Utah tourism uses vulture mascots to promote backcountry safety

Frank and Morris may look like a punchline, but Utah’s new safety push is aimed at a very real problem: too many visitors head into desert canyons, high trails and mountain routes without enough water, a route plan or a backup if weather turns. The vulture mascots front the state’s Always Adventure Safe campaign, introduced in a sponsored story published May 15, and the joke only works because the warning behind it is so plain.

The message is practical, almost stubbornly so. Before a hike, bike ride, paddle or off-road trip, Utah officials want people to check conditions, bring more water than they think they need, dress for the weather, know their limits and tell someone where they are going. The campaign materials go one step further for outfitters and other business partners, offering checklists, stickers, posters, counter tents and messaging guides so the same advice shows up at trailheads, visitor counters and gear shops. Travel Utah says Adventure Safe Day was scheduled for May 16 as part of Utah Forever, a statewide stewardship effort led by the Utah Office of Tourism, Utah State Parks, the Division of Outdoor Recreation and the Department of Natural Resources.

The rollout also stretched across some of the state’s busiest recreation zones. Travel Utah listed Adventure Safe Day locations at Ashley Gorge Via Ferrata, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Sand Hollow State Park, Snow Canyon State Park, Wasatch Mountain State Park and Willard Bay State Park. At those sites, the state handed out free educational materials and incentives, while a separate Utah Office of Tourism giveaway ran from May 11 through May 31.

That giveaway is built for the same crowd the campaign is trying to reach. Official rules say five prize packs will be awarded, with winners announced no later than June 30. The prizes include a paddleboarding and cottage overnight stay at Willard Bay State Park, a Flaming Gorge rafting and lodging package, and an Ashley Gorge Via Ferrata adventure, along with other overnight experiences around the state.

The urgency is not hypothetical. Zion National Park recorded 193 search-and-rescue incidents in 2024, and most happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day. KUER reported that June 2024 visitation there reached 613,552 people, a reminder of how quickly crowded-season enthusiasm can turn into a rescue call. Utah’s Division of Outdoor Recreation says its law-enforcement work includes search-and-rescue support using remotely operated vehicles, and its OHV grant program funds search and rescue, education and tourism.

Frank and Morris are there to make the message stick. The part that matters is the checklist before the drive, before the trail and before the heat, distance or weather starts making the decisions for you.