Top 3 Bear Lake Beaches For Kids
Bear Lake is a popular summer destination for families thanks to its beautiful turquoise water and sandy beaches. However, much of the Bear Lake shoreline is covered in grass and wetlands or lakefront cabins so it’s hard to know exactly where to go for the best Bear Lake beaches. Here are the three most popular and best beaches at Bear Lake for a perfect day in the sun:
Best Beaches at Bear Lake
If you’ve never been to Bear, it should be high on your Utah bucket list!
3. Rendezvous Beach, Bear Lake, Utah
This Bear Lake beach on the south side is named for the place where fur trappers and Native Americans would meet (rendez-vous, get it?) to trade with each other. There are campsites, pavilions, and boat rentals available and it’s accessible to the public.
credit: Family Destinations Guide
2. Ideal Beach, Bear Lake, Utah
This Bear Lake beach is in between Laketown and Garden City. This is only accessible to guests of Ideal Beach Resort or by cabin owners that pay a membership fee. But if you stay at Ideal Beach Resort or rent a place that has access, it’s a nice beach with boat rentals, a large grassy area and playground, and mini golf nearby. The shore is sandy, but a little more like rocky sand than fine grains of sand. The water is shallow for hundreds of feet and great for young kids.
1. North Beach, Bear Lake, Idaho
This beach is on the Idaho side and is by far the best beach at Bear Lake! It has lots of fine powdery sand, no grassy wetlands, and very few rocks. It also boasts the most turquoise water, making it the most picturesque part of the lake.
Caribbean of the Rockies. If you’ve ever heard that Bear Lake is called the “Caribbean of the Rockies”, this beach is why! Deep turquoise hues and soft, white sand. But it’s well known to be the best beach so it can get a little crowded. We went recently during Father’s Day weekend and Google Maps told us it was “as busy as it gets”. We were still able to park easily right on the beach (literally on the sand), walk a few steps and stake a claim to our own little spot of sand & water for the kids to playin all day. Other than seeing canopies dot the entire shoreline, it didn’t feel all that crowded.
Shallow and perfect for Kids. The other reason it’s such a great beach, especially for kids, is how shallow it is. You can walk out a hundred yards and still only be in knee-deep water. This makes it not-so-great for boaters because you have to walk out really far to get to your boat, but it’s perfect for people who just want to play in the sand, kayak, or paddleboard. The kids had a great time paddling around in our Body Glove inflatable paddleboard and Intex Explorer inflatable kayak! These are Amazon affiliate links and we may make a small commission if you purchase, but we only recommend products we use often and adore.
Floating Food Truck. And as a bonus, there’s a floating food truck called Bear Lake Burger Boat. I had never seen anything quite like it, so being able to say you ate there is a pretty unique experience. It’s $5 for an ice cream sandwich, but oh well. Still cool.
More Utah Beaches
Utah actually has quite a few great sandy beaches. Be sure to check out one of our most popular posts: 5 Best Sandy Beaches in Utah
Weather at Bear Lake, Utah
The best time of year to go to Bear Lake is July & August. The weather is hot & sunny and the lake will be the warmest at this time of year. June is a solid option as well but the lake isn’t quite as warm yet. The lake can get pretty windy during the afternoon, making it great for sailing. You always see a ton of sailboats dotting the water, which is fun. But the wind makes the water a little too choppy for wake-boarding or water skiing. The best time of day for those kinds of activities is early in the morning or later in the evening when the water is calmer. The weather in the winter is very cold and snowy and the lake freezes over. It isn’t as popular of a destination in the winter, but many people still come here to snowmobile, ice fish, or ski at nearby Beaver Mountain.
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🤘🏻 — JJ
Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free Utah Bucket List for the top 100 things to do in Utah.
