Utah has a very unique feature that every native Utahn should visit at least once. The Salt Flats cover much of the Great Basin Region of northwestern Utah. We wouldn’t recommend making the drive just to see the Bonneville Salt Flats, but on your next drive toward Wendover, it is definitely worth a fifteen minute stop.
On a recent trip to Yosemite, we made a stop at the Salt Flats. There is a small rest area ten miles east of Wendover, and it was the perfect place (we have directions and a map below). There were restrooms, a small area for pets, a map of the area, and miles and miles of salt flats. Our boys couldn’t believe how white and flat the ground was. In fact, make sure to take your sunglasses, because on a sunny day the glare is quite blinding.
We walked out on the salt flats, and, though we wouldn’t recommend it, our boys tasted the salt on the tips of their fingers. They declared it “yucky.” This wasn’t surprising because it is very powdery and dry. There was also a salty pool of water on the flats, but it was near the restroom, so we didn’t dip a finger in. During the winter, there will be more water.
There are other places where you can drive on to the Bonneville Salt Flats (take exit 4 and follow signs to the BLM area), but we felt that this rest area was such an easy place to visit. We still spent quite some time walking and exploring in this interesting area.
Bonneville Salt Flats is a great place to stop and get out of the car on that long, hot trip across the Utah desert. Make sure to give it a try. Use the map below to know which rest stop to look for on your way to the Salt Flats. And if you are in the area, there are a lot of great adventures in Tooele for families.
I used to live in Wendover Utah and would visit and sometimes work speed week on the salt flats. Words of advice to those planning to stop there. Be sure to take sunscreen and apply it all over. Sun ray reflect off the salt and you can get a sunburn really bad there. Under and in your nose, ears and anyplace that you think you don’t need it. Believe me YOU WILL REGRET IF YOU DON’T.
Also no matter where you are out there, never take your vehicle off the freeway or path and onto the flats. They may be hard but that is just the crust of salt and sand. Think driving on an icy lake for fishing. At some point you will hit a spot and sink your vehicle and you don’t want to know how much they charge to get you unstuck and back on pavement.
SpeedWeek is a must…
Thanks for the info. We will have to try and visit during Speed Week–I bet it is really fun.
Thanks for the idea! We went out to Saltair today and it was a blast! We took Rc cars and snacks and I
It was so fun!
I am so glad you had such a great time. Thanks for leaving such a nice comment!