When visiting Utah, you’d have to look pretty hard to find an area that is not spectacularly beautiful. Utah’s striking western landscape protects some of the most unique scenery in North America, with vast deserts, towering snow-capped mountains, and geological formations that don’t quite look like anywhere else on Earth. Many of Utah’s top attractions sit in rugged canyon systems, like the charming canyon homestead (and fresh pies!) of Capitol Reef National Park’s Gifford Homestead, or the bizarre (yet strangely beautiful) alien-like sandstone sculptures of Fantasy Canyon.
However, Utah is not all deserts and arid canyons. The state’s northern corridor, just south of the border with Idaho, protects a much more heavily forested wonderland with some of the region’s most underrated outdoor destinations. Here, within northern Utah’s sublime Logan Canyon, is the ravishing and photo-worthy Tony Grove Lake, one of Utah’s top hidden gems.
In contrast to its desert vistas and sparse, red rock amphitheaters, Utah’s Tony Grove Lake looks more like something from the lush Pacific Northwest. The lake’s sapphire-blue waters sit within a haven of prominent evergreen trees and vibrant woodlands, with ethereal mountain peaks decorating the horizon beyond. Located two hours north of Salt Lake City, Tony Grove Lake offers a rich forest setting for hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities in an environment that may be more welcoming to many travelers than the beautiful but harsh terrains elsewhere in the state. And if you’re lucky enough to visit the lake during the summer, you’ll likely be treated to one of the Southwest’s single best displays of wildflowers!
Discover a different shade of Utah than its familiar desert oranges and reds
Tony Grove Lake is located in Utah’s Logan Canyon, among the majestic expanse of the Bear River Range stretching between northern Utah and southeastern Idaho. The Tony Grove Lake Day Use Area is part of the enchanting Mount Naomi Wilderness, among the larger Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest of northern Utah. The region’s landscape is dominated by mountain peaks and colorful forests that run through the underrated Intermountain Region between Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. As such, Tony Grove Lake boasts bright sylvan colors of the Mountain West while still possessing enough of a rugged Utah twist to set it apart from its northern neighbors.
The lake’s glacial origins bequeathed to it a deep, natural valley and numerous boulders dotting its serene, snow-fed waters, all creating immaculate shots for any social media reel (or, if you’re old-school, lasting memories). At an elevation of around 8,000 feet, Tony Grove Lake sits in something of a “Goldilocks” zone — high enough to offer a crisp alpine environment but not too high for trees and other plants to grow. The alpine forest surrounding the lake combines the warm green shades of evergreen trees with lovely deciduous trees that take on bright shades of yellow in the autumn for some of Utah’s best fall foliage.
However, it’s the summer months when Tony Grove Lake’s best attributes come out. During July and August, the meadows surrounding the lake erupt in scintillating displays of polychromatic wildflowers stretching for miles across the distance. Combined with the scenic Utah backdrop, Tony Grove Lake’s wildflowers place it among the elite tier of mesmerizing places around the world to see flowers blooming. No matter the season, though, Tony Grove Lake offers scenery you’re unlikely to ever forget.
Find a distinctive twist on a classic Utah adventure
