Utah, Idaho share Rich County's jewel

The crown jewel of Rich County, Bear Lake, is actually shared property — the Potato State gets half and the Beehive State the other half.

Luckily, there's enough to go around. The lake is 20 miles long and eight miles wide. And, to the good fortune of Rich County, its share of the lake is a magnet to both summer and winter visitors.

It is, said Judy Holbrook, county travel director, "what most people identify us with. . . . And, yes, water sports is our No. 1 activity. But there are a lot of things to do that people may not be as familiar with."

Well-known

Bear Lake is unlike any other lake in Utah. For starters, it has its own Loch Ness monster myth.

Over the years, several locals have reported seeing a dinosaur-like creature swimming in the lake. Some have even suggested it really is the Loch Ness creature and that there's an underground channel connecting the two waters.

For another, Bear Lake holds three fish that are found nowhere else in the world. They are the Bonneville cisco, Bonneville whitefish and Bear Lake whitefish. Attempts to start populations in other waters have failed. There's definitely something about the lake they like.

Another thing that sets this lake apart is the rich turquoise-blue color seldom seen in other lakes. From a distance it does, indeed, look like a jewel.

Best of all, the lake is big enough to give people room to spread out, to go boating, ride a personal water craft or spend time swimming without crowding.

It hasn't hurt that the lake, which has been going down during the drought, has come up 7 feet this year.

Boating, from powerboats to sailboats, is by far the most popular water activity, followed by swimming, which includes sunbathing on the beach, and fishing.

The lake also offers a front-row seat to bird watchers. There is more than 1,760 acres of marsh, open water and grasslands, home to such species as the sandhill crane, herons, snowy egrets, white pelicans and a whole list of waterfowl.

Not to be outdone by larger, more populated areas, the county also has two golf courses located around the lake — Bear Lake and Bear Lake West. The nice part is that without the big population base, there's little chance of backups or no tee times.

Within the county, and on the western border, is the Beaver Mountain Ski Resort, located between Bear Lake and Logan. Besides offering lifts to skiers in the winter, the resort also offers a maze of trails to hikers in the offseason.