About 110 miles west of Salt Lake City lies the renown Bonneville Salt Flats, a remnant of the Pleistocene era Lake Bonneville. For nature lovers and enthusiasts it is a sight to see, comparable to nothing else.
At one time Lake Bonneville covered a third of the State of Utah. The Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake are remnants of a once ancient sea that dominated the landscape.
During the summertime the temperatures at Bonneville Salt Flats reach over a 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and plunge below 32 degrees freezing point during the nights.
What exactly is the Pleistocene period? Well, it was the last Ice Age the world went through about 11,700 years ago
. During that time the United States including Utah had saber toothed cats, mastodons and mammoths roaming the shorelines of Lake Bonneville, to name just a few.
The ancient seabed which is now Bonneville Salt Flats, was once the bottom of a inland sea that's maximum depth was over 1,000 feet.
The total size of the Salt Flats are 30,000 acres. Today the Salt Flats are just that nothing but a dried up seabed of salt. 90% of the Bonneville Salt Flats is made of common table salt.
Looking across the seabed as far as your eyes can reach, the distance is unmeasurable to a bystander or tourist.
During the hot season which is summer and spring, your eye can play tricks with you creating a mirage, making you think there is some form of water in the distance.
At some points the thickness of the salt deposit is as much as 5 feet. During the winter there is about an inch of water that lies on top of the salt. Beneath the salt is a layer of soft mud.
The Salt Flats are open to the public and people can drive on the surface, but it is highly dangerous in that your car can get stuck in the mud.
It is not recommended to drive on the surface during winter and even sometimes during the summer. As a matter of fact the Bureau of Land Management of Utah or BLM doesn't recommend driving upon the Flats at all.
Of course the Bonneville Salt Flats are world renown for racing cars and breaking speed records, the earliest being in 1914 with a Mercedes Benz.
As of recent, the thickness of the salt has been diminishing due to annual car races, up to 3 seperate races that have taken a toll on the ancient seabed.
So if you're looking for a great trip to a amazing landscape. If you're a nature enthusiast or just enjoy seeing nature's beauty and love to travel.
Make your next trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats through Trip Advisor. Fly into Salt Lake City and see the wonderful landscapes Utah has to offer.
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