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The 680-acre East Canyon Reservoir is nestled in the mountains northeast of Salt Lake City on State Route 65. It offers excellent trout fishing and boating.
Bird watching is also good, especially in winter, for eagles, hawks and other raptors.
Boats may be rented from a concessionaire, and the park has a launching ramp, fish-cleaning station and a 33-unit modern campground and a 44-unit primitive campground.
East Canyon and the surrounding area are rich in pioneer history. The Donner Party, also called the Donner-Reed group, was a group of farmers from Iowa and Illinois going west to find fertile land for their crops.
On their way to California, they passed through East Canyon in 1846, the first wagon train to pass through this way. Many obstacles, including high brush and rocky terrain, slowed them down. Not realizing the harsh conditions they would encounter while on their trek, only 47 of the original 87 reached their destination.
One year after the Donner Party passed through East Canyon, Mormon pioneers followed that same trail, however, this time was much easier due to the trail work the Donner party had accomplished. Four days later, Brigham Young and his group of pioneers used this trail to get to the Salt Lake valley.
Many people used the Donner-Mormon route over the years, including the Overland Stage and the Pony Express.
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