Okay, so the Salt Flats are a cool thing to see even if you aren't that big on pepper's best friend. And the Flats are made of more than just sodium chloride (common table salt). It's one of the flattest, most barren places on Earth and one of the most unique natural features in Utah. The Salt Flats were formed when ancient Lake Bonneville dried up. [insert history lesson here...] As water from the lake evaporated, salt deposits were left in many areas - the largest being 30,000 acres near the Utah-Nevada border.Visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats is completely free and accessible to the public. The most impressive spot to view the Flats is along I-80 (about a 90 minute drive from Salt Lake City). You'll find a rest stop on the north side of the freeway about 10 miles east of Wendover. At the rest stop, you can walk out onto the salty soil and when you are done you can wash off your shoes at the water station.
A few tips we learned from our visit to the Salt Flats:
Keep your shoes on.
Just trust us on this one. Not only is the salt a mess to clean up, it really is uncomfortable to walk on. You'll take about ten steps on the soil and want to put your shoes back on. But wait, now your feet are covered in white dust, and you REEEEALLY don't want to put your shoes on because then your feet will get sweaty, and the salt will itch, so on and so forth...
Like I said, trust us on this one and keep your shoes on.
Bring your sunglasses (and maybe sunscreen too).
Salt is white. Have you ever had that thing that happens when a bright light flashes and you try to close your eyes, but you're too late, and now you have that annoying spot in your vision that just won't go away? Okay well take that experience and multiply it by 1000 and you have an idea of just how BRIGHT and BLINDING the Salt Flats are. You do not want to be caught without your sunglasses, especially on a summer day. Unless you like that spot thing that stays in your vision even after the bright thing is gone...
Oh and don't forget sunscreen. Remember, Utah is a desert. Temps can reach over 100 degrees F in the summer.
Don't drive on the Salt Flats, especially when they're wet.
We didn't do this but we will still include it as a tip for visiting the Salt Flats. You may have heard of the Salt Flats as one of the "fastest places on Earth", where you can drive your car for miles and push it to max speed. This is partially true... the Bonneville Speedway is located near Wendover and is solely used for motor sports. Unless you are trained driver, don't drive out onto the flats. Even though most of it looks like a hard surface, much of the area is a thin salt crust over soft mud. It easily breaks under the weight of a vehicle. When wet, the surface turns to salt water that is highly corrosive and can "short-out" the electrical system in your vehicle.
Fun fact about the Bonneville Salt Flats
When you look out at the flats, you can't see where they end because of the curvature of the Earth! Visit and see for yourself.
