You are not a true Utahn until you’ve had a Bear Lake raspberry shake in Garden City! Anyone who’s enjoyed a summertime visit to the “Caribbean of the Rockies” knows that waiting in line at LeBeau’s or any of the shake shacks near the town center is part of the culture. There are t-shirts in town sporting the words “Wake. Lake. Shake.”

Rich county is fairly small by way of population and land area, but with Bear Lake as the star attraction it’s an increasingly popular summertime destination. Many homes have been built on the hillsides above the lake in the past five years or so, and there are newer businesses with great visitor offering as well, among them, Conestoga Ranch which offers upscale “glamping for overnight guests who can sleep in covered wagons, or large tents furnished with actual beds. They also have a restaurant on-site with sides that open up to merge the indoor and outdoor dining experience. The food offerings are top-notch, with visiting chefs sometimes flying in during the summer season.

Another strong attraction is the Sunrise Resort and Event Center in Garden City. Each of its many rooms are unique in design, including a three-story suite built into a lighthouse. The property is popular with weddings, but also has meeting spaces capable of hosting small conferences. The amenities at the resort include a deluxe pool and tennis courts. Enhancing the beauty of the property are the views from seemingly every room and meeting space, looking out to Bear Lake.

Away from Garden City, the less-visited east side of Bear Lake is seeing a lot of development, particularly in the form of campgrounds along the beach that will be operated by Utah State Parks. This endeavor will greatly increase overnight capacity in the region. 

Beaver Creek Lodge, just west of Garden City is another great tourism asset, set in a high mountain area with access into heavily wooded forests on hiking trails that can also be accessed via ATVs in the summer or snowmobiles in the winter. Visitors can rent both on site. Its owner, Mark Smoot, has plans to expand the operation to host more events, such as a summer concert series. 

Mark Smoot, along with Rich County Tourism director Tami Leonhardt and her husband Mike (who happens to be the mayor of Garden City) did a great job of showcasing their county, and -as we always ask on our visits- breaking down the challenges. One of the biggest is simply that their season is so darn short. Most visitors, they say, come from July 1st to August 15th, with the peak happening during Bear Lake Raspberry Days, in early August. For those of you still reading along, here’s their insider tip: the best time to visit Bear Lake is in SEPTEMBER. The lake temperatures are at their warmest, the fall colors are underway, and accommodations are easy to come by.

Rich County is also looking to grow its winter activities as well, and there is an expansion project underway at Utah’s longest-running family owned ski resort, Beaver Creek. Tourism stakeholders in Rich County feel there may be a misperception about winter road conditions to reach the resort, or Garden City, but say the road is typically well maintained and wide open. They’d also like to remind would-be visitors that Garden City is little more than a two hour drive from Salt Lake City, and only an hour from Logan.

Read more Partner Highlights on the road here.