Nestled on the southwest shores of beautiful Bear Lake Utah, Garden City is a small town with lots of character and endless activities. Garden City is best known as a summer tourist hotspot for recreation on the beautiful blue waters of Bear Lake, aptly dubbed “The Caribbean of the Rockies”, but some of the best things to do in Garden City are away from the lake waters.
Boasting 109 square miles of intense turquoise waters lined with shops, restaurants, and marinas offering boat rentals of every kind, Bear Lake State Park is the main attraction in Garden City and attracts thousands of visitors year-round.
Summer days are spent sunbathing on the sandy beaches, boating, swimming, water trampolining, and scuba diving Bear Lake, and enjoying a classic beach day in Utah, with Caribbean views! Come winter, Garden City’s Bear Lake transforms into a prime destination for ice-fishing with the Bear Lake Monster Winterfest being the highlight of the winter fishing season in Bear Lake.
#2 Pickleville Playhouse
Situated on the shores of Bear Lake, the Pickleville Playhouse is a long-standing summer tradition in Garden City and delights all audiences, from date nights to family nights out.
Rated Utah’s most unique theater experience, the Pickleville Playhouse is known for hilarious melodramas, lighthearted Broadway musical favorites, and a world-class cast of performers. The Pickleville Grill is catered by local restaurant Café Sabor to combine dinner and a show – pre-purchase your dinner for priority seating and discounts! Updates for the 2023 summer season are coming soon!
#3 World-Famous Bear Lake Raspberries
Topping the charts of Garden City’s best attractions are the world-famous Bear Lake raspberries, in season for picking in summer but available year-round – literally everywhere you look! Bear Lake’s sweet and delicious raspberries are well-celebrated in Garden City. Indulge in a world-famous raspberry shake, fresh raspberries from a roadside stand, raspberry hot chocolate, raspberry pie, chocolate-coated raspberries … and so much more!
The first weekend in August the harvest celebrations begin at the Bear Lake Raspberry Days Festival, an annual 3-day festival with endless events and activities, and lots of Bear Lake raspberries! Book early, Garden City and Bear Lake fill up fast for this favorite annual event.
There’s golfing for the whole family in Garden City, UT! The Bear Lake Golf Course on Sweetwater Hill is a challenging 9-hole public golf course that stretches out to 3376 yards at a par 36. The views of Bear Lake are spectacular, and in the winter months, you’ll find Nordic trails across the course for cross-country skiing!
Situated only 5 miles from downtown Garden City in Fish Haven, Idaho is the Bear Lake West Golf Course, a 9-hole public course coming in at 2715 yards and a par 33. Stunning views of Bear Lake greet you at almost every spot on the course with fun and challenging play for families and serious golfers. Book your tee times for an epic golf day in Garden City, UT.
#5 Bridgerland Adventure Park
Bridgerland Adventure Park is a top Garden City attraction for a day of old-fashioned family fun, with amazing views of Bear Lake to top it off! There are endless activities for all ages at affordable prices. Activities include a rope course, climbing wall, zip line, free fall, and swing for ages 8 and up, ax throwing for ages 12 and up, and a bungee trampoline, bounce house, mini golf, tubing, and a kids train for the little ones. The disc golf and kids’ playground are free!
Bridgerland is open through the summer months with picnic tables and hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks, candy, and snow cones for sale on-site. If you’re planning a family reunion in Garden City, reservations are required one week in advance for groups of 25+ with a 10% discount.
#6 Renegade Raceway
Situated in the heart of downtown Garden City, the Bear Lake Renegade Raceway go-kart track is fun for the whole family – riders as young as 7 can take the wheel and double carts are available for passengers as young as 2 years! If you have younger tots in tow, or are not up to a race, there are picnic tables around the track to watch the racers.
Renegade Raceway is a fun and exciting way to spend the day in Garden City, UT and you can even rent the track for a private group event or family reunion activity.
#7 Play Pickleball
Pickleball is a fun and fast-paced racquet sport that is growing in popularity across America! If you’re not in the know, Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong and is easy to learn and loads of fun! There are two pickleball courts open to the public in Garden City – one near the Bear Lake Visitors Bureau on Paradise Pkwy, and another half a mile south in Heritage Park. Reservations are not needed but you will need to plan ahead and bring your own Pickleball paddles and balls.
#8 Garden City Fishing Pond
Aside from Pickleball Courts, Garden City’s Heritage Park has a softball field, kids playground, and a fishing pond stocked with Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout for year-round fishing. There is a small fishing dock and a paved path to walk or bike your way around the pond and plenty of space to make a day of it with a picnic.
The Garden City Pond falls under the Utah fishing regulations – the daily limit is 2 fish, a Utah fishing license is required for ages 12 and up, and anglers are requested to voluntarily release all Largemouth Bass caught. Garden City Pond is a fun and family-friendly alternative to a day of fishing on Bear Lake!
#9 Beaver Mountain Ski Area
Situated only 13 miles from downtown, the Beaver Mountain Ski Area is one of the best places to spend winter days in Garden City, with endless activities on and off the slopes. “The Beav” is Utah’s #1 family-friendly resort with over 800 skiable acres for skiers and snowboarders, miles of groomed Nordic trails, and a cozy mountain lodge with a restaurant for eat-in dining or grab and go for a full day on the slopes.
If you prefer to head off the beaten path, Beaver Creek Lodge is a top Utah destination for snowmobiling with snowmobile rentals, winter clothing packages, riding clinics, and private guided tours to venture through the backcountry to some of Utah’s most scenic snowy peaks.
#10 Explore The Trails
Nestled high in the Rocky Mountains and bordered by the Cache National Forest, Garden City is surrounded with hundreds of miles of trails that allow hikers, bikers, horse riders, and ATV enthusiasts to get outside and adventure. Many of these trails stay open through the winter months for snowshoeing and epic fat biking adventures.
From easy strolls around the lake on the Bear Lake Legacy Pathway to high-elevation adventures to alpine lakes, Garden City is a gateway to the best outdoor experiences in Utah! Start planning all your trail adventures and gear rentals with our local area guides to Garden City, UT.
Garden City Vacation Rentals & Cabins
Start planning your vacation to Garden City with Bear Lake Premier Cabins today! Our collection of cabins includes pet-friendly rentals, hot-tub homes, golf course getaways, cabins with beach access to Bear Lake, and Garden City family reunion rentals accommodating up to 52 guests under one roof!
Browse our collection of cabins online, book direct with us to get the best price, or give our team a call at (435) 565-6006 – we’re here to help you plan your trip to Garden City, UT.
