Approximately 350 miles (560 km) long[5][6] it is the longest river in North America that does not ultimately reach the sea.

[15] Fur trappers from the Hudson's Bay Company began to penetrate the area, exploring south from the Snake River as early as 1812.

John C. Frémont explored the area in 1843, and the Mormon Trail crossed the Bear River south of Evanston.

[15] The California and Oregon Trails followed the Bear River north out of Wyoming to Fort Hall in Idaho.

[15] He and John W. Kerr created the Corinne Mill, Canal and Stock Company and ultimately owned 90,000 acres (360 km2) of land in the area.

[15] They also negotiated with the Oregon Short Line to construct a railroad from Corinne 16 miles (26 km) north to Garland, which was completed in 1903.

Water rejoins the river via an outlet canal a short distance downstream from the diversion[16] Utah Sugar's water rights, dams, hydroelectric plant, and transmission lines were purchased by Utah Power & Light, now known as Rocky Mountain Power, in December 1912 for $1.75 million.

It rises in northeastern Utah in several short forks on the north side of the high Uinta Mountains in southern Summit County.

It receives the Malad River from the north just before emptying into the mud flats of a broad bay on the east side of the Great Salt Lake; approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Brigham City.

The river is used extensively for irrigation in the farming valleys through which it flows in its lower reaches in Idaho and northern Utah.