Warm winter pushes Bear Lake marina project ahead of schedule

GARDEN CITY — A new marina at Bear Lake is taking shape faster than expected, thanks in part to a warm and dry winter that allowed construction crews to make significant progress.

The project, located just north of the current Bear Lake State Park Marina, is designed to ease congestion at one of Utah's busiest boating destinations. The expansion comes as Bear Lake continues to attract more visitors, especially as lower water levels at other reservoirs send more boaters searching for places to launch.

"It can get very busy, especially on the weekends, just lining up to get your boat in or out," said visitor Rob Morgan.

So far, crews have removed about 350,000 square yards of fine, silty sand as they excavate the marina basin. State park officials say the project is already more than 80% excavated to its final depth.

Rochelle Dunn, another frequent visitor, said long waits at the marina are common during peak summer months.

"Normally there's three lines deep," she said.

Bear Lake State Park Manager Richard Droesbeke said visitation has been higher than usual this year.

"Busier than normal, and we believe that's most likely because as other reservoirs are getting lower in their water, we still have good access to a big lake," Droesbeke said.

The new marina is intended to address those bottlenecks. According to Droesbeke, one of the biggest challenges comes at the end of busy summer days when boaters return to shore at the same time.

"They launch their boats all day long if they come on a Saturday, which is our busiest day — and then all of a sudden in the evening they want to come off the water all at once and we back up," he said.

While a dry winter may not have been ideal for water conditions, Droesbeke said it has benefited construction efforts.

"It might not have been as favorable for the water conditions, but it was favorable that what we're seeing right now is they're over 80% excavated down to the level of the new marina," he said.

The next major step will be pouring the launch ramp. Once that work is completed and the concrete has cured, crews will begin allowing water into the new marina basin.

When complete, the marina is expected to more than double the number of boat slips available and more than triple parking capacity, providing greater access for visitors and helping reduce launch delays.

"If we can invest the way we need to, to keep things moving and help people enjoy the lake, I think that's great," Morgan said.

For visitors like Dunn, the improvements can't come soon enough.

"The water is great. It's the most beautiful lake ever. We love coming up here," she said.

The new marina is expected to open by May 2028, though Droesbeke says a partial opening around fall 2027 is possible if work continues at its current pace.

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