State Parks Edition
Last week I shared my 5 favorite state parks in Southern Utah. But today I’m sharing some gems up here in Northern Utah! Just like the the state parks in my last post, these locations are cheaper than the national parks permits or any venue you’ll find. These are my top 5 Northern Utah elopement locations!
Bear Lake
Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the boarder of Idaho and Utah split equally between the two states. This lake has the nickname “The Caribbean of the Rockies” due to it’s stunning blue water. The unique color is due to the reflection of the limestone deposits suspended in the lake. There is a developed marina with paved boat ramps and boat slips. In addition, there are boat ramps at several other places around the lake.
Activities offered at Bear Lake State Park include:
- Boating
- Fishing
- Jet Skiing
- Paddle Boarding
- Swimming
- Sailing
- Camping
- Relaxing on the beach
And if you decide to elope at Bear Lake or even just visit, getting a raspberry shake is an absolute MUST! Bear Lake is famous for their delicious raspberry shakes. There are multiple places that sell them, including gas stations up there, but the most known places to get the shakes are LaBeau’s and Zipz!
Deer Creek
Deer Creek State Park sits in between Provo Canyon and Park City. At Deer Creek Reservoir, you can see the most stunning views of the backside of Mount Timpanogos, and it’s just a short drive from Sundance! This is definitely a location where we could hop around to multiple places due to it’s proximity to Provo, Salt Lake City, and Park City.
The popular activities to enjoy here are:
- Boating
- Fly Fishing the Provo River
- Windsurfing
- Zip Line
- Swimming
- Fishing
- Picnicking
- Mountain Biking
- River Rafting
- Camping
- Hiking
- Ice Fishing
Antelope Island
Antelope Island is 25 miles north of Salt Lake City, and is the largest of ten islands located within the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The island features free-roaming bison and antelope herds. You can also see mule deer, coyote and some of the best birding in the world! But one thing to absolutely consider, is that during warm months, insects are present on the island and become a huge nuisance.
The popular activities on the island:
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Cycling
- Paddle Boarding
- Sailing
- Scenic drives
- Historic sites
- Birding and Wildlife Viewing
- Camping
Rockport
Rockport State Park sits at a base elevation 6,000 feet above sea level in a rural valley between the Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges. It is also a reservoir along the Weber River and is also close to Park City. This is a location that can be accessed year round and has different activities available depending on the time of the year. And this state park is also an International Dark Sky Park (which I actually didn’t know until writing this)! The surrounding mountains create a protective halo that blocks out light pollution from the nearby communities. There is even a wedding venue located within this park!
Most common activities to do in this park include:
- Stargazing
- Fishing
- Boating
- Paddle Boarding
- Water Skiing
- Camping
- Snowmobiling
- Ice Fishing
- Dog Sledding
Wasatch Mountain
Wasatch Mountain State Park is located in the northern part of the state within the Wasatch Back area on the north and west edges of the Heber Valley in Wasatch County near the city of Midway. It is also really close to Park City. This park is beautiful year round, but probably most well know for it’s winter activities and hiking and biking in the summer and fall. Soldier Hollow Nordic Center at Wasatch Mountain State Park was the Nordic skiing venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
And a little fun fact about this park – Each Labor Day Weekend competitors and their sheepdogs (border collies) from around the world come to Soldier Hollow’s Olympic Hillside to test themselves against Utah’s legendary Rocky Mountain range ewes. How cool is that?!
Activities in the area include:
- Hiking
- Mountain Biking
- Skiing
- Nordic Skiing
- Camping
- ATVing and UTVing
- Wildlife Viewing
These are just a few of the state parks located here in Northern Utah, but the top ones I would recommend for elopement locations based on the scenic views and activities that you can do in the area to make your day more exciting and memorable!
