GARDEN CITY – State and local officials with Brigham City’s Whitaker Construction representatives were on hand for a ceremonial ground breaking for the new Bear Lake State Park Marina Expansion on Monday, May 19. The Marina is located near 940 North Bear Lake Boulevard (US Highway 89), Garden City.
Bear Lake State Park Manager Richard Droesbeke said they have been floating the expansion project for about 20 years and are excited to see dirt tuning on it.
Bear Lake State Park Manager Richard Droesbeke speaks to those in attendance at the ceremonial ground breaking of the Bear Lake State Park Marina expansion on Monday May 19, 2025.
For planning the new marina, the engineers asked how much time it took to launch a boat. Droesbeke told them about five to seven minutes, but to retrieve a boat takes about 12 to 16 minutes.
Lines of boats trying to get into the marina to launch a boat were sometimes backed almost into Garden City. And storms blowing across Bear Lake presented a safety issue because boats couldn’t get off the lake in a safe and timely manner. The new marina should alleviate most of those safety concerns.
“When the legislature allocated the money for the expansion, people got excited and got on the waiting list for boat slips,” Droesbeke said. “Currently, we have capacity for 388 boats. When the expansion is complete, we will have capacity of 804 boats.”
The park was also allotted money for an onsite dip-tank to protect the lake from quagga mussels.
Dignitaries participate in the ceremonial ground breaking of the Bear Lake State Park Marina expansion on Monday May 19, 2025.
“With the expansion there will be more lanes and wider lanes so people can back down and have more room without impacting other lanes,” he said. “The increase in marina capacity should be a boost to the local economy. More people using the marina means more people will have access to local businesses. That translates to more people in restaurants, more fueling, more rentals and overnight stays. It should be an overall increase for the economy.”
Droesbeke said they were also busy at other places around the lake improving areas for people to enjoy.
“On the east side of the lake at Rainbow Cove we are winding up work on 26 campsites and have a sandy beach for people to enjoy,” he said. “Most people come to the west side and Idaho’s North Beach. We have made some improvements to our North Beach on the Utah side, and it is not as crowded.”
People gather at the area where the Bear Lake State Park Marina Expansion will be located on Bear Lake Monday May 19, 2025.
Todd Strong, the director of Utah State Parks, thanked former Utah State Senator Lyle Hillyard who represented Cache and Rich counties while serving in the Utah Legislature for his work pushing the marina expansion. He also thanked current legislator Chris Wilson for his work in rounding up the $60 million to get the expansion rolling. He also thanked Rhonda Menlove, a former Utah State Legislator who represented Box Elder County and is active in Bear Lake issues.
Visitation across Utah’s 46 state parks continues to increase. To help meet this demand, Utah State Parks, the Utah State Legislature, and local communities have worked together to expand and improve Bear Lake State Park. This new marina will improve lake access, address safety concerns, and increase the capacity for boat slips, launch ramps, parking access, and more.
State Park improvement projects have been proven to help energize local economies. At Garden City, business owners plan on 100 days to make a year’s earnings. Visitors often stay at local hotels, eat at restaurants, and frequent stores and gas stations. The improvement and expansion of park amenities also create jobs for contractors, park staff, private concessionaires, and more.