Top 10 Things to Do in Bear Lake for Families
Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Utah-Idaho border famous for its turquoise hues and fresh raspberry shakes. It’s also unique because it’s one of the few mountain lakes in Utah that isn’t a man-made reservoir, so even though we’re in a bad drought right now, its water levels aren’t suffering like many reservoirs across the state. In this post, we’ll show you where to stay, the best beaches, and top things do in Bear Lake Utah.
If you’ve never been to Bear Lake, it should be high on your Utah bucket list! There’s so much more to do in Bear Lake than just boating and swimming.
Wondering what to do in Bear Lake, Utah? Try some of these Activities.
It goes without saying that you go to Bear Lake to play in the water – boating, water skiing, wake surfing, tubing, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, sailing, you name it! If you don’t have a boat or wave runner, you can rent one at Rendez-Vous Beach, Ideal Beach, or the Bear Lake State Park marina. But if you’re looking for other things to do in Bear Lake that aren’t on the water, there’s plenty of that, too.
Safety is always our number one priority, so we make sure to always have the kids wearing a life jacket, whether they’re on the boat or just playing on the beach. We use these Hyperlite life jacket for kids & toddlers. 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.
Top 10 Best Things To Do At Bear Lake
10. Tour a cave
The Minnetonka Cave is about a 45-minute drive from Garden City and offers tours of its vast caverns with fascinating stalagmites and stalactites. It stays under 40 degrees even in the summer, so bring a jacket.
9. Rent a bike at the Bike Barn
Bike Barn next to the KOA has everything you could want from e-bikes to mountain bikes to kid trailers and surreys. And there’s a paved biking/running trail that follows Bear Lake Blvd up and down the lake.
8. Ropes course & zip lines
Bridgerland Adventure Park has a ton of activities to choose from, including a ropes course, zip line, ax throwing, disc golf, mini golf, and more.
7. Race go-karts
Renegade Raceway located in Garden City near all the restaurants
6. Take a quick jaunt to Paris
There’s no Eiffel Tower in Paris, Idaho but there is a pioneer-era tabernacle and an ice cave. And you can make lame dad jokes about spending your weekend in Paris.
5. Nature trail hike Take a short drive up towards Logan Canyon and less than 10 minutes from Garden City is an easy 1.3 mile hike/walk called Limber Pine Trail.
4. See fireflies at night Surprisingly, yes, there are fireflies in Utah! Go to Garden City Park and walk to beach and you’ll see some fireflies in the wetlands along the shore.
3. See a play The Pickleville Playhouse is a family-friendly musical theater in Garden City near Ideal Beach. They perform all summer long and almost always sell out on weekends.
2. Go golfing with hilltop lake views
Bear Lake Golf Course is very casual and affordable, so you’re totally fine playing a round in flip-flops and tank top. Even if you’re not a golfer, who cares what your score is when you’re driving a golf cart around with good company and great lake views. It’s one of our favorite traditions and most fun things to do in Bear Lake.
1. Eat a fresh raspberry shake You didn’t think I’d leave this off the list, did you? Bear Lake is famous for growing raspberries and even has an annual festival called Raspberry Days. So make sure to try one of the famous raspberry shakes at one of the many shake shops in Garden City. It’s one of everyone’s favorite things to do in Bear Lake, so you can’t leave without trying one.
LaBeau’s will have the longest lines and I’ll let you decide if you think that means they’re the best or if the shakes from one of the other shops (Merlin’s, Zipz, and others) are equally good. OK fine, I’ll admit – I can’t tell the difference.
Bear Lake Beaches
It goes without saying that sometimes you go to the lake just to chill out on the beach and soak in some sun. If that’s what you’re after, check out our guide to the top 3 Bear Lake beaches.
Whatever you decide to do when you go to Bear Lake, you’re sure to have a great time! It’s a Utah summer classic. Go check it off your bucket list if you haven’t already. And if you’ve been many times before, go discover something new.
Lodging at Bear Lake, Utah
Bear Lake is an incredibly popular summer destination for families but not many people visit year round. Because of that, there are no hotels. But there are tons of hotel-like options including condos, cabins, and lakefront houses you can rent.
I prefer the cabin option to really get that Bear Lake vibe.
- Most affordable KOA Campground (mini cabins, RV hookups, or tent camping).
- Best lakefront Ideal Beach Resort or private vacation rental
- Best cabin rental optionsBear Lake Golf Course or Fish Haven
- Closest to the marina Worldmark Harbor Village (this is a timeshare resort but occasionally you can find bookings through Expedia)
- Best glamping Conestoga Ranch
🤘🏻
-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.
