Biannual Field Trips
Utah Lake Field Trips
Fall 2026 Dates: Sep 14-15 and Sep 21-22, 2026. Apply Today!
What
Utah County students have the opportunity to learn from specialized lesson plans offered by the Utah Lake Authority during hands-on field trips. The lesson plans teach Utah State core concepts in math, language arts, science, and social studies. Interested teachers will need to teach as many of the lesson plans as possible during the current school year and then fill out a simple online application in order for their classes to attend the field trip.
During the trip, students will rotate through several mini classes that reinforce information taught in the classroom. Additional classes about sailing, fishing, and other topics related to the lake are also part of the experience.
Who
The field trips are designed for 4th grade students in the Alpine, Nebo, and Provo School Districts.
Where
In the spring, field trips are held at the Utah Lake State Park, and in the fall, Saratoga Springs City Marina. These two locations provide the perfect setting and opportunity to see the lake they have been learning about.
- Spring Field Trips: Utah Lake State Park, 4400 West Center Street, Provo, Utah 84601
- Fall Field Trips: Saratoga Springs City Marina, 156 Harbor Park Way, Saratoga Springs, UT 84045
When
Spring field trip dates are scheduled in late April and early May, and Fall field trips are typically mid September.
Field trip stations begin at 10:00 am and end at 1:30 pm, and each station presentation lasts approximately 25 minutes. A lunch break is scheduled from 12:00pm to 12:45 pm.
Please ensure that your school will be able to attend the entire time because it is difficult for our presenters to have schools arrive late or leave early.
How to Be Selected
We ask teachers to apply with an online application, as the number of students that can attend is limited. The application process includes submitting photographs or scans, as well as answering some short essay questions. Please only submit one application per school, but we ask that all the 4th grade teachers in your school collaborate to provide answers.
The selection process for applicants then considers the proximity of the school to the field trip location, the timeliness of the application submission, the number of our lessons taught to students, and other factors. Preference will be given to schools that teach more lessons and demonstrate that the students benefited from them.
Whether your school is selected to attend or not, the students will benefit from the lesson plans taught and discover new ways to enjoy Utah Lake.
More Information
Weather doesn't get in the way of a good field trip, so make sure your students are prepared. Most of our field trip stations provide pavilions, and unless there is lightning headed our way, the show must go on! A notification will be sent out immediately if we decide that the weather is not safe for our presenters or the students.
Unfortunately, field trips cannot be rescheduled, so please prepare a backup plan for your students if a cancellation happens. You will be responsible for canceling buses or food arrangements that have been made.
The Utah Lake Authority offers to reimburse up to $200, per school, to help with transportation costs to and from the Utah Lake State Park. We request that you send us a copy of your invoice as soon after the field trip as possible. Your reimbursement check typically arrives within two weeks from when we receive the invoice.
In 2025, the Utah Lake Authority worked with fourth-grade teachers from the Alpine, Provo and Nebo school districts to create ten lesson plans that teach core concepts in Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies using Utah Lake as an example. We hope that these lessons will be exciting, fun, and a beneficial resource to fourth-grade teachers all over Utah County, and instill a greater understanding and appreciation for the lake.
You can find the lesson plans in a Google Drive below. Please email kelly@utahlake.gov if you have any issues accessing the content.
Contact us by email at events@utahlake.gov or call us at 801-753-8270 if you have any questions, comments, or ideas for improvement.