Hidden Gem of Utah - Bonneville Flat Salts

There are lot of hidden gems in Utah, as it is home to several dramatic landscapes in USA.
Our recent 10 days road trip covering major attractions of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, started from Salt Lake City, the capital and one of the most populous cities of Utah.

Not many people might know that there are lot of amazing places around Salt Lake City which are breathtakingly beautiful.
One of those hidden gems of Utah is Bonneville Flat Salts. It is around 2 hour driving distance from Salt Lake City and is an excellent addition to your road trip.

There are various activities that can be done here and are listed below:



1. Drive on the Flat Salts:
Bonneville Flat Salts are so flat, that you can easily cruise your car on them. There is a separate area here which is reserved for racing and is used to host Speed Week.
There are numerous land speed records which are set here.

We need to be careful not to drive when the salt flats are wet or flooded. Also, we shouldn’t drive too close to the edge of Salt Flats where water tends to flow even during summer times.
I mostly followed the track left by other vehicle, which I would highly recommended for your safety, as you might get stuck in a puddle of salt mud, if your drive to far away unknown areas.

2. Photoshoot
Bonneville Flat Salts provides excellent photo opportunities with pristine dazzling white flat expanse of salt stretching to infinity and the magnificent mountains in the backdrop. It definitely gives a picture of otherworldly terrain. Sunset is the best time to visit.

I saw lot of pre-wedding photoshoots also happening while I was there.

Credit - Here

3. Kayaking
Now, here comes the big secret and the place which has made Bonneville Flat Salts viral among world travelers. The pics of insanely beautiful blue canal with people kayaking and pedal boating is from Bonneville Flat Salts.

This canal is located north of Interstate 80 and is used by Intrepid Potash to extract potash.
Though the water of canal looks unbelievably stunning in the middle of the desert, but it is not safe for swimming or drinking and government is urging people to stay away from the canal.

Also, there is no designated parking lot available here, so you will have to park the car on I-80 and there are high chances of getting ticketed.

4. Camping
I am not sure if camping is allowed here, but we saw few people setting up their camps.
I think it is allowed for daytime, but if it is also allowed for night stay, it would be a lifetime experience for sure.

Credit - Here

5. Stargazing
With absolute flat area as far as your eyes can see and no blocking of the sky, this place offers a great sight for stargazing. As it is away from the light pollution of the city, the night sky is so dark that you can capture zillions of stars above and even milky way.

Some Ariel view of this place

I would highly recommend to include this place as a quick stop destination in your Utah road trip itinerary.