A year after the Uinta and Wasatch-Cache national forests were combined, officials have announced the forest is the second-most visited in the nation.

The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as it is now called, matches its large name with a large number of annual visitors -- 8.9 million a year. Of those, 1.2 million are visitors just to American Fork Canyon, said Larry Velarde, who manages recreation in the forest.

On this Memorial Day weekend in particular, because some camp sites and recreation areas are still closed, those that are open are going to see heavy use, he said.

"Every parking lot and pull-out will be full," he said.

The two forests were combined to save an estimated $2 million a year in administrative expenses.

With the economy as it is, the increasing popularity of the forest may be because more people are looking for recreation opportunities closer to home, said Lorraine Januzelli, spokeswoman for the forest. Surveys show that just over half of all visitors here live within 25 miles of the forest, just over 90 percent live within 100 miles of the forest, and just 9 percent live farther away.

Hiking is the single most popular activity in the 2.2 million-acre forest, she said.

"Forty-two percent come to hike, and then the next-biggest group is people who come to view nature," she said.

The sheer number of visitors means that it becomes everyone's job to help protect the forest for future generations, both Januzelli and Velarde said.

"Obviously that is a huge impact for us," said Velarde of the number of visitors. "First and foremost, we are there to protect the forest."

The best way for the public to help ensure the forest is not damaged by the flood of visitors is to become aware of forest rules and follow them, he said. Once people leave designated trails, camp sites, or recreation areas, "it is difficult to manage or protect the forest."

It is also important to protect the forest because it is a major source of local drinking water, Januzelli said. While providing for hiking, biking, horseback riding, motorized use, fishing, and many more activities, forest managers must also try to prevent human-wildlife interaction, erosion and wildfires.

The number of visitors to the forest is also strong during winter, as people ice fish, snowmobile and snowshoe, Januzelli said.

"Our forest is unique because it is used year-round," she said.