Garden City sits on the west shore where US-89 descends from Logan Canyon (the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway) to Bear Lake. It's the commercial hub of the Utah side, with restaurants, shops, and the famous raspberry shake stands.
Lake access: The Bear Lake State Park Marina is on the north end of Garden City, about 1 mile north of the US-89/SR-30 junction. It has a seven-lane launch ramp, 361 long-term slips leased May 1–Oct 31, 21 nightly slips, and a small beach. The Marina is open year-round.
Events: Bear Lake Raspberry Days is held each August at Heritage Park, celebrating a raspberry harvest that usually begins around the third week of July.
Short-term rentals: The Town of Garden City requires a short-term rental license. New applications are accepted only January 1–April 30 each year. See the STR rules article.
Schools: Rich School District, which serves Garden City, Laketown, Randolph, and Woodruff. North Rich Elementary and Rich Middle School are in Laketown; Rich High School and South Rich Elementary are in Randolph. Confirm boundaries with the district.
Approximate drive times
- Logan, UT: about 59 min (39 mi)
- Salt Lake City Int'l Airport: about 2 hr 41 min (124 mi)
- Park City, UT: about 2 hr 29 min (127 mi)
Estimated drive times from routing data; winter weather and Logan Canyon conditions can add significant time.