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About Rich County
Rich County occupies 1029 square miles in the very north east corner of the state of Utah, sharing borders with both Idaho and Wyoming. It is a sparsely populated area (1961 people in 2000), isolated from the larger cities in Utah by the Bear River Mountains on its western boundary. The lowest elevations in the county are close to 6000 feet.
Grassy valleys and sagebrush covered mountains typify the scenery, with the eighteen mile long Bear Lake being the major focal point. The lake, known for its clean, blue water, is a major tourist attraction lying half in Rich County and half in Idaho to the north. In summer months, visitors to the lake may exceed the population of the county.
Rich County contains portions of two major valleys, the Bear Lake Valley, and the Bear River Valley, which are separated by a low ridge of mountains called the East Hills. The Bear River Mountains lie to the west of Bear Lake Valley. The Crawford Mountains lie to the east of the Bear River Valley, being mostly in Wyoming. Another smaller area, called Round Valley, lies at the south end of Bear Lake Valley, separated from it by some hills.. The Bear River Valley is home to Randolph, the county seat, and a large cattle ranching area.
The Bear River flows along the eastern boundary of the county, entering from Wyoming on the south and flowing out again into Wyoming to the north. Some ways to the north, it passes through a gap in the mountains and into Bear Lake Valley.
U.S. Highway 89 passes through the northwest corner of the county, accessing Garden City, and Bear Lake. Utah Highway 30 passes along the south side of Bear Lake, and then crosses the East Hills into the Bear River Valley, continuing into Wyoming. Utah Highway 16 heads south through the Bear River Valley through Randolph and Woodruff, and then also crosses into Wyoming, heading to Evanston, the closest large town.
For More Information:
See Wikipedia's Rich County article.