Life, as of Late

A beautiful, practically private lakefront beach only an hour and a half outside of Salt Lake City? Yes, you can believe it. I’m surprised more people haven’t heard of Yuba Lake, seeing as it’s not only gorgeous, but also not terribly crowded like many other popular lakes in Utah. There are several accommodation options available. Public campgrounds are accessible through the state parks website, or you can stay at a privately owned glampsite like we chose to at Sandy Beach.

Sandy Beach at Yuba Lake offers numerous camping options, whether you’d like to rent their campers, glamping tents or dome, a party cabana, airstream, tiny home, or pitch a tent and beach camp. There’s something for everyone. We opted for the dome as we’ve always wanted to glamp in one since first seeing one while glamping at Airydale Retreat in PA.

The dome sleeps 6, featuring a king size bed, a bunkbed, and 2 twin size beds. There’s plenty of bedding, all of which are cozy and comfortable. The decor is beautiful and fitting for the sandy beach and landscape. The dome is located furthest down the beach from the rest of the accommodations, but closest to the public beach.

We arrived in our FWD Mazda CX-9 and driving through the sand to get to the dome proved to be pretty difficult. We got stuck upon arrival a short distance from the dome, but my husband managed to get out eventually, so something to keep in mind. It appeared that most campers had an easier time by driving near the lake, which I would advise, however the shore is a decent distance from the dome.

Inside the dome gets quite hot and humid. It comes equipped with a fan and a water fan which takes water or ice. I would highly recommend bringing a bag or two of ice to add to the water fan to ensure it stays cool inside, as it will otherwise remain uncomfortably hot for some time. We used our little ones beach toys to lug a few buckets of water from the lake. It gets very chilly at night, despite the hot weather during the day, so pack warm clothing for the nights and mornings.

There isn’t a mini fridge or running drinking water on-site, so you’ll want to pack your own food, ice, and water. We brought along a single burner stove to cook breakfast and dinner during our stay. The entire site is “off-grid” and runs solely off of solar power so there is electricity and several outlets located along the interior.

A private restroom is nearby and available specifically for guests staying at the dome. There are additional restrooms as well as showers available for use by all Sandy Beach guests located near the entrance. The dumpster is also close to the entrance and is where you’ll want to dispose of all of your garbage. You’ll also find firewood for purchase as well as kayaks and paddleboards for rent.

My two favorite things about Sandy Beach is that it’s pet friendly and that you get a sliver of the lake all to yourself. Our dog, Ghost, accompanied us and had a blast! He’d never been in a lake before and his confusion and excitement was adorable. Depending on the time of year that you go, you might have the area almost entirely to yourself. Having booked a weekend in early September, that was the case for us. It was incredibly relaxing to be able to enjoy such a beautiful lake that our children could swim in without feeling overrun.

We enjoyed swimming (the lake is very shallow), roasting smores on the fire, star gazing (it gets unbelievably dark at night, prominently displaying the night sky), and watching the incredible sunset. If you’re ever looking for a quick weekend getaway that doesn’t entail a gruesome drive, check out Yuba Lake.