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Bear Lake

Garden City

Bear Lake   |  Jeremiah Watt
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Garden City, Utah sits at the end of the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway on the western shore of Bear Lake, which makes it one of Northern Utah's best gateway towns. Bear Lake is often called the Caribbean of the Rockies for its intense turquoise water, a color that comes from limestone particles suspended in the lake. Visitors usually notice it before they notice anything else.

Garden City adventures typically start at the water. Bear Lake State Park runs beaches, a marina and boat ramps within minutes of town while the shops along Bear Lake Boulevard handle the rest: boat rentals, groceries, souvenirs and the raspberry shake you came for. Away from the lake, Garden City is a base for hiking, cycling, snowmobiling and skiing at Beaver Mountain. Each season gives the town a different character, and it stays busy year-round.

Bear Lake State Park

Seasonal Highlights

Summer Highlights

In the warm-weather months, navigate your personal watercraft across 70,000 acres of turquoise water, or sail off into the sunset. Here, with all the space, it can seem as if you have the lake all to yourself, whether you prefer swimming, waterskiing, jet skiing, sailing, speed boating, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding (SUP), fishing, just dipping your toes in the water, or cycling in Logan Canyon or along the lake’s bike trail. Away from the lake, more than 100 miles of trails allow hikers, bikers and ATV fans to adventure to their hearts’ content. Read about the five best hikes in Bear Lake Valley

In the fall, don't miss driving the Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway (U.S. Route 89), named one of the top scenic byways for leaf peeping. In all seasons you can feel the excitement of a Bear Lake cutthroat on the end of your fishing line. Learn more about fishing at Bear Lake.

Explore Bear Lake

Garden City in Winter

In the winter, experience the rush of snowmobiling on 350 miles of groomed trails and wide open play areas. Or Ski Beaver Mountain Resort and enjoy some of Utah's best powder. Ice fishing is a waiting game, but there’s nowhere more scenic to pass the wait than Bear Lake. Averages suggest that Bear Lake freezes over seven out of every 10 years. Learn more about fishing at Bear Lake.

Always a hit, the Bear Lake Monster Winterfest (read the story) takes place at the Bear Lake State Park Marina, and the park's entrance fee at the Marina is waived. This is the place to fish in the Cisco Disco and take an icy dive as part of the Monster Polar Plunge.

Explore Beaver Mountain

Bear Lake
Local guide Mark Smoot takes us on an afternoon snowshoe hike with spectacular views of Bear Lake.

Known for Bear Lake Raspberry Days

Garden City's raspberries are the reason for its most beloved weekend. The harvest usually begins around the third week of July and runs three to four weeks, and the town celebrates with a three-day festival at the peak. Raspberry Days is one of Utah's top food festivals.

A Thursday parade opens the festival with floats, marching bands, antique cars and drill teams, and candy tossed to the crowd. From there, everyone heads to Heritage Park for the fair: craft booths, food vendors, kids' rides and live music all day. The Saturday lineup adds a 5K, a golf scramble at Bear Lake West and a pie-eating contest. Come evening, decorated boats run a lighted parade from Blue Water Beach to the Bear Lake State Park Marina, and fireworks close things out over Heritage Park.

If you can't make the festival, you can still get the flavor. A raspberry shake is the standard order in Garden City any day between May and September.

Photo: Jeremiah Watt

Photo: Jeremiah Watt

Things to Do

In and Around the Water

Bear Lake is Garden City’s big summertime draw. Rendezvous Beach has a wide, sandy shoreline for swimming and launching kayaks and paddleboards. North Beach, a short drive north on the Idaho side, runs two miles of shallow, kid-friendly water. The Bear Lake State Park Marina handles boat launches and day-use beach access. Fishing goes year-round, with cutthroat and lake trout in summer and ice fishing once the lake freezes.

Camping, Glamping and Cabins at Bear Lake

Bear Lake State Park has campgrounds at the marina, Rendezvous Beach and Cisco Beach. Private RV parks and KOAs sit just north and south of town. Conestoga Ranch in Garden City opens for the summer season if you want the tent without the setup. Lakefront and hillside homes are widely available, offering more comfort, and many put you within walking distance of the beach. Hotels in Garden City, Utah run small and seasonal rather than chain, so most visitors end up in a condo, a cabin or one of the lakeside resorts along Bear Lake Boulevard. 

Savor a Famous Bear Lake Raspberry Shake

Visitors don't have to wait until Raspberry Days to enjoy a raspberry shake. Fans rave about the LaBeau's Drive Inn, Merlin's Drive Inn and Bear Lake Chevron. 

Around Garden City’s Town

Pickleville Playhouse has staged family-friendly summer productions in the heart of Garden City since 1977. Heritage Park is the town's gathering spot, with a playground, ball fields and a stocked fishing pond. The nine-hole Bear Lake Golf Course sits in the hills just off the water, and Renegade Raceway runs go-karts for those in need of a break from the beach. 

Find an Outfitter

You don't need to haul your own gear. Outfitters in Garden City rent boats, jet skis, paddleboards, kayaks, ATVs and bikes by the hour or the day. To get your fish on, shops along Bear Lake Boulevard carry tackle and licenses. 

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