The Largest Land Owner In Utah Is…

There are several places in Utah where people like to go like National or State Parks, historical sites and forests, but who owns all of that? 

Well, if you’re thinking of the federal government, you would be correct. The federal government is the entity that owns the most land in Utah at 33 million acres, the World Population Review said.  

That makes Utah the second most federally owned state after District of Columbia. Ironically, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is not the largest landowner in the state despite its heavy presence here. However, it is the largest landowner in Florida and Illinois for some reason.  

Between all the National and state parks in Utah, the federal government owning the most land makes sense. Still, it would also have made sense if the LDS church had been the most prominent landowner considering Utah is its “home base”. The church owns millions of acres across the U.S. and probably more than we even know.  

The Salt Lake Tribune looked at all the known church properties in 2022 but private church companies were missing from some of the paperwork.  

Anyway, chances are that just about anywhere you go in Utah will either be owned by the federal government or the LDS church. Next time you see a ‘no trespassing’ sign when you are out and about you can probably bet the land is owned by the government.  

That would mean a hefty fine for you so just stay safe and respect property laws.