By Morgan Van Wagoner
The road weaves between the steep canyon walls of Logan Canyon, through green meadows and spills into the open valley that is home to Bear Lake. Jet skis skip across the water and speedboats pull inner tubes piled high with laughing children. Sunbathers dot the sandy beaches as fishing boats float quietly by.
Bear Lake is located on the Utah-Idaho border, 39 miles north of Logan. The lake spans 20 miles and covers over 112 square miles. Because the lake is almost a mile above sea level, the water is cold through the winter and into the summer months. By July and August the temperatures increase and the sun warms the shallow shoreline water.
Visitors to Bear Lake arrive first at Garden City, a small town established by Mormon settlers in 1877. Since then the town has maintained its small size, moving from a reported population of 249 in 1896 to 225 in 1996. The city will host Bear Lake Raspberry Days August 7-9, an event that celebrates the beginning of the raspberry harvest. Raspberries at Bear Lake are known for their large size and pungent flavor.
Garden City has at least four different shake shops, all of which claim 'famous raspberry shakes.' Crowds of people can be seen outside munching on french fries and slurping thick shakes.
Both Utah and Idaho claim Bear Lake State Parks, and between the two parks, the lake has four different public campgrounds. Bear Lake Marina lies on the north end of Garden City and offers 13 sites, each with a table, grill and fire pit. Bear Lake Rendezvous Beach is on the south end of the lake and offers 220 campsites. Bear Lake Eastside is, surprisingly enough, on the east side of Bear Lake and has six campsites. Idaho''s Bear Lake State Park has an east side campground as well.
All campsites are available for reservation online at reserveusa.com.
To get to Bear Lake, take I-15 north 92 miles to the Logan/U.S. 89 exit (#364). Continue on U.S. 89 for 25 miles to Logan. Take Main Street north for 1.5 miles, turn right on 400 North, then continue 39 miles through Logan Canyon to Garden City and Bear Lake.