Limber Pine Trail

1 mile partial loop
 45 mins.
Easy
Season:April to October

This easy walk winds through forests of fir and aspen to a huge 500 year old Limber Pine tree. With a circumference of 25 feet it was thought to be the largest such pine in the world, but was later discovered to be 5 trees grown together.

Park at Sunrise Campground, about 4 miles west of Bear Lake at milepost 491.9 in Logan Canyon

Location:Off Hwy 89 about 5 miles southwest of Garden City at Sunrise Campground


We tried a new trail on a recent trip to Bear Lake that was really beautiful. The Limber Pine trail located right at the top of Logan Canyon is a 1.3 mile loop that passes a 600 year-old pine tree.

The trailhead is located right at the summit, so if you are on the way to Bear Lake from Logan, you can stop around mile marker 492 (about 30 miles into the Canyon) where there is a small parking lot on the south side of the road. Once you see the mile marker, watch for the sign for Rich County, the parking lot for the Limber Pine Trail is right after these signs.

There are interpretive signs along the trail, and they work best if you walk it in a counter-clockwise loop. About 50 yards up the trail, you’ll come to a junction where the loop starts. Turn right and head deeper into the trees. There is plenty of shade on this hike, and there are birds singing in the trees. We even saw a few squirrels and chipmunks darting along the trail.

The trail is wide and smooth. Great for little kids!
About halfway around the loop you’ll come to a 600 year-old limber pine tree. To call it a tree is a bit of an injustice; it’s actually several trees that have grown together. This is apparent if you look at the tree, which claims a circumference of nearly 25 feet. Please be careful with the tree. Our boys wanted to climb, which would be easy to do, but we wouldn’t let them, though we did allow them to take pictures with it.

Continue on around the loop and watch closely for Bear Lake. You can see it sparkling in the valley ahead of you as you start down from the summit.

We loved the shady parts of this trail. It’s mostly shady, but there are sections that open into the sunshine.

Toward the end of the hike, you will have a great view of Bear Lake.
This hike is beautiful, green, and very doable for any size kid. There is a tiny climb at the first, but it’s not steep enough to be difficult. The trail is well marked and smooth, and there are restrooms at the start of the trail.  The Limber Pine Trail is a great family friendly hike.