We decided to try out the Bloomington Lake hike on a recent trip to Bear Lake. We had heard that there was a gorgeous alpine lake surrounded by granite cliffs. The waters were said to be clear, and there was even a rope swing that could be used for a plunge into the lake.
The hike to the lake starts at the end of a 12 mile ride down a dirt road through Bloomington Canyon. The road is good for a dirt road, so you can travel in any car at a pretty good speed. At the end of the road there is a large parking lot and a camping area. You’ll see a sign that identifies the different flowers and animals that you might see on the trail to Bloomington Lake. This is where the trail begins.
The trail starts with a little bit of a climb, but once you hit the top of this small hill the rest of the trail is fairly flat with just a few ups and downs. As you walk the trail, you will see many beautiful wildflowers.
There are also two ponds that you pass along the way to the lake. These ponds are just as beautiful as the lake, but are much smaller. We stopped to throw rocks and rest by each one.
Once you reach the lake, you can walk on either side of the lake. To get to the rope swing, you need to walk on a log to cross the water. Or you can walk on the other side and watch as people swing out into the water. You can’t walk around the lake as you run into a rock wall either way you follow the trail.
We went on a very busy day and we found it hard to find our own spot to enjoy the lake. But we elbowed our way in and threw some rocks into the lake. We also noticed a large arch across the lake in the rocky mountain wall (even though I’m still not sure if it’s a true arch?). Most people were simply enjoying the beautiful scenery but a few people were out in little rowboats, or were swimming.
The hike to Bloomington Lake is 1/2 mile, making this trail a one mile round trip trail. To find Bloomington Lake, head north from Bear Lake until you reach the town of Bloomington. Turn east onto Canyon Rd (about 200 S) in Bloomington. There is a brown sign pointing the way to Bloomington Canyon. Follow this road for 11 miles to the parking lot for Bloomington Lake Trail.
