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Bear Lake State Park (Idaho)
Encyclopedia
Bear Lake State Park is a state park
of Idaho
, USA, along the shore of Bear Lake
. The park is located in southern Bear Lake County
near the border with Utah
and Wyoming
. There is a separate Bear Lake State Park
on the southern shore in Utah.
The park consists of two separate units along the shore of Bear Lake. The north unit, along the north shore of the lake, is for day use only. The east unit, along the eastern shore of the lake, provides day use and overnight camping
with electrical
hook-ups. Each unit provides a beach over 1 miles (1.6 km) in length. The beach access in both units are popular destinations for summer water recreation on the lake. The gradual slope of the lake bottom provides a large swimming area. The park also provides winter access to the lake for the popular runs of Bonneville cisco
. The Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
is located alongside the lake near the north unit. The park office is located in nearby Montpelier
, approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, USA, along the shore of Bear Lake
Bear Lake (Idaho-Utah)
Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Utah-Idaho border in the Western United States. It is the second largest natural freshwater lake in Utah and has been called the "Caribbean of the Rockies" for its unique turquoise-blue color, the result of suspended limestone deposits in the water...
. The park is located in southern Bear Lake County
Bear Lake County, Idaho
Bear Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 6,411 . The county seat is Paris, and Montpelier is the largest city....
near the border with Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. There is a separate Bear Lake State Park
Bear Lake State Park (Utah)
Bear Lake State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, along the shore of Bear Lake on the Idaho border. It offers three recreation areas: Rendezvous Beach, Bear Lake Marina, and East Beach. The park also hosts many annual events, such as a Mountain Man Rendezvous and Bear Lake Raspberry...
on the southern shore in Utah.
The park consists of two separate units along the shore of Bear Lake. The north unit, along the north shore of the lake, is for day use only. The east unit, along the eastern shore of the lake, provides day use and overnight camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
with electrical
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
hook-ups. Each unit provides a beach over 1 miles (1.6 km) in length. The beach access in both units are popular destinations for summer water recreation on the lake. The gradual slope of the lake bottom provides a large swimming area. The park also provides winter access to the lake for the popular runs of Bonneville cisco
Bonneville cisco
The Bonneville cisco is a species of cisco endemic to Bear Lake along the Utah-Idaho border, USA. It is one of three species of whitefish endemic to Bear Lake, the others being the Bear Lake whitefish and the Bonneville whitefish....
. The Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeast Idaho, seven miles south of Montpelier. Surrounded by mountains, it lies in Bear Lake Valley at an elevation ranging from on the marsh to on the rocky slopes of Merkley Mountain...
is located alongside the lake near the north unit. The park office is located in nearby Montpelier
Montpelier, Idaho
Montpelier is a city in Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,785 at the 2000 census. The city is the largest community in the Bear Lake Valley, a farming region north of Bear Lake in southeastern Idaho along the Utah border...
, approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north.