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Vacation Rental Properties for Sale in Garden City, Utah
Garden City sits on the west shore of Bear Lake at about 5,900 feet, roughly two and a half hours north of Salt Lake City and just a few miles from the Idaho border. The town's economy runs on summer tourism—about 100 days a year when the turquoise water, raspberry shakes, and beach access pull tens of thousands of visitors from the Wasatch Front, Logan, and Boise. That seasonal demand is exactly why nightly rental cabins here have been a legitimate income property class for two decades, not a post-2020 trend. The city has a clear short-term rental ordinance, defined STR overlay zones, and several master-planned communities (Sweetwater, Harbor Village, Bear Lake Reserve, Blue Water) built specifically around rental programs with on-site management.
Buyers shopping this niche need to underwrite differently than they would for a standard second home. Peak-season weekly rates can run $3,500-$8,000 for a lakefront cabin, but the season is short and shoulder months are quiet. Property taxes shift to the non-primary residence rate (roughly 1.75x the primary rate in Rich County), HOA dues at managed resorts can exceed $400/month, and management splits typically run 40-50% at turnkey resorts. Lakefront pricing currently spans roughly $1.2M to north of $4M, while licensed STR cabins a few blocks back from the water start closer to $650K. Browse the active listings below to see what's currently zoned, licensed, and producing on the Bear Lake market.
May 2026 · Garden City market
Live from the Utah MLS — what's actually happening in Garden City right now.
Median sale
$655,000
5 closed in May 2026
Median DOM
17 days
listing → contract
Sale-to-list
97.5%
of final list price
Unsold inventory
172
active + pending
121 matching · page 5 of 6
Active listings
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Common questions
About vacation rental properties in Garden City.
Does Garden City actually allow short-term rentals? ▾
Yes. Garden City is one of the few Utah municipalities with an established nightly rental ordinance, and large portions of town are zoned to permit STRs with a city business license. Rules vary by zone and HOA, so always verify the specific parcel before writing an offer. Subdivisions like Bear Lake Reserve, Sweetwater, and Harbor Village have built-in nightly rental programs.
What's the realistic income potential for a Bear Lake vacation rental? ▾
Peak season runs roughly mid-June through Labor Day, with a secondary bump around raspberry days and the winter snowmobile season. A well-located 4-bedroom cabin sleeping 10-12 typically grosses $40K-$80K annually, with lakefront and ski-in cabin properties pulling higher. Shoulder seasons (April, November) are slow, so most owners budget for a front-loaded summer.
Which neighborhoods are best for nightly rental performance? ▾
Harbor Village and Blue Water Resort offer the strongest walk-to-beach appeal. Sweetwater has a marina, pools, and on-site rental management that simplifies absentee ownership. Bear Lake Reserve, up on the bench, trades beachfront access for views and a private beach club. Ideal Beach and the Hodges Canyon area are also licensed STR zones.
Do lenders treat these as second homes or investment properties? ▾
It depends on how you'll use it and how the loan is written. If you plan to rent it out the majority of the year through a management company, most lenders will classify it as an investment property, meaning 20-25% down and a slightly higher rate. True second-home financing requires personal use and limits on rental activity—talk to a lender familiar with Bear Lake before assuming either path.
What does HOA-managed rental management actually cost? ▾
On-site programs at places like Sweetwater and Harbor Village typically take 40-50% of gross rental revenue in exchange for handling bookings, cleaning, maintenance, and guest issues. Independent management through a third party runs closer to 25-35%. The trade-off is convenience versus margin, and most out-of-state owners choose the turnkey route.
How does winter affect a Bear Lake rental? ▾
Garden City sits at about 5,900 feet and gets real winter—snow, ice, and stretches of single-digit temperatures. Cabins need freeze protection, heated water lines, and snow removal contracts. The upside is a steady stream of snowmobilers and Beaver Mountain skiers from December through February, which can keep a well-marketed cabin booked most weekends.