5 Best Sandy Beaches in Utah

This may come as a surprise, but you actually don’t have to leave the state of Utah to get your beach fix! Utah has a ton of lakes and reservoirs and many of them actually have nice, sandy beaches. A trip to California, Florida, or Hawaii can get expe-e-e-nsive. If you’re looking for some affordable family fun this summer, why not just head to one of these Utah beaches for the weekend or even a day trip instead? Here are our 5 favorite lakes that have the best beaches in Utah.

Surely you’ll find at least one you’ll want to add to your Utah bucket list!

5. Yuba Lake

Yuba Lake State Park is little-known hidden gem in Utah about two hours south of Salt Lake and just a few minutes off I-15. In July & August, Yuba Lake has warm water with gorgeous green hues and beautiful sandy shores. The best beach is next to the sand dunes on the north side of the lake, closest to I-15 and near the Oasis campgrounds. It’s best if you have 4WD to get as close to the beach as possible, or you may get stuck in the sand. If you don’t, you can always park a little farther away and walk through the sand. Yuba Lake has one of the best beaches in Utah but it’s last on our list because it’s not as accessible as others and it lacks nearby amenities. But it is still worth a day trip to check out this hidden gem of a Utah beach.

Amenities:

• The Docks at Yuba Lake – the store at the on-site marina has ice cream, snacks, and water toy rentals like paddleboards, kayaks, and jet skis.

Where to stay:

• Yuba Lake State Park campgrounds – there are several in various parts of the lake
• It’s 20-25 minutes to the nearest small town. Scipio has one 2-star hotel if camping is not for you.

4. Beaches at Pineview Reservoir

Are you a mountain person or a beach person? Well, with the beaches at Pineview Reservoir you get the best of both worlds! The best part is it is surrounded entirely by mountains which means your sandy beach play day will be blessed with magnificent mountain views. The combination of sandy beaches and beautiful mountain views make this one of the best beaches in Utah. Pineview Reservoir is located in Ogden Canyon near Snowbasin and Powder Mountain Ski Resort, as well as the charming towns of Huntsville and Eden. Head to Anderson Cove or Cemetery Point for the best sandy beaches at Pineview Reservoir.

Amenities:

• Multiple boat ramps & marinas: Anderson Cove, Cemetery Point, and Port Ramp
• Multiple rental businesses nearby for boats, wave runners, and paddle sports
• Restaurants in nearby Eden & Hunstsville. Our favorite is Carlos & Harley’s, located in a repurposed old general store.

Where to stay:

• The nearest hotels are in Ogden. Try the Ogden Courtyard
• Vacation rentals in Huntsville or Eden

3. Bear Lake Beaches

Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Utah/Idaho border. There are several popular Bear Lake beaches, including Rendezvous Beach and Ideal Beach. But the best one, North Beach, is on the Idaho side. But for the sake of this blog post, we’ll claim it as Utah’s own…shhh! It has soft, white sand and shallow water that is perfect for families with young kids. Lots of people call this Bear Lake beach the “Caribbean of the Rockies” for its deep turquoise hues. There are just two reasons why this beach isn’t ranked higher for best beaches in Utah – 1) it’s technically not in Utah and 2) the water is a bit chilly. But it is a beautiful beach nonetheless!

Amenities:

• Bear Lake State Park, Ideal Beach, and North Beach all have boat rentals, as well as as other water sports equipment for rent
• Garden City has lots of shops and restaurants, but the must-do in Bear Lake is a famous raspberry shake. Try one at Merlin’s, La Beau’s, or Zipz.
• Bear Lake Golf Course – if you’d like to play a casual, affordable round of golf in your flip flops with sweeping views of the lake, then this course is for you.

Where to stay:

• Ideal Beach Resort and Bear Lake Worldmark are the most hotel-like place to stay in Bear Lake
• For a glamping experience, try Conestoga Ranch
• Garden City, UT and Fish Haven, ID have lots of vacation rental homes and cabins for rent

Check out our other posts on the best things to do in Bear Lake & the best Bear Lake beaches!

2. Lake Powell Sandy Beaches

Because Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir that basically filled in a bunch of sandstone canyons with a ton of water, the shores are dotted with hundreds of nameless sandy beaches only accessible by houseboat. But on the Utah side, Lone Rock Beach near Wahweap Marina is easily accessible. We drove our minivan right up onto the beach and enjoyed a nice day in the sand! It does get a bit deep in some areas, so be careful to not get stuck if you don’t have AWD or 4WD.

Bonus tip: Besides Lake Powell, Arizona actually has a lot of cool lakes and rivers. Check out this post for the best places to paddleboard and kayak in Arizona.

Amenities:

• Page, AZ has lots of restaurants and a Wal-Mart to load up on supplies
• Wawheap Marina & Antelope Point Marina have boat & equipment rentals as well as ice cream, snacks, and burgers

Where to stay:

• Rent a houseboat
• Campgrounds at Wahweap Marina in Utah
• Stay at a hotel, motel, or Airbnb in Page, AZ. Our favorite is the Page Courtyard

Check out our budget-friendly Lake Powell itinerary for more information!

1. Sand Hollow

It is no coincidence that the top beach in Utah has the word “sand” in its name! Sand Hollow in St. George has some great beaches along the south shore thanks to some huge sand dunes that are popular with the OHV/UTV crowd. What makes this one of the best beaches in Utah is the fine, red sand that’s powdery soft.

On a calm day the water is crystal clear. This state park gets crowded and often reaches capacity, so we recommend going when Utah’s schools are not on spring or fall break. That’s when you’ll get crystal clear waters and the rippled red sand like you see in the picture.

You can go to the beach near the aptly named shop The Beach at Sand Hollow to be close to amenities, or you can go a little farther east down the road to Cottonwood Cove. Having the big trees provide shade on a hot day is essential. Sand Hollow makes #1 best beach in Utah on this list not just because the beaches are amazing but also because nearby St. George has the most to offer off the lake for families looking for an affordable getaway.

Be sure to check out these kid-friendly things to do in St. George Utah for some inexpensive but epic adventures!

Amenities:

• The Beach at Sand Hollow has boat, jet ski, and UTV rentals for fun in the sand dunes and on the water. They also have ice cream and snacks.
• Zion National Park is around 40 minutes away. Lots of adventures to be had nearby!

Where to stay:

• The nearby towns of St. George & Washington have tons of vacation rentals & hotels. We recommend staying at the Springhill Suites in Washington for free breakfast, large suites that can fit the whole family, and a great outdoor pool & hot tub. This is our favorite place to stay in Southern Utah! And it’s only 20 minutes from Sand Hollow and 10 minutes from downtown St. George.

Who would have thought Utah beaches would give California and Florida a run for their money?
Now get out there, beaches.

Don’t forget to pick up a paddleboard from JJ’s Paddleboards on your way and download our FREE Utah Bucket List for ideas to inspire your next family-friendly adventures.

Thanks for reading – please share or subscribe if you enjoyed this post!

–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 printable The Ultimate Family-Friendly Utah Bucket List with the top 100 things to do in Utah, both kid-friendly and more adventurous.