April 2018 – Bear Lake is a stunning lake in northern Utah that shimmers in gorgeous shades of turquoise, and the drive to get there via Logan Pass is truly dramatic.
Heading north towards Logan Pass and Bear Lake we drove into this view – Wow!
In late April the mountains behind the pretty farmlands were still covered with snow.
Beautiful scenery on the way to Bear Lake.
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As we crested the summit of Logan Pass, it started to get foggy, and the snow crept close to the road. Soon we were driving between snow drifts.
Approaching the summit of Logan Pass fog rolled in and we saw more and more snow.
Snow drifts and fog at the top of Logan Pass!
So, when we descended the far side of the pass and the fog began to lift and the snow vanished, it was a fabulous shock when Bear Lake suddenly burst into view. Wow!!
After all that snowy scenery, the bright blue of Bear Lake was a wonderful suprise.
As the sun and clouds played hide and seek, the lake changed shades of aquamarine and a rich blue.
Caribbean turquoise in the Rockies!
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Bear Lake is immensely popular in the summertime, and the communities along the shore are filled with ice cream shops and burger joints. But when we were there it felt like we had the lake to ourselves. The village of Laketown at the south end of the lake was really quiet and none of the summertime shops were open.
The reflections of snowy mountains shimmer on the surface of Bear Lake.
Long after a solitary boat passes, waves ripple in towards shore.
There were a few fishing boats out on the water, and a kayak paddled by a family of ducks.
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The ducks were unusual looking.
Now THAT’s a hairdo!!
We heard the haunting cry of loons and then spotted them floating around on the lake.
We heard the loons first and then saw them drift past.
A loon shakes the water out of his feathers.
One day we drove around the lake and marveled at the beauty. Farms and occasional homes grace the shore.
The drive around Bear Lake was beautiful
Waterfront living with the cows grazing out back… Wow!
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One house really caught our eye. It was the home from the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe! We stopped and took a long look and noticed that the walls were painted with murals of nursery rhymes. Jack’s Beanstalk ran right up the back of the shoe!
“There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…” Who knew she lived on Bear Lake in Utah?!
Farm and ranch land runs right down to the shore of Bear Lake, and as we drove with the windows down Buddy hung out the window to get a good look at the cows we passed.
Buddy checks out a cow…
…and leans over for a better look!
Early spring can bring some crazy weather, and the lake was quite rough at times. We loved the jade green hues in the curl of the waves.
The color in each wave just before it broke was delicious.
As the sun set, the sky lit up over the mountains.
The sky was on fire at sunset.
Mark put his camera down on the ground to capture a dramatic image of waves breaking on the shore with the sun setting behind the mountains. When we looked at it later we both said, “No need to go Iceland for a shot like this… We’ve got it all right here in Utah!”
Wow!
Where we had fire in the sky with a bright orange sunset one night, on another afternoon the day slipped away into pastel shades of pink, peach and lavender that reflected in the undulating water.
Shades of pink, peach and lavender in the sky and on the water.
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On a few occasions the water was perfectly calm, and Buddy just loved wading out in it.
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Bear Lake is incredibly photogenic, and we had a lot of fun just watching the lake transform before our eyes as we snapped pics here and there.
Mark is in his element taking photos from the shore.
In early Spring the weather varied from ideal sunny days to blustery cold days to freezing rainy days. For photography they were all sublime!
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During the day we captured some wonderful images of seagulls landing in the water and taking off again. As night fell the birds all flew off to roost. A lone duck made his way across the water in the last light of sunset.
Good night, Bear Lake.
At night the sky was brilliantly clear. Before the moon rose, the stars were especially bright, and we loved seeing the stars of Orion before the constellation slipped over the far horizon.
The stars of Orion (four outer ones and three in his belt across his waist) watch over the lake.
If you are traveling through northern Utah, Bear Lake is well worth visiting. The few campers we saw pre-season told stories of how lively and fun it is for families come mid-summer, but even if you get there a few months before or after the warm weather months, it is a great RV destination.
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More info about Bear Lake:
Other blog posts from Northern Utah:
- Utah – Off the Beaten Path…then FURTHER Off the Beaten Path!
- Utah Back Roads – Lakeside RVing Near Salt Lake City
- Escapod Teardrop Trailers – Rugged Campers for Off-Road Adventure!
- Strawberry Reservoir, Utah – Springtime Beauty with Ice & Snow!
- Dinosaur National Monument, UT – More than fossilized dinosaur bones!
- Vernal, UT – Colorful Gateway to Dinosaur National Monument
- Flaming Gorge Utah – Fiery canyons, a cool river, and nearly tame bighorn sheep
- Bear Lake, UT – The Caribbean of the Rockies
- Mirror Lake Scenic Byway Utah – Fishing and Fun!
- Provo Canyon & Alpine Loop Scenic Byways in Utah
- Logan Pass, Bear Lake, Mt. Nephi, & Cedar City, Utah
- Flaming Gorge Utah – Vibrant Hues
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How exciting it must be to experience life on the roads less traveled! Again you have done an excellent job putting your readers on location and sharing your journey. The photograph of the lake, as you first encountered it, after leaving the snowy scenery behind, looked almost like a painting. The pictures of the fire in the sky were especially wonderful to me as well. Great shot with the waves Mark! I always start my day with prayer and some time with the Lord. This morning I got to enjoy your work as well! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. Amen.
It’s a beautiful life, Jeff, and we are so grateful to be living it. During our days at Bear Lake we definitely felt like we were in touch with the divine. It’s an area that is overflowing with humanity at its happiest on vacation during the summer, but we were able to see it before summer’s spirit had stirred while it was just waking up from a long winter nap. Thank you so much for including our tales of life on the road as part of your inner journey this morning!!
Beautiful photos as always, Em.
Bob
Thank you!!
I love seeing all of the ‘out of the way’ places you go. My bucket list keeps getting longer! I was wondering how far out you make reservations (if you do). Since you have been traveling out west for a while, do you know in advance where you want to stay, or do you sometimes stop at an unexpected place?
Thank you, Linda. We make our plans over breakfast or afterwards, and we never know what any day will bring. We’ve been known to start towing the trailer in one direction only to do a 180 and go the opposite way. If we like a place, we stay as long as we’re liking it. If not, we move on. We do plan our overall strategy for the season (a “season” being a year of travel), i.e., “Let’s go to Nova Scotia” or “Let’s go see the Canadian Rockies,” but the nitty gritty details are determined by our mood at the moment and the weather.
Your sunset pics are spectacular – what a beautiful place! Not so keen on all that snow, however – brrr.
Thank you, Laurel. We agree about the freezing temps, but every time we shivered we reminded each other that if it were warm and sunny we’d be surrounded by a crowd!!
What campground do you recommend? Great Pics
They are all lovely. Depends what you are looking for. Read the reviews in the link on this page. Rendezvous Beach is nice.
All original – all beautiful !! Love your pictures 🙂
Thank you so much. We love taking them, Deborah!!