Bear Lake State Park
Things to Do at Bear Lake State Park
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Boating
If you have a sailboat, Bear Lake is the place for you. With calm water, a consistent afternoon breeze, and tons of room to maneuver (nearly 70,000 acres), it has to be one of Utah’s best places to unfurl the sails. The calm and tranquil water of the lake has put Bear Lake on the map for water skiing and wakeboarding enthusiasts. Jet skiing is just as popular. With the lake having so much open surface area you are guaranteed to find the perfect spot to skim the water. You can find rental boats and jet skis at the marina or in one of the nearby cities.
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Camping and Lodging
If you plan to stay a night or two, camping at Bear Lake State Park is available at the marina, Rendezvous Beach, and Cisco Beach. The Marina and Rendezvous Beach sites have water, flush toilets and showers, while the Cisco campground is primitive. If glamping is more your style, Conestoga Ranch in Garden City opens during the summer months. Additional outdoor adventures include horseback riding and OHV trails through the Cache National Forest.
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Fishing and Ice Fishing
Tucked in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Bear Lake offers a high-altitude, cool-water fishing experience. The lake's iconic trophy fishing attracts tons of people to Bear Lake, even in the winter (Bear Lake freezes seven out of ten winters). Most hope to hook a cutthroat or lake trout, but you may also land whitefish and carp. Trolling is popular across the lake and casting from the rocky embankment of the marina can be productive. Learn more about fishing at Bear Lake.
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Paddling
Be sure to bring your stand up paddleboards, kayaks and canoes as well. Quietly cruising the shores south of the marina will lead to seeing beautiful waterfowl in the lake’s marshes. Starting from the beach at the marina you can head north to explore the beaches along the west shore. If you don’t feel like cruising, then just drifting and playing in the shallow and warm water near the marina’s beach can’t be beaten.
Things to Do Near Bear Lake State Park
Pickleville Playhouse
The Pickleville Playhouse is located in the heart of Garden City, one of the many charming Utah towns that share the shoreline of Bear Lake. The playhouse is known for family-friendly live entertainment during the summer months, and hosts a variety of quirky productions every year. Showgoers can enjoy dinner before or after the live performances at the Pickleville Grill.
Famous Bear Lake Raspberry Shakes
Bear Lake’s world-famous raspberry milkshakes are an integral part of any visit to Bear Lake. Crafted by blending locally-sourced raspberries with ice cream, these delectable shakes offer an unforgettable experience for the taste buds. They are so beloved that they’ve even been featured in The New York Times. While lots of restaurants around Garden City offer these frothy creations, LaBeau’s Drive-In, a local burger restaurant, holds a special place in the hearts of locals.
Bear Lake Golf Course
While in Garden City, visitors can hit the links on the Bear Lake Golf Course: a 9-hole golf course with cool air and a spectacular view of Bear Lake’s turquoise waters. It’s not uncommon for golfers to spot moose and other Utah wildlife while enjoying this course. Bear Lake Golf Course offers over 3,000 yards of golf, and is a welcoming spot even for beginners.Ski Beaver Mountain Resort
As a family-run ski resort, Beaver Mountain is a place for people to come together and enjoy the best snow on Earth. Skiers and snowboarders can find lodging in Logan or Garden City, both great base camp options for all types of winter adventure. This resort offers the same incredible fall-line skiing of larger resorts with fewer crowds and lower prices. With 400 inches of fluffy, dry powder every season, Beaver Mountain Resort is the perfect place for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels. (Read: The Legacy of Beaver Mountain Ski Resort)
More Bear Lake Highlights
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Bear Lake History
The Logan Canyon Scenic Byway leads to more than just Bear Lake's renowned water sports. It's a great place to explore America's past and discover the stories of the hearty souls that settled this area. Discover five spots important to Bear Lake history that you won't want to miss when you visit.
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Bear Lake Raspberries
While you are hanging at the “Caribbean of the Rockies” be sure to eat your fill of raspberries. Bear Lake raspberries are world famous and each August the harvest is celebrated with a festival. If you happen to miss the festival, don’t worry you can still have a raspberry milk shake at any number of drive-ins surrounding the lake.
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Logan Canyon Scenic Byway
This 41-mile national scenic byway is the most scenic route from Northern Utah to Jackson and Yellowstone. The byway runs alongside the winding Logan River from the city of Logan to Garden City, right through Bear Lake State Park. Much of the corridor travels through spectacular, craggy limestone cliffs, some of which are nearly vertical. There are many opportunities for recreation in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and interpretive information on Logan Canyon along the way.
What's Nearby
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Ogden
Ogden is an outdoor recreation mecca. It has also worked to restore its historic Art Deco architecture and buildings and blend in new development toward a charming and vibrant downtown.
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Hyrum Lake State Park
Willow, box elder and maple trees surround Hyrum Reservoir providing shade as well as habitat for waterfowl and wildlife.
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Willard Bay State Park
Today Willard Bay State Park is a freshwater reservoir that is located only miles from both Ogden and Brigham City, UT, and offers awesome camping and boating, excellent birding and exciting fishing.
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Brigham City
Brigham City's Main Street archway proclaims "Gateway to the World's Greatest Wild Bird Refuge." Brigham City boasts a small-town feel with big-city amenities like comfortable and affordable hotel rooms, deluxe suites, and beautiful golf courses.
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Cherry Peak
Cherry Peak is located just 15 miles from Logan, near the Idaho border. The family-owned, nearly 400-acre resort, features three triple chairlifts, a comprehensive snowmaking infrastructure and a 1.25 mile-long run.
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Golden Spike
Visit the Golden Spike National Historic Park to relive the history with exhibits and demonstrations, and take in the beauty of the surrounding Great Basin Desert and nearby Great Salt Lake and Spiral Jetty.
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Garden City
Garden City’s location at the end of the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway and on the shores of Bear Lake State Park makes it one of Northern Utah's best gateway towns.
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Logan
The Logan area hosted the Shoshone tribe’s ancestral hunting for thousands of years and is still home to great examples of early Mormon pioneer architecture, including the Temple and Tabernacle.
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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
This is the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, an eye-opening stop along Utah's populous Wasatch Front for any traveler and a top destination for any serious birder with gaps on their life lists.
