A beautiful, 2-mile-long lake that’s a popular place to come for activities year-round. In summer, you’ll find kayakers, canoers, and paddle boarders, as well as the Kenai Cruisers Rowing Club, which uses the lake for daily practices and a yearly rowing regatta. Come in the evening and you’ll have a better chance of seeing black or brown bears at the salmon-spawning spring, which is located about 1/3-mile north of the parking lot, on the lake’s east side. And the odds are good that you’ll see some eagles; plenty of them frequent the lake area and the salmon-spawning stream.
The activity doesn’t slow down in winter. When the lake freezes over and there’s no snow, you’ll find ice skaters and ice sailors. Once the lake is covered with snow, the perimeter is groomed, creating a nearly 6-mile cross-country ski trail for both skate and classic techniques. Locals also come to enjoy snowshoeing, dog mushing, and skijoring across the lake.
How to Get There
Public access is on the south end of the lake. Turn onto Bear Lake Road at Mile 6.5 of the Seward Highway. After about 1 mile, turn left onto Old Sawmill Road; the lake is a few hundred yards farther.
