The Bonneville Salt Flats are remnants of Lake Bonneville, which at one time covered one-third of the state of Utah, including small parts of Nevada and Idaho. Much of the table salt that people have on their tables comes from the Bonneville Salt Flats.The salt flats is also home to the Bonneville Speedway, which opened in 1911, and holds several land speed records. The land is so flat for so far that it is even possible to see the curvature of the Earth. If you find yourself around Salt Lake City and you have 4 hours of free time, I would highly encourage a trip out to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Bonneville Salt Flats Hike Details
There really is no limit as to how long you’re there. Just be sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen. The temperatures on the Salt Flats commonly reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. Bathrooms are available at the rest areas, and vending machines are available also. There are also places to wash off your shoes as to not track salt into your vehicle.
How to get there
From Salt Lake City, head west onto I-80 from I-15. You will stay on I-80 for nearly 110 miles, which will take about 90 minutes. There will be a rest area ten miles before you reach Wendover, Nevada. The best views of the Salt Flats are from the rest area located on the westbound side of Interstate 80.
The salt flats are home to several land-speed records
Hitting the Trail!
There really is no trail. Just flat land and lots of salt. As you leave the parking area on approach the salt flats, you are free to roam. The salt flats go uninterrupted for miles. In the distance you can see the dark rock of Jenkins Peak, Campbell Peak and Graham Peak jutted out of the salt flats. The landscape is unbelievable, as are the pictures that you’ll take. The Bonneville Salt Flats are also a popular location for couple to go to take engagement pictures, and have been home to several movie scenes, perhaps the most well-known is in the movie Independence Day, starring Will Smith.
One of my favorite pictures from the salt flats
Salt as far as the eye can see!
The first time I went out to the salt flats, it looked like a frozen lake. When I went to take my first steps on the salt, I thought I’d slip and fall! Luckily, that’s not the case at all. When walking on the salt, it is very crunchy, similar to the crunching of fall leaves under your feet. You can even taste the salt! However, I wouldn’t recommend more than just a lick. It almost feels like you on another planet as you get farther out on salt flats. It is an awesome experience.
The people in the photo give some scope as to how large the salt flats are
History of Lake Bonneville
Lake Bonneville was formed around 32,000 years ago, as the rains drained into the low-lying basin. The level of Lake Bonneville fluctuated as the climate changed. About 14,500 years ago, waters from Lake Bonneville began seeping into and weakening a natural dam located up in Idaho at Red Rock Pass. When the natural dam gave way, a catastrophic flood, known as the Bonneville Flood, followed, and a large part of the lake drained from Red Rock Pass. Southern Idaho and eastern Washington were flooded along the Snake and Columbia Rivers. By the time Lake Bonneville stopped draining from Red Rock Pass, the shoreline was 351 feet lower. At this point, the shoreline, was called the Provo shoreline, and is clearly visible about 25 miles south of Salt Lake City along the mountains to the east, called the Wasatch Mountain range.
As the climate began to change over several thousands of years, Lake Bonneville began to dry up, leaving flat beds of salts behind. The Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake are a couple of the remnants of Lake Bonneville.
I guarantee that you will not be disappointed, and it is well worth the drive out there to walk on the salt flats and take in the expansive landscape! You’re finger may even get tired from taking so many pictures!
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Sure looks like snow, but definitely doesn’t taste like it!
