Why Bear Lake is the Best Winter Vacation Destination
Bear Lake in the Winter?!
For those familiar with Bear Lake/Garden City, Utah you might be wondering why I am promoting it as a winter vacation destination. Even for those that aren’t familiar with it you might be thinking “Why would I want to go to a lake in the middle of winter?” Well hold onto your snowboots and prepare to be amazed!
There are three reasons why Bear Lake is one of the best winter vacation destinations!
Affordable Price
No Crowds
Easy Access to Outdoor Fun
Need I say more?! This is due to the fact that Bear Lake is considered by most to be a summer destination. So for those lucky few that travel there during the winter, they get to reap all the benefits of going during the “off season”. Below I will go into more detail about all the perks of spending your next winter vacation in Bear Lake.
Accommodations
One of the biggest costs of any vacation is accommodations. Since business is slow in the winter, most lodging in Bear Lake is listed for less than half the cost of summer rates.
The other awesome perk is that there are accommodations of all shapes and sizes. This means you can find something for just you and your spouse or something big enough for an extended family reunion. Below are just a couple of examples of the cheap accommodations to be found in Bear Lake during the winter.
1 Bedroom/1 Bath Condo (Sleeps 4)
This condo that costs $150/night in the summer, is only $70/night in the winter.
3 Bedroom/2 Bath House (Sleeps 8)
This house that costs $449/night in the summer, is only $119/night in the winter and comes with discount ski passes.
4 Bedroom/3 Bath House (Sleeps 16)
This house that costs $637/night in the summer, is only $219/night in the winter.
When searching for accommodations look for places located in Garden City, Utah. That is going to give you the best accessibility to the other winter activities. If you want to be really close to the action then I would recommend checking out Beaver Creek Lodge.
So Much to Do!
Now you may be wondering what there is to do in Bear Lake in the winter. The answer: pretty much any winter sport you can think of. Bear Lake is a veritable winter wonderland. Below are some of the activities that we love doing there:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Garden City, Utah is located only 20 minutes from one of my favorite Utah ski resorts: Beaver Mountain. Here are all the reasons why I LOVE to ski the Beav.
Affordable
Day passes at most major Utah ski resorts range from $92-$210. A day pass at Beaver only costs $50! And if you are new to skiing/snowboarding and just want to stick to the kiddy hill (Little Beaver) you can get a pass for $30!
Great Snow
Beaver Mountain is one of the few Utah ski resorts that doesn’t make snow. Now this may make me a snow snob, but the truth is I HATE skiing on man-made snow. In my opinion, if I am going to be forking out the money to ski then I want the real stuff. This obviously has its pros and cons. For example, if Utah is having a dry year Beaver Mountain will not open until it has enough snow for a good base. The good news is that generally, they get good snow up there, especially if you go in January or February.
Perfect Size
Beaver Mountain is one of the smaller Utah ski resorts. To give you an idea of its size, Park City Ski Resort covers 7300 acres and has 41 lifts, whereas Beaver Mountain covers 462 acres and has 6 lifts. In my opinion, why pay more money to go to a bigger resort? There is no way you are going to be able to explore that much terrain in one day. Even with Beaver being on the smaller side it is still a blast to ski! I have been there year after year and have never gotten bored.
Tasty Food
Nothing quite hits the spot like having a nice hot lunch after coming off the slopes. However, to buy a hamburger at a ski resort is highway robbery! For example, if you were to buy a hamburger while skiing at Deer Valley it would cost you $21 (before tax). Ouch! But not at Beaver Mountain. At the Beaver Mountain Grill you can get a hamburger for $7.50.
Click here to learn more about Beaver Mountain, to check out their ski school, learn about equipment rental or buy tickets online.
Snowshoeing
Another awesome winter activity is snowshoeing. I have a couple of family members and friends that aren’t fans of winter but find snowshoeing to be a nice relaxing way to enjoy the season. Below are two trails you can check out that are relatively close to Bear Lake.
Limber Pine Trail
Limber Pine is the perfect trail for families with young kids or those looking for a short, easy trail. It is located 10 min from Garden City, Utah and is a 1.2 mile loop. The highlight of the trail is a large Limber Pine Tree which is actually five separate trees that have grown together over the last 560 years. For more information on this trail check out my post Kid Friendly Hike #6: Limber Pine Trail.
Bunchgrass Creek Trail
If you are looking for a longer trail you can check out Bunchgrass Creek Trail. This trail is located 20 min from Garden City and is a 14 mile out and back trail. Unless you are an avid snowshoer you are probably not going to be up for doing the full 14 miles so I would recommend picking your own turnaround point. To learn more about this trail check out the posts below:
Bunchgrass Creek Ski/Snowshoe 12 January 2019
AllTrails: Bunchgrass Creek to White Pine Creek
If you don’t own your own snowshoes, no worries. You can rent some in Graden City at Epic Recreation.
Snowmobiling
For those adrenaline junkies out there, be sure to try snowmobiling. That is actually what brought my family to Bear Lake in the first place. For my whole life (literally) my family has gone on an annual snowmobiling trip. It started with us going to my Uncle Stephen’s cabin. We then switched to making the trek up to West Yellowstone. Next, we tried Stanley, Idaho, and then settled on Garden City, Utah (Bear Lake).
Logan Canyon has over 350 miles of groomed trails and play areas to explore from Peter Sinks to Franklin Basin.
For snowmobile rentals I would highly recommend checking out Beaver Creek Lodge. The owner, Brian, is great to work with. Not only can you get the latest and greatest snowmobile, but he has snow gear and helmets for rent. And if you want a truly epic experience then you can hire one of his backcountry guides.
Sledding
For families with kids, be sure to try sledding at the Sinks, located only 15 min from Garden City. It is hard to miss. Just follow Hwy 89 towards Logan, Utah. The valley will open up and you will see a couple of different parking areas on the left-hand side of the road. There are a variety of options when it comes to sledding hills, so just grab a spot and enjoy the day. Sometimes the Sinks can get a bit windy so it’s best to shoot for being up there in the afternoon when it is the warmest.
If none of the above activities strike your fancy then you could also try ice fishing, cross country skiing or nordic skiing.
Yay for Winter!
It’s true you could go to the Bahamas for the winter, but why not save your pennies and head to Bear Lake. Nothing is better than spending some time outside in the crisp winter air. Use the buttons below to share this post with family and friends. It will help convince them that Bear Lake should be your next winter adventure. Happy travels!
*Special thanks to Denise Waters for her amazing photographs. Lucky for us she is the official photographer for our family Bear Lake trips.
