Logan Canyon to Bear Lake by motorcycle
When the desert is too hot, head north. From Salt Lake City this is a full day: up to Logan, then 39 miles of curves through the Bear River Mountains to the overlook above Bear Lake.
The route at a glance
- Start: Salt Lake City
- Roads: I-15 north to Brigham City, US-89/91 over Sardine Summit to Logan, then US-89 through Logan Canyon to Garden City on Bear Lake
- Logan Canyon: 39 miles from Logan to Garden City, about 55 minutes without stops (Motorcycle Roads)
- High point: the summit at 7,828 ft (Wikipedia)
- Salt Lake City to Logan: about 1.5 hours (estimate; check your map app)
Mile by mile
Salt Lake City to Brigham City. I-15 north. Leave at exit 362 in Brigham City, where US-91 starts on 1100 South (Wikipedia US-91).
Over Sardine Summit to Logan. US-89 and US-91 run together for about 25 miles from Brigham City to north of Logan. The road climbs Box Elder Canyon past Mantua and its reservoir, crosses Sardine Summit, and drops through Wellsville Canyon into Cache Valley (Wikipedia US-91). In Logan, US-89 splits off east toward Utah State University and Bear Lake (Wikipedia US-91). Fill up in Logan: the canyon has few services, mostly camping and picnic areas (Motorcycle Roads).
Logan Canyon. US-89 through the canyon is a National Scenic Byway linking Cache Valley and the Bear Lake Valley (Wikipedia). It follows the Logan River and climbs about 2,900 feet (Wikipedia). The Logan Ranger District visitor center is at Lady Bird Park Overlook, milepost 374.2, near the canyon mouth (Recreation.gov). Stops on the way up: - Wind Cave: a trail to three arches in weathered limestone, with views of the China Wall (Wikipedia). - Tony Grove: a seven-mile paved side road climbs to Tony Grove Lake at 8,050 ft, on the edge of the Mount Naomi Wilderness (Wikipedia). - Beaver Mountain: the ski area, about a mile off the highway past the midpoint (Wikipedia).
The summit and Bear Lake Overlook. Just past the summit, the overlook looks down on Bear Lake's turquoise water, and a steep road drops into the valley (Wikipedia; Bear Lake CVB). The visitor center there has byway maps (Recreation.gov).
Garden City. The end of the byway, where US-89 meets SR-30 on the lake shore (Recreation.gov). Riders recommend a raspberry shake here (Motorcycle Roads). Bear Lake Raspberry Days and a Mountain Man Rendezvous are held each year (Motorcycle Roads).
Getting back
Back through the canyon to Logan and the same way south (estimate: about 3.5 hours of riding for the round trip from Salt Lake City, before stops).
Before you ride
- Season: autumn color is the canyon's best show (Recreation.gov). In winter the summit sees snow, and the highway has many serious accidents in winter conditions (Wikipedia). This is a late spring to early autumn ride.
- Weekends can be crowded; weekdays are quieter (Motorcycle Roads).
- Cold at the top: at 7,828 ft it is much cooler than Salt Lake City. Pack a layer.
- Rules for visiting riders (helmets, eye protection, lane filtering): Riding in Utah.
Keep going
- More mountain rides from the airport: Salt Lake City (Guardsman Pass, the Alpine Loop, Mirror Lake Highway) and Park City and Heber.
- South of Provo: the Nebo Loop. Northeast Utah: Flaming Gorge.
Rent a bike
Booking opens soon. Until then, use the ride guides to plan your trip.