Bear Lake State Park (Idaho)

For the nearby Utah state park of the same name, see Bear Lake State Park (Utah).

Bear Lake State Park
Bear Lake seen from the park
Location in Idaho Show map of Idaho Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States
Nearest city	St. Charles, Idaho
Coordinates	42°02′N 111°16′W[1][2]
Area	966 acres (391 ha)[1]
Elevation	5,900 ft (1,800 m)[1]
Designation	Idaho state park
Established	1969[3]
Visitors	162,787 (in 2014-2015) (expressed as Total Visitor Days)[4]
Administrator	Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
Website	Bear Lake State Park

Bear Lake State Park (sometimes called North Beach State Park) is a public recreation area bordering the north and eastern shores of Bear Lake in the southeast corner of Bear Lake County, Idaho, near the Utah and Wyoming state lines. The state park sits across the lake from St. Charles and is fifteen miles (24 km) south of Montpelier.^[1] Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies adjacent to the park's north unit.^[5]

History

The state purchased land for the park in 1969 using funds supplied through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. At the same time, the North Beach unit was leased from Utah Power and Light.^[3] Management of the north unit continues under lease from PacifiCorp.^[6]

Wildlife

This state park is home to bonneville cisco, cutthroat trout, moose, pelicans, lake trout, deer, cranes and cougar.

Features

Bear Lake owes its turquoise blue color to the presence of suspended calcium carbonate (limestone).^[3] The park's two units each have a beach over one mile (1.6 km) in length with gradually sloping lake bottom and large swimming area. Camping is offered in the east unit. In winter, the park provides ice fishing access for the annual runs of Bonneville cisco.^[1]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bear Lake State Park has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Bear Lake State Park was 99 °F (37.2 °C) on July 27–28, 1931, while the coldest temperature recorded was −41 °F (−40.6 °C) on February 1, 1985.^[7]

Climate data for Bear Lake State Park (Lifton Pumping Station), Idaho, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1919–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	52 (11)	55 (13)	69 (21)	77 (25)	90 (32)	94 (34)	99 (37)	96 (36)	91 (33)	81 (27)	66 (19)	60 (16)	99 (37)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	43.6 (6.4)	47.3 (8.5)	55.5 (13.1)	68.4 (20.2)	77.6 (25.3)	85.3 (29.6)	90.7 (32.6)	89.7 (32.1)	83.8 (28.8)	72.5 (22.5)	57.7 (14.3)	47.2 (8.4)	91.5 (33.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	28.7 (−1.8)	31.4 (−0.3)	40.4 (4.7)	50.4 (10.2)	60.5 (15.8)	71.3 (21.8)	81.0 (27.2)	79.9 (26.6)	70.0 (21.1)	55.8 (13.2)	40.8 (4.9)	30.4 (−0.9)	53.4 (11.9)
Daily mean °F (°C)	18.1 (−7.7)	19.6 (−6.9)	29.1 (−1.6)	39.5 (4.2)	49.2 (9.6)	58.1 (14.5)	66.0 (18.9)	63.9 (17.7)	54.6 (12.6)	42.7 (5.9)	30.5 (−0.8)	20.4 (−6.4)	41.0 (5.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	7.5 (−13.6)	7.8 (−13.4)	17.8 (−7.9)	28.6 (−1.9)	37.8 (3.2)	44.9 (7.2)	51.0 (10.6)	48.0 (8.9)	39.2 (4.0)	29.7 (−1.3)	20.1 (−6.6)	10.4 (−12.0)	28.6 (−1.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−10.4 (−23.6)	−11.2 (−24.0)	−1.7 (−18.7)	18.0 (−7.8)	27.2 (−2.7)	35.4 (1.9)	43.4 (6.3)	39.1 (3.9)	29.0 (−1.7)	17.8 (−7.9)	4.5 (−15.3)	−7.0 (−21.7)	−15.3 (−26.3)
Record low °F (°C)	−40 (−40)	−41 (−41)	−29 (−34)	−11 (−24)	19 (−7)	26 (−3)	29 (−2)	30 (−1)	14 (−10)	−5 (−21)	−18 (−28)	−33 (−36)	−41 (−41)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.80 (20)	0.82 (21)	0.83 (21)	1.09 (28)	1.80 (46)	0.92 (23)	0.57 (14)	0.76 (19)	1.09 (28)	1.10 (28)	0.76 (19)	0.75 (19)	11.29 (286)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	9.1 (23)	8.8 (22)	4.1 (10)	2.7 (6.9)	0.2 (0.51)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	1.1 (2.8)	4.1 (10)	7.2 (18)	37.4 (93.46)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	8.2	8.5	8.5	9.0	10.0	6.3	4.1	5.1	6.3	7.1	7.8	8.0	88.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	5.5	5.1	3.1	1.3	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.9	2.6	4.5	23.3
Source 1: NOAA[8]
Source 2: National Weather Service[7]

See also

• List of Idaho state parks
• National Parks in Idaho

References

1. "Bear Lake State Park". Idaho Parks and Recreation. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
2. "North Beach State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. "History: State Lands in Idaho". Idaho Museum of Natural History. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
4. "Table 1. Park Visitor Days by Residence" (PDF). Economic Impact and Importance of State Parks in Idaho. Department of Economics, College of Business & Economics, Boise State University. January 2018. p. 11. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
5. "Map of Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge" (PDF). U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
6. "North Beach". PacifiCorp. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
7. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Pocatello". National Weather Service. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
8. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Lifton Pumping STN, ID". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 6, 2023.

External links

• Bear Lake State Park Idaho Parks and Recreation
• Bear Lake State Park Location Map Idaho Parks and Recreation