North to Jackson Hole - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 351

whichatrailleadstotheJardineJuniper,anevergreenbelievedtobemorethan1,500years
old.
2. Bear Lake Summit
After a climb of some 3,000 feet between Logan and Bear Lake Summit, the drive rewards
travelers with a breathtaking view of Bear Lake, which shimmers with a shade of blue-
greensovividitlookslikeatropicallagoon—orasuburbanswimmingpool.Amilefarther
on, another commanding view overlooks not only Bear Lake, but a horizon rimmed by the
Sawtooth Mountains to the northeast, the Trump Range to the east, and the Uintas to the
southeast.
3. Bear Lake
Turning north at Garden City, Rte. 89 parallels the western shore of Bear Lake, whose
aquamarine waters—colored by tiny suspended particles—straddle the border between
Utah and Idaho. Because geologic upheaval long ago isolated it from surrounding bodies
of water, Bear Lake has managed to nurture four species of fish found nowhere else in the
world. The wide sandy beach at the lake's northern shore, part of Bear Lake State Park, is
a local mecca for swimmers and picnickers. Just north of the beach is Bear Lake National
WildlifeRefuge,18,060acresconsistingmostlyofwetlandsthatprovidenestingplacesfor
snowy egrets, white-faced ibises, and Franklin's gulls.
4. Greys River Road
The fast way north to Jackson is via well-traveled Rte. 89 through the Star Valley, where
theruggedmountainsofWyomingflattenandslidetowardblandlybucolicIdahofarmland.
A more adventurous route is the 80-mile, two-lane gravel detour by way of the Smith Fork
and Greys River roads, beginning at a turnoff about six miles south of Smoot. Following
a verdant valley tucked between the Wyoming and Salt River Mountains and cloaked with
lodgepole pines (part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest), the road runs along the trout-
rich Greys River. Frequent turnouts invite hungry travelers to pause for a picnic and tempt
eager anglers to wet a line in the flowing waters.
5. Jackson
As the road approaches Jackson, look down the highway and you'll see a strip of retail
stores. Beyond Jackson, look toward the Tetons and you'll see a classic Ansel Adams im-
ageofnaturalgrandeur.ThesearethetwofacesofJacksonHole,abroadvalleysurrounded