Bonneville Salt Flats

I have always been fascinated by the Bonneville Salt Flats.  I have seen this area on the way to Wendover many times  but I've never stopped to explore it before.  I convinced Tashena to take a drive out there yesterday (she is a really good sport) and I thought it was so cool.  The Salt Flats were formed when Lake Bonneville, which covered much of western Utah and extended into Idaho and Nevada, slowly dried up.  As the water evaporated, salt deposits were left in many areas.  It now includes over 30,000 acres stretching between the Utah-Nevada border.  It was really interesting to walk on the salt because it was like an alien environment (it reminded me of the planet Crait from The Last Jedi) and it was so flat that you could see for miles and miles in any direction.

The best place to view the Salt Flats is at a rest stop about 10 miles from Wendover on 1-80 W (it is really easy to find because you are basically in the middle of nowhere).  There are restrooms and water is available (including a water spray station to wash the salt off your shoes).  From this viewpoint, you can walk out on the salt as far as you want but driving on it isn't recommended (we saw a car get stuck while we were there).  Visiting the Salt Flats is something that I have always wanted to do and, because most of my summer plans have been canceled, I decided to indulge my whim.  I don't really recommend driving all the way out there if it is your only destination (it was a two hour drive from my house in Bountiful) but it is definitely worth a stop if you are traveling west.