Logan Canyon is in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

in northeastern

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, a canyon that cuts its way through the Bear River Mountains, a branch of the

Wasatch Range The Wasatch Range ( ) or Wasatch Mountains is a mountain range in the western United States that runs about from the Utah-Idaho border south to central Utah. It is the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the G ...

. It is popular for both summer and winter activities, especially

rock-climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants Climbing, climb up, across, or down natural Rock (geology), rock formations. The goal is to reach the Summit (topography), summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined Climbing ro ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

, and

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

, at the Beaver Mountain ski resort. The canyon rises to an elevation of approximately above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, after a vertical climb of about . Just beyond the summit is a steep road leading into Bear Lake Valley and scenic overlooks that provide views of deep blue Bear Lake. The western terminus is at Logan in Cache County and the eastern terminus is at Garden City in Rich County.

Scenic Byway

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...

through the canyon has been designated a

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

and connects the

Cache Cache, caching, or caché may refer to: Places United States * Cache, Idaho, an unincorporated community * Cache, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Cache, Oklahoma, a city in Comanche County * Cache, Utah, Cache County, Utah * Cache County ...

and Bear Lake valleys. Recent construction and proposed enhancements to the

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

have been the focus of a decades-long confrontation between

environmentalists An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

and the

Utah Department of Transportation The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is an agency of the state government of Utah, United States; it is usually referred to by its initials UDOT (pronounced "you-dot"). UDOT is charged with maintaining the more than of roadway that co ...

. Some of the improvements have included reconstructing the bridges, which were in poor shape, straightening the road leading to Bear Lake, and reconstructing the Bear Lake Overlook, making it much larger and more attractive and adding basic facilities. The highway is the site of many serious and even fatal traffic accidents given the winding nature of the canyon, the drastic elevation changes, and the poor driving conditions encountered during winter weather.

Attractions

At the mouth of Logan Canyon along the River Trail is the Allen and Alice Stokes Nature Center, a local nonprofit and free nature center, and official educational permittee of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. They offer workshops, hikes, and classes which vary by season. Among the most famous hiking trails is the treacherous

Crimson Trail Crimson Trail is a hike located near the southwestern mouth of Logan Canyon in northeastern Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by ...

. It begins at Spring Hollow Campground and ends at Guinivah Campground and is noted for its views, including the 'China Wall' formation. Another popular trail is the Wind Cave trail, which leads to the Wind Caves, a formation of 3 arches in the weathered limestone bedrock, and from which there are views of the China Wall.

Tony Grove Lake Tony Grove Lake is a lake in Cache County, Utah. The Tony Grove Lake Campground is located on the southeast shore of the lake. The lake and campground are situated on the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway. A paved road climbs to a height of to reac ...

Area is situated on the Logan canyon scenic byway. A seven-mile paved road climbs to a height of 8050 feet (2454 m) to reach Tony Grove Lake and the

Mount Naomi Wilderness Mount Naomi Wilderness is a wilderness area located within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in the U.S. state of Utah. It lies between the Logan River and the Utah-Idaho state line northeast of Logan, Utah.

area. The area around this glacial lake explodes into wildflowers in the early summer. The

Logan River The Logan River ( Yugambeh: ''Dugulumba'') is a perennial river located in the Scenic Rim, Logan and Gold Coast local government areas of the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The -long river is one of the dominant waterways in South ...

runs south to southwest through most of the canyon into

Cache Valley Cache Valley is a valley of northern Utah and southeast Idaho, United States, that includes the Logan metropolitan area. The valley was used by 19th century mountain men and was the site of the 1863 Bear River Massacre. The name, Cache Valley i ...

and is popular for

. The river is dammed in three locations near the western mouth of the canyon. The Beaver Mountain ski area is located just a mile off the highway, a few miles past the midway point from Logan to Bear Lake.

References

External links

Utah Scenic Byways
by Utah office of Tourism
Logan Canyon Scenic Byway
by

U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

National Scenic Byways Program (archived 2013)
A series of interviews about Logan Canyon from the Logan Canyon Reflections Digital Collection:
Utah State University
Stokes Nature Center official website
{{Coord, 41.780, -111.644, type:landmark_region:US-UT_dim:20000, display=title Bear River (Great Salt Lake) Canyons and gorges of Utah Landforms of Cache County, Utah Landforms of Rich County, Utah U.S. Route 89 Tourist attractions in Rich County, Utah Tourist attractions in Cache County, Utah