Are there ticks in Utah?

Yes. Utah has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 272 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Utah?

Utah's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the Utah tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in Utah?

In Utah, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.

When is flea and tick season?

Flea and tick season in Utah centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.

Which tick carries Lyme disease in Utah?

On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across Utah. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.

Ticks in Utah

Ticks are active in Utah whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 272 Utah towns every morning, so risk stays local: pick your town for today's number, a 7-day outlook, and what's driving it.

Tick season in Utah

Tick season in Utah peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main human biter across the interior West, quests from March into early summer and largely disappears as the high country dries out. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick (the local Lyme vector) also peaks in spring, and in California's chaparral the Pacific Coast tick holds a late-summer window.

Generalized for the West, where risk peaks in spring and summer drought suppresses it.
Life stage	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Western blacklegged tick
Pacific Coast tick
American dog tick

Peak Active

Generalized for the West, where risk peaks in spring and summer drought suppresses it. Activity windows by life stage from TickEncounter (Univ. of Rhode Island) and the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Any warm spell can wake ticks earlier than the calendar suggests.

Summer heat is a low point out West, not a high one. The daily score on every town page folds the season, the weather, and local habitat into one number each morning, so it is the safer way to time hikes and yard work than the calendar alone.

Highest-risk towns in Utah (2026)

Utah's highest-risk towns are spread across several counties, led by Salt Lake County (1 CDC-reported Lyme cases per 100k). The top 10 towns run 0 to 78 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Woodruff Rich CountyHigh at peak
2Brighton Salt Lake CountyModerate at peak
3Granite Salt Lake CountyModerate at peak
4Emigration Canyon metro township Salt Lake CountyModerate at peak
5Summit Park Summit CountyModerate at peak
6Brian Head Iron CountyModerate at peak
7Alton Kane CountyModerate at peak
8Independence Wasatch CountyModerate at peak
9Interlaken Wasatch CountyModerate at peak
10Alta Salt Lake CountyModerate at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Utah towns, by county

Beaver County · 3 towns

Box Elder County · 17 towns

Cache County · 20 towns

Carbon County · 8 towns

Daggett County · 2 towns

Davis County · 15 towns

Duchesne County · 5 towns

Emery County · 9 towns

Garfield County · 9 towns

Grand County · 2 towns

Iron County · 6 towns

Juab County · 5 towns

Kane County · 5 towns

Millard County · 10 towns

Morgan County · 2 towns

Piute County · 4 towns

Rich County · 4 towns

Salt Lake County · 24 towns · 1/100k Lyme

San Juan County · 3 towns

Sanpete County · 13 towns

Sevier County · 12 towns

Summit County · 10 towns

Tooele County · 9 towns

Uintah County · 4 towns

Utah County · 26 towns

Wasatch County · 8 towns

Washington County · 15 towns

Wayne County · 5 towns

Weber County · 17 towns

Utah tick questions

Are there ticks in Utah?: Yes. Utah has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 272 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Utah?: Utah's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the Utah tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Utah?: In Utah, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.
When is flea and tick season?: Flea and tick season in Utah centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.
Which tick carries Lyme disease in Utah?: On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across Utah. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.