Bear Lake State Park

Enjoy water sports on this popular northern Utah lake.

Bear Lake is 18 miles wide and spans across the Northeastern region of Utah, and crosses over into the Idaho state border. There are a lot of camping and RV spots that can be reserved as well as bed and breakfast hotels or vacation rentals to stay in, depending on what you want to do. Summer and winter activities are available up at the lake. Summer months allow you to take a hike, bike, or enjoy a horseback ride on the many surrounding trails to catch a glimpse of the beautiful mountain views. If you happen to plan a winter trip here, snowmobile rentals are available, and there are many areas for cross-country skiing or even ice fishing.

The Bear Lake beach is one of the few sandy beaches in Utah. During the summer, you can easily stay cool at the lake because the water stays pretty cold. If you want to rent jet skis, they have those available but be aware that they tend to run out of rentals quickly, especially on the weekends. Garden City has an annual raspberry festival that happens around early August. This is one of the best times to visit because they sell delicious fresh raspberry shakes and have 3 full days of activities such as a craft fair, pie-eating contest, parade, live concerts, and a rodeo you can attend. If you want to cross over to the Idaho side of the lake, the Bear Lake hot springs offer a nice relaxing spot to take a breather after a long day of fun on the water.