Utah's Best Lakes and Waterfronts

Utah is a landlocked desert state, but it has the Great Salt Lake (the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere), a series of major reservoirs, and the extraordinary Lake Powell — the second-largest reservoir in the US.

Great Salt Lake
The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere — or it was. Decades of water diversion have shrunk the lake to roughly half its historical area and raised salinity to extreme levels (in some areas, over 25% salt — five times the ocean). The lake's hypersaline north arm turns pink due to halophilic bacteria and archaea. Antelope Island State Park, connected by a causeway from Syracuse, gives the best land access — bison, pronghorn, and migratory birds are abundant. The smell (from brine shrimp and algae) is intense at some shores.

Lake Powell (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area)
A 186-mile-long reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the Utah-Arizona border. Lake Powell was created by Glen Canyon Dam (completed 1966) and flooding Glen Canyon — considered by conservationists to be one of the great natural losses in American history. What remains is a spectacular landscape of sandstone canyon walls rising from the blue water. Houseboating on Lake Powell is a unique experience. Rainbow Bridge National Monument — the world's largest known natural bridge — is accessible by boat. The lake has shrunk dramatically due to drought; water levels have fallen 175 feet since 2000.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir (northeast Utah/southwest Wyoming)
A 91-mile reservoir on the Green River in the Uinta Basin, surrounded by dramatic red-orange canyon walls (the "flaming gorge" that gave it its name). Flaming Gorge is particularly good for fishing — trophy brown trout, lake trout, and kokanee salmon. The drive along the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway combines the reservoir with the Green River gorge below the dam.

Bear Lake (Cache Valley)
On the Utah-Idaho border, Bear Lake is a natural glacial lake of extraordinary turquoise color — the color comes from limestone particles suspended in the water. The lake, called the "Caribbean of the Rockies," has 27 miles of beach and exceptional visibility (50+ feet). Bear Lake raspberries are famous throughout Utah; the annual Bear Lake Raspberry Days festival is in August.