Land for Sale in Garfield County, UT

Garfield County is a huge, almost empty southern Utah county of 5,208 square miles and 5,083 residents (2020 census), with Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Grand Staircase-Escalante all in or beside it. Land is scarce, scenic and surrounded by public land. Legal access, water and utilities decide whether a parcel is usable, and this guide covers them.

Garfield County at a glance

  • County seat and largest city: Panguitch. Other places: Escalante, Boulder, Tropic, Bryce Canyon City, Cannonville, Henrieville, Hatch and Antimony.
  • 2020 population 5,083; about 5,208 square miles; about one person per square mile.
  • Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area lie in the county.
  • The monument covers about 1,880,461 acres, including about 14,130 acres that are privately held.
  • Highways: US 89 and Utah 12.

The Garfield County land market

Tourism drives demand: buyers look for lots and acreage in Escalante, Boulder, Tropic and Panguitch for homes, cabins and small businesses, plus ranch and grazing land. Because most of the county is public land, private parcels are limited, and price reflects views, road frontage and access to power and water.

Public land, inholdings and access

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was established in 1996, and under the 1999 Utah Schools and Land Exchange Act the state's trust lands inside it were exchanged to the federal government, so the remaining non-federal parcels inside the monument boundary are private, about 14,130 acres. A private inholding surrounded by federal land does not automatically come with a road, and public-land access has been debated in Congress for years. Ask for recorded legal access in the title report, check BLM records for rights-of-way, and confirm road maintenance and the cost to build. Verify current status with the BLM and the county, since the sources I found are older.

Water, power and building

Water in the small towns comes from municipal systems and irrigation companies, and rural parcels may need wells or hauled water, so confirm with the Utah Division of Water Rights what a parcel's water right allows. Power and broadband may be far away, and building costs rise with distance and winters. Zoning is set by Garfield County and the towns, so ask what a parcel allows for a cabin, rental or business.

Before you buy land in Garfield County

  • Recorded legal access across public land, and road maintenance.
  • Water right or well, power and septic.
  • Zoning, short-term rental rules and building permits.
  • Boundaries with the national monument, national parks and BLM land.
  • Winter road conditions and distance to services.

How to verify legal access to landLand due diligence checklist

Frequently asked questions

Is there private land inside Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument?

Yes, about 14,130 acres of the roughly 1.88 million acres inside the boundary are privately held. State trust lands were exchanged to the federal government in 1999.

How many people live in Garfield County, Utah?

About 5,083 in 2020, roughly one per square mile.

Which national parks are in Garfield County?

Most of Bryce Canyon National Park and a large part of Capitol Reef National Park lie in the county.

Sources