Marina makeover: American Fork Boat Harbor sporting a new look after $3.9M improvement project
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- Watercraft are pictured Thursday, June 12, 2025, on Utah Lake near the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor.
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- A woman walks along the newly constructed trail at the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor at Utah Lake on Friday, June 13, 2025.
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- The new playground at the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor at Utah Lake on Friday, June 13, 2025.
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- Fisherman are pictured fishing on dock at the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor at Utah Lake on Friday, June 13, 2025.
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- A watercraft is launched onto Utah Lake at the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor on Friday, June 13, 2025,
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- Watercrafts are launched onto Utah Lake at the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Months of construction at the Utah Lake American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor are wrapping up just in time for the official start of summer.
Last summer, the city announced a slew of improvement plans to the boat harbor and its amenities as well as several new additions.
The updated marina includes a freshly paved parking lot, new restrooms, new welcome booth, a playground, improved shoreline with fishing access and a 12-foot-wide trail. It will soon have a freshly sanded beach, an area for cornhole and much more.
Derric Rykert, community services director for American Fork, said the project was a culmination of planning and exploring ways to acquire the needed funding to make it happen.
“We probably started about five years ago and identified it as a kind of a resource in the city that we wanted to update. And so we started working on some concept plans, and then started applying for funding,” he explained.
Eventually, American Fork secured $3.9 million for the project, primarily through grant funding from the state and from Utah County, according to the city government’s website.
Rykert said the city initially planned to have the improvements completed last summer, but they ran into some delays. Crews were able to begin construction work to revamp the boat harbor last fall in anticipation of welcoming visitors to the newly renovated marina before the start of summer.
People visiting the boat harbor for the first time this year will notice the improvements and additions compared to 2024.
Rykert said while the American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor is a resource in the city that provides accessibility to recreation at Utah Lake, it was in need of dire upgrades.
“We felt like it was an underutilized, (and) kind of hidden gem that we had in the city,” he said. “The parking lot was just dilapidated. … There was just nails and junk (there) and there wasn’t really, positive activity going on down there. And so we thought, if we improve this and bring more people to it, it’s going to be a nice gem on the lake.”
The city said the goal is to transform the harbor into a vibrant hub for boating, playing and relaxing — whether visitors are on the water or just enjoying the view from the shore.
On Friday, people could be seen launching their watercraft onto the lake, fishing, walking on the trail and enjoying a picnic in the shaded areas near the new welcome center.
Though the facility is open to the public, work on upcoming additions like beach sand are still underway, an improvement that the Utah Lake Authority helped fund with $25,000.
“The Utah Lake Authority is thrilled by the re-opening of the American Fork Marina, one of 35 public access points around Utah Lake,” ULA Communications and Events Manager Kelly Cannon-O’Day told the Daily Herald in a statement. “Its improved amenities will allow even more Utahns to enjoy their lake.”
$1.4 million dollars of the project’s funding came from Utah County. Officials say they are pleased with what American Fork has done with renovating the boat harbor.
“It looks beautiful, and just what the County’s Tourism Tax dollars are for,” said Richard Piatt, communications manager for Utah County, in a statement. “We look forward to helping other cities in a similar way as our cities propose these types of community improvement projects.”
The remainder of the funding came from the the Utah Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands.
A grand re-opening celebration is set for June 30 at 10 a.m. and Rykert said all are invited to experience the renovated marina.
Entry into the marina is free for people walking or biking into the facility looking to access the new outdoor amenities, seating and the playground. Parking is $5 a day, and it costs $10 to launch a boat. Season passes are also available for frequent users.
The American Fork Beach and Boat Harbor is located at 6398 S. 100 West.
