mountain bike trails are being created west of Manti near Gunnison Reservoir. “I get all kinds of comments from people that they just love the mountains and the trail systems here, and I think that it’s only going to grow. I think more and more people are going to keep coming,” Christensen said. “We’re so close

to metro Utah that people don’t have to go clear to St. George or clear to Moab to find a good trail system. It’s much closer than that.”

With increased tourism and other factors, Sanpete County is in a position to see positive economic growth over the next decade. “There’s a fair amount of business interest in the valley,” Christensen said. For example, a number of businesses are looking at locating in an industrial park in Mt. Pleasant.

Work on a 128-acre multi-purpose development in Ephraim called Ephraim Crossing has begun. Home construction has started there, and the development’s overall plan calls for future office and retail space along with other amenities.

“I think Sanpete County is starting to reach a point where we can have some good retail, we can have a better economy, and yet we still won’t have the congestion they have elsewhere in Utah,” Christensen said.

Wages in Sanpete remain below the state average, but he said he believes Sanpete has a bright future.

“I think there’s really never been a better time to invest in Sanpete County,” Christensen said. “I think there’s going to be positive growth and development here over the next 10 years, and it’s just a good time to be in Sanpete.”