National historical park
State park · Northern Utah
Bear Lake State Park
The “Caribbean of the Rockies,” a turquoise lake straddling the Utah–Idaho border. Beaches, boating and raspberry shakes in Garden City.
Photo: Paul Hermans · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bear Lake’s striking turquoise color comes from fine limestone particles suspended in the water. The lake is about 20 miles long and straddles the Utah–Idaho line, with the state park’s marina, Rendezvous Beach and east side units on the Utah side.
Summer is the season for swimming, sailing and boating, with sandy beaches on the south and west shores. Garden City’s raspberry shakes are a tradition, and the drive over Logan Canyon on US-89 is beautiful, especially in fall.
Don't miss
- Rendezvous BeachA long, sandy beach on the lake’s south shore.
- Bear Lake MarinaBoat rentals and launching near Garden City.
- Raspberry shakesA Garden City summer tradition made with local berries.
- Logan Canyon Scenic BywayA beautiful drive from Logan over the mountains to the lake.
- Cisco discoA January event when locals dip-net small Bonneville cisco, found only in Bear Lake.
Good to know
- The water is cold until midsummer, even on hot days.
- Beaches and campgrounds fill on summer weekends. Reserve ahead.
- Raspberry days in early August are the peak of the season.
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State park