Bear Lake Country Idaho & Utah

Located about 10 miles from the mouth of the beautiful Paris Canyon, the Paris Ice Cave has ice that never melts even in the hottest summer! Visitors can explore the main cave by following a trail next to the Paris Ice Cave sign. The best times to visit the cave…

History comes to life in this museum where you can interact with costumed guides depicting some of the thousands who traversed the 2,000 miles of the Oregon/California Trails. Take an interactive and informative staged journey down the Oregon trail including a ride in the bumping covered wagon simulator. Visit Peg…

This beautifully restored building, built in the early 1900s, was always known as the Rock Store in Laketown, and for many years served the community as its general store. It was saved from demolition in 2005 and underwent a complete renovation to its present use as a first class lodging…

This small museum hosts historic artifacts and photos from Paris, Idaho area. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, you can call Janelle Mattson at 208-945-2549 or Ann Massey at 208-945-2047.

Walton Feed has been in business since 1962 in Montpelier Idaho. They serve ranchers and farmers all over Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. Over the years they have made feed for everything from chickens to buffalo.

All 45 birding sites are listed and each species is indexed on the chart in the publications Birding Trails in Southeast Idaho Map & Guide.

Birdwatchers can expect to see the Double-crested Cormorant, and the Dusky Flycatcher. There is also a campground next to the reservoir. For more birding, drive up either Old or New Canyon west of the reservoir.

The Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located on the north shore of Bear Lake.  Over 18,050 acres of the Dingle Swamp, open water and grasslands have been dedicated to preserving bird and wildlife habitat. The reserve is home to sandhill cranes, herons, snowy egret, white pelicans, Canada geese and…

Bear Lake has four species of fish that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, with the Bonneville Cisco being the most well known. It is an annual ritual for many people to come during the cold month of January, hoping to net some of these little fish through…

Amble through the cattails and learn about wetlands ecology on this short boardwalk from Garden City Park to the lake shore.

On August 13, 1896, Butch Cassidy and two other men robbed the Montpelier Bank, the first bank in southeastern Idaho. Located in Montpelier's historic downtown, the Butch Cassidy Museum is located in the original bank and allows visitors to walk through and see the vault! The museum has free admission,…

Whether you come for our first-class snowmobiling, mountain horseback rides, a family reunion or business retreat, Beaver Creek Lodge is the place for you. Located in beautiful Logan Canyon, Beaver Creek Lodge is 27 miles east of Logan Utah along scenic US Highway 89.

Group lodging for Family Reunions, Workshop Retreats and large gatherings in the historic 1927 Browning Building, known today as the "Bear Lake Hermitage" in Paris, Idaho.

A 4.2 mile paved walking and biking trail that goes from Bear Lake State Park Marina to Ideal Beach with interpretive signs and park benches. Access the trail from any point along the route.

The Bluebird Inn is an old homestead overlooking Bear Lake, with lush gardens and an outdoor hot tub. There are five charming rooms, each with a fireplace, and your stay includes a full breakfast in the sunny dining room.

Located in Wasatch-Cache National Forest, this underground cave experience is one for the entire family. Its natural stalagmites, stalactites, and banded travertine have been forming for thousands of years and were discovered by Europeans in 1906. The cave is administered by the US Forest Service.

This Romanesque-style Mormon tabernacle was constructed in 1889 of red sandstone from a quarry 18 miles away. This place of worship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is still used by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A small museum houses heirlooms…

Visit “Old Town” Montpelier, take photos of the wooden carved bears, where signs in front of the buildings describe the history of the area. Look for the Bank of Montpelier, which was robbed by Butch Cassidy in 1896. Cassidy and his pals got away with over $16,000. The Montpelier Historic…

Emerging at 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the mineral water at Bear Lake Hot Springs is cooled as it is pumped from the mountain into the tubs. Characteristics similar to those of Lava Hot Springs to the northwest can be found in this water. Individuals from all around the area drive to…

Emigration Campground is located in a forested setting just off of Idaho State Highway 36 between Preston and Montpelier, Idaho. The camp's location, near the High Line National Recreation Trail in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, affords scenic vistas of the Bear River Range and a variety of wilderness experiences. There…

The Bear Lake Overlook and Visitors Center provides not only clean restrooms and informational materials, but it also provides a stunning view of Bear Lake and the surrounding mountains. Visit the center to learn more about the history and geology of the lake as well as local events and heritage…

The Oregon California Trail led thousands of emigrants through eastern Idaho. The trail led them to what is known as Big Hill, which pioneers considered the steepest and longest descent on their journey West. The Big Hill Monument details their trials and points out landscape features such as wheel ruts…

Dress as pioneers decked in a bonnet or hat of the times and pull handcarts to 20 campsites where you learn interesting pioneer history and reenact actual pioneer experiences. For example: getting caught in a cloudburst, scrubbing clothing on a wash board, negotiate with Native Americans for buffalo jerky, shaking…

This small pioneer building is over 125 years old and in its early days functioned as a school, local chapel, and meeting hall. In 1966, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave the building to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers who renovated it to create a pioneer relic…

The intersection of US Hwy 89 and US Hwy 30 at Montpelier is the site of the attractive National Oregon-California Trail Center dedicated to the history and scenic wonders of the 2000-mile Oregon-California Trail, part of the largest voluntary migration ever. The sites in this area are documented in diaries of the emigrants, in military records,…

In Bear Lake County, manages the activities of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Books, maps, travel and recreation information available. Located in the Oregon-California Trail Center at 322 North 4th Street, Montpelier, Idaho.

Local and regional railroad history and artifacts. Located downstairs in the National Oregon/California Trail Center.

Local Mom and Pop grocery store. Mike Jensen and his dad Reed bought the place in 1972 and ran the grocery store together. Today, Mike features a custom butcher counter, grocery, deli, wines and produce. The building, built in 1954, has always been in use as a grocery or general…

This two room log cabin houses artifacts and information about early Mormon leaders. Wilford Woodruff, the third president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lived here. The building now serves as a visitors information centers. Tours of the cabin are available.

This monument honors the birthplace of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore. Borglum was born in St. Charles, Idaho in 1867. His marble head sculpture of Abraham Lincoln is on display in the Capitol Rotunda. Gutzon Borglum's Wars of America, a bronze sculpture of 42 humans and two horses,…

The Lodge Motel is situated in the center of Garden City, Utah on the shore of beautiful Bear Lake. All of Garden City's shops and eateries are within a short walking distance from your motel room. Pet friendly rooms offered year-round.

The stunning aqua-blue waters of Bear Lake are the main feature of Bear Lake State Park. Enjoy a variety of activities in their seasons-waterskiing, sailing, swimming, scuba diving in summer. Year-round fishing for cutthroat, mackinaw, cisco, and whitefish. Join the fun of ice fishing in January during the annual Cisco…

Bear River Meadows / Crawford Mountain Road is for the birdwatcher. This site offers Sandhill Crane, Long-billed Curlew, and American Bittern.

Built by Thomas Sleight in 1863, this is the only remaining cabin from the first winter pioneers spent in the area. The cabin was moved from its original location and now serves as a public park. Come see the historic cabin and enjoy Paris' historic downtown.

This three-cell jail was built in 1880 of plank and five tons of spikes. Operated by the local chapter of Daughters of Utah Pioneers, the museum is a log cabin near the jail, and both sites are owned and operated by the organization.

This jailhouse, built in about 1870, was originally Bear Lake County Jail, and was located in Paris. About thirty years ago, the owners of Bear Lake Handicrafts moved the historic building to this site in St. Charles in order to help preserve its history and provide a home for the…

Located in St. Charles, Idaho, the Bear Lake State Park Visitor Center provides brochures and recreational material for visitors in the area. They also host local events like the Bear Lake Monster Mash Fall Festival.

A delightful family operated theatre that features “mellerdramers” and other productions suitable for any audience, along with a meal for any appetite before the show. And yes, there really was a town called Pickleville, right here! It was named after Warren W. Pickle, who secured funding for a culinary water…