This is a digital painting from an original photograph, taken in 2012, of Bear Lake in Utah and Idaho. Driving into Utah from Wyoming often means Bear Lake is a bit of a surprise. One minute the drive is farm land and hills. And then around a curve, the blue sparkling lake appears like magic. The hue is amazing. That’s because this is an ancient lake with unusual microscopic minerals suspended in the water. Calcium carbonate gives the lake its nickname of the "Caribbean of the Rockies" and the turquoise coloration is incredible. This lake is over 250,000 years old. It’s 20 miles long and eight miles wide, 208 feet deep. The elevation is is almost 6000 feet above sea level and, in summer, the water temperature warms up to around 75 to 80 degrees. There are four fish swimming in the lake that do not exist anywhere else in the world. It’s a beautiful and amazing spot and it’s also threatened with sediment runoff. If you want to help protect it, you can donate to Bear Lake Watch and help them protect it by texting BEARLAKE to 44321.

Added Dec 12, 2024

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