Photo: Hermann Luyken · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bear Lake straddles the Utah-Idaho border, and its turquoise color comes from fine limestone particles suspended in the water. Garden City is the main town, busy in summer.
The town is known for raspberries, which ripen in late July and August, and for the shakes that every drive-in on Bear Lake Boulevard sells.
See and do
- Bear Lake State Park MarinaBoats and paddleboards on the lake.
- Rendezvous BeachA sandy beach on the south shore.
- Bear Lake OverlookA view from US-89 at the top of Logan Canyon.
- Minnetonka CaveA limestone cave across the border in Idaho.
- Cisco BeachA rocky east-shore beach with clear, shallow water.
- Limber Pine TrailA short trail near the Logan Canyon summit to an ancient limber pine.
Eat and drink
- LaBeau’s Drive-InA raspberry shake institution since 1981.
- Raspberry shake standsSeveral drive-ins line Bear Lake Boulevard.
- Fresh raspberriesBuy flats in late July and August.
Through the year
- Raspberry DaysEarly August: parade, rodeo and craft fair.
- Bear Lake Monster WinterfestLate January: the Monster Plunge and a chili cook-off.
Day trips from Garden City (Bear Lake)
- Logan CanyonAbout an hour west.
- Paris, IdahoThe Paris Tabernacle, about 30 minutes north.
- Bear Lake National Wildlife RefugeMarshes north of the lake in Idaho, good for birding.
Good to know
- Afternoon winds can make the lake rough; boat early.
- Raspberry Days books lodging months ahead.
- The lake is cold even in summer.