Bloomington Lake

Bloomington Lake is amazing. It's one of the most beautiful areas I have ever visited. I keep on visiting and never get sick of it. The two times I took these photos the lighting wasn't ideal so I apologize for washed out photos. It is conveniently located for a perfect day in the Bear Lake area of Utah, and Idaho. The closest large city is Logan, Utah or Preston, Idaho. The lake is located in the northern part of the Bear River Range. It has by far the best rope swing I have ever used. To get there requires some very minor off roading. The road is dirt and is fairly well graded but has a lot of washboard sections. You can easily take a car if the weather is good. Bloomington Canyon is very pretty with good views of Paris Peak. There is a pretty large parking area. You can plan on not being alone during the summer. Especially on weekends. There is a large forest service sign laying out the rules for using the area. From the parking lot, the trail immediately climbs. It's a relatively short climb and it's all downhill from there. It is under a mile to the lake. You will soon come to fake Bloomington Lake. This is a much less scenic, but still scenic lake before the larger one. I wonder how many people have come to this lake thinking it was Bloomington and then left disappointed. Just before reaching the lake there is a small pond that is actually an outlet from the lake. The views of Paris Peak are very pretty. There were lots of wildflowers by the pond with pretty views of the cliffs above the lake. Once you reach Bloomington Lake it is truly a beautiful place! The lake itself is very deep and takes on a pretty turquoise color when viewed from certain angles and lights. Very pretty cliffs and St. Charles Mountain tower over the lake. If you look closely at the cliffs you will spot a small arch. Close inspection of the rocks show how heavily glaciated the area was. There is a large tree on the side of the lake with a fantastic rope swing hanging from it. This thing is a lot of fun and you can go as big or small as you want. The water is always pretty cold but I found it very refreshing. It's very pure and clean water.