Utah state park renamed after former division director

Duchesne, Utah • A state park in east-central Utah has been renamed in honor of a former director of the Division of Parks and Recreation.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Tuesday at Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation, formerly Starvation State Park.

After beginning his career with Parks and Recreation in 1982 as a seasonal ranger, Hayes rose through the ranks and served as division director from 2012 until 2018, the year he died.

The park is located in Duchesne (doo-shayne) and named after 3,495-acre Starvation Reservoir.

According to the park’s website, the origin of the previous name has been attributed to various legends, two involving a food cache stolen either by mountain men or American Indians and another about livestock that perished due to hunger.

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Utah state park renamed after former division director

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