On my trip to Southern Utah last year (August 2023), upon leaving my kayaking adventure in Idaho, I ventured down to Utah. I had considered kayaking the Great Salt Lake, but decided against it. Instead, I ventured off to check out Strawberry Reservoir.
It is located about an hour’s drive east from Salt Lake City, in the Uinta National Forest of the Wasatch Mountains and was built in 1972. It is regarded as Utah’s most popular fishery, receiving over 1.5 million angling hours annually.
I drove to the Strawberry Marina. They had a very nice boat ramp where I entered the water. One of the best parts about kayaking at the end of August is the weather. There were only a few clouds and otherwise all sunny. It was warm and perfect! And, I think, because I was there on a weekday, there were only a few boats out in the water.
Having never been here before, I wasn’t too sure where to start. So, I decided I would paddle straight across the lake and then venture down the shore line towards Haws Point. Kayaking across the lake was really fantastic. It was just so beautiful!
Once I reached the other side, I began cruising along the shoreline. Now, one of the biggest differences with kayaking here versus in Oregon – landscape. The biggest reason? Well, the elevation here is 7,612 ft. Now, if you compare that to the Willamette Valley in Oregon where I live, we’re at 266 ft. Huge difference! I kept reminding myself of that and enjoyed the beauty that was so different. The wild flowers were gorgeous.
I loved seeing all of the wildflowers that were growing everywhere. They were very pretty indeed. My other favorite view was of the wildlife.
I always kayak from a distance so as not to disturb the animals. But, after awhile, I moved in closer hoping to get a better picture! One of the thoughts that went through my head that afternoon is that it’s always been fun to me that no matter where I kayak, I always see some of the same birds. Kind of interesting!
From the map above, I reached Haws Point and then headed up to Horse Creek. There is a campground along that side of the reservoir (Bryants Forts Campground), but there were only a few people there. I remembered that school in Utah begins typically the end of August. If I had made my trip one week earlier, it would probably have been very busy. I kayaked a short distance up Horse Creek. THIS is the moment when I heard NOTHING! There was no noise whatsoever. Turn the volume up to listen to my video post below, but you aren’t going to hear anything!
Does it make sense for me to say that the silence was deafening? LOL! I’ve never experienced anything that quiet in my entire life. It was really something – and relaxing!
I continued my kayaking adventure up the shoreline back towards the boat ramp. I saw a lot of Canadian Geese. They seemed to be a little more comfortable with my presence than most. I watched them from a distance and left them completely alone.
Before reaching the boat ramp, I encountered a scene on the shoreline that had me confused at first. But then, I figured it out.
The tall posts in the ground with the orange tops are markers. So, I’m not sure if they stick above the water when the water gets that high. Or, do they stick above the snow when it dumps in that location. I’m still not sure, but they did capture my attention.
One last photo I took as I had nearly reached the end, was this one.
Somebody built a “seat” out of the rocks. I thought it was very cool looking! If I wasn’t nearly finished for the day, I might have stopped and had a seat. HA!
My kayaking adventure at Strawberry Reservoir was perfect! The water was so clean and fresh! The sun shined brightly. It just couldn’t get any better. But then, I captured this last photo! It is definitely on my all-time favorite list.
If you’re traveling through Utah – stop here and take in a kayaking adventure!
