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Show 141 National Park, but it lacked support. In the late 1960' s and early 1970' s the State of Utah moved to establish a state park on the northern end of Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. This new Great Salt Lake State Park is the most recent in the series of recreational developments on the Great Salt Lake dating from 1870. Its popularity and success remain to be seen. Because of fluctuating water levels, access to the park across the causeway has been unreliable. Insect pests, including gnats and the brine fly, have also influenced recreational use of the park. RECREATIONAL USE PATTERNS Great Salt Lake and Great Salt Lake Desert Research has shown that the Great Salt Lake is not considered by either residents or tourists to be one of the most popular areas in the state to visit. People from the northern and midwestern states are the most frequent visitors to the Great Salt Lake while people from the southern states are the least frequent. People from Utah, California and states adjacent to Utah visit the Great Salt Lake less frequently than people from the remaining western states although California accounts for one- third of Utah's annual tourist season visitors. In 1967, seven percent of the out- of- state tourists surveyed had visited the Great Salt Lake and another one percent indicated they would like to visit the Lake ( Peery and Richardson, 1967). Of the 7 percent that had actually visited the Lake, 0.5 percent felt that the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding area needed to be cleaned up to be a pleasant area. Approximately half of the Utah residents polled in a 1966 study agreed. Further, the demand by residents for recreation on the Great Salt Lake appears to be tied very |