The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of the most popular day trips from Salt Lake City, Utah. They’re also one of the strangest places we’ve visited in our travels throughout the state, and Utah can get quite quirky.
You only need a day to make a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats from Salt Lake City happen. You can decide whether that’s worth the trouble after reading about our experience there.
Quick Tips for Your Bonneville Salt Flats Visit
Your Flight: Budget flights into Salt Lake City International Airport are quite common, especially if you’re able to watch flights for a bit. Use Skyscanner to make that happen. Love deals? Subscribe to Going.
Your Accommodations: We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Salt Lake City Downtown before a short-term rental for our long stay. Browse Booking.com or Hotels.com for more options. Vrbo is my Airbnb alternative.
Your Ride: You’ll need a car to visit the salt flats from Salt Lake City. Book a rental car ahead of time.
Top Spots: You’re here for the Bonneville Salt Flats, but don’t miss The Tree of Utah and the scenic rest stops along the way on your drive from Salt Lake City.
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Are the Bonneville Salt Flats worth visiting?
It’s worth going to the Bonneville Salt Flats if you’re on a Utah road trip or exploring the Western United States.
Would I go out of my way to make it happen if I wasn’t already in the area? It’s quite remote, so I’m just not sure it’d be a priority if I wasn’t already exploring this corner of the country.
How to Get to the Bonneville Salt Flats from Salt Lake City
The Bonneville Salt Flats are about 110 miles west of Salt Lake City. That should take you about two hours of driving. They’re west of the Great Salt Lake in western Utah’s Tooele County, close to the Nevada border.
Take I-80 West to Wendover, then follow signs to the flats.
Anyone can go to the Bonneville Salt Flats. The flats are dog-friendly, too. Visits to the Utah salt flats are free unless you’re here for a permitted event.
What are the Bonneville Salt Flats?
The Bonneville Salt Flats are flat expanses of salt crust that stretch over 30,000 acres and about five miles wide in this section of northwestern Utah.
They formed millions of years ago when ancient Lake Bonneville dried up and left behind a thick layer of salt deposits.
They’re famous for their otherworldly scenery and for being one of the fastest places on Earth. World land speed records have been set in this strange place for decades.
That’s why they’re used for racing, too. The hard, flat surface and extreme environmental conditions provide the ideal surface for high speeds.
You could say that when racers visit here, they have a need for speed. I’m just gonna leave that there.
At the center, the crust on the flats is almost five feet thick, growing thinner as you get closer to the edges. That’s why you really don’t want to venture out there in your vehicle when the conditions are wet.
You could get stuck for an indefinite period of time, just surrounded by salt and your thoughts.
Fun fact: About 90% of the Bonneville Salt Flats are made of common table salt. I’ll be sure to bring my fries next time.
Climate change and increased human activity have caused this place to shrink in size. The Bonneville Salt Flats are disappearing due to excessive salt mining, water diversion for agriculture, and warming global temperatures.
These activities reduce the salt crust’s thickness, leading to its gradual loss. This is all accelerated by reduced natural replenishment from surrounding waters.
Seasonal flooding can also leave the surface unstable for racing and touristic driving.
Things to Do at the Bonneville Salt Flats
There isn’t a ton to do at the Bonneville Salt Flats, especially if you’re not here in the summer, but there is enough to make travel worth a short trip for Utah travelers.
You can walk the flats, drive on them if they’re dry enough, and watch some salt flats racing if you time things right.
Let’s dig in a little deeper on all of that.
Stop by The Tree of Utah on the way.
If you’re driving to the Bonneville Salt Flats from Salt Lake City, you’ll see this strange piece of art in the middle of the Great Salt Lake Desert on your right-hand side.
READ MORE: We spent a full month in Salt Lake City. Check out our monster guide!
You can pull over onto the side of the road for a quick photo if it’s not too muddy and get a little closer on foot.
The sculpture’s full name is Metaphor: The Tree of Utah, and it’s made of recycled and reclaimed materials native to the area. There’s been some chatter about turning this into more than a weird roadside attraction, but that’s all it is for now.
Fun fact: The last few miles of Interstate 80 on the way to the Bonneville Salt Flats is lousy with weird art. There isn’t always room to pull over to give what you see a closer look, but if you have a passenger with you, have them keep their eyes peeled for things like dragons coming out of the desert floor.
Take advantage of the rest areas.
There are no facilities at the salt flats themselves, so I’m serious about this one. If you’re traveling from Salt Lake City, you’ll hit what’s labeled “Salt Flats Rest Area Westbound” on your maps.
I’d recommend a stop here even if you don’t need a tinkle check, as there’s some informational signage for you to look at about the flats and their history as a hub for racing. There’s also some excellent scenery here of the eastern edge of the salt plain.
This area was covered in water during our springtime visit, but you can access the flats on foot from here when things dry out in the summertime.
If you’re traveling back to Salt Lake City, you don’t have to hit the same rest stop.
There’s another on the other side of the highway in Wendover labeled “Salt Flats Rest Area Eastbound.”
Walk the Bonneville Salt Flats.
If you visit the Bonneville Salt Flats in the late spring and into summer, you can walk right out onto the surface as if you’re some kind of second coming.
You can access the flats from the westbound rest area I described above, or continue on to the Bonneville Speedway.
As I mentioned already, the rest area was covered in water during our visit. We were able to get onto the crust from a section of the speedway off Leppy Pass Road and the Bonneville Salt Flats Access Road.
We navigated some mud along the edges, but it had hardened further out into the “lake.”
Note: If you’re using Google maps, you’ll see this section marked as the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway.
Drive on the flats.
It’s not illegal to drive on the Bonneville Salt Flats, but you should follow posted signage about when it’s safe to do so.
People have been driving onto the flats since they learned they could back in 1907. By 1910, a railway line from the Southern Pacific Railroad marked the first permanent crossing across the flats.
In today’s times, you can drive onto the salt flats without any kind of permit needed during certain times of the year.
That bit about “certain times of the year” is important to emphasize here. Read any posted signage courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management about whether it’s safe for you to take your car out there.
You’ll see driving conditions noted on the sign at the Bonneville Speedway.
We didn’t drive onto the flats during our visit in the mid-spring. There was too much water at the Bonneville Speedway, and posted signs informed us that the flats were closed to vehicle traffic.
Did that stop cars from driving out onto the flats anyway? Nope. There were all kinds of track marks on the flats from cars pulling wheelies or whatever else one does when breaking the rules.
I wouldn’t recommend it. There are no services out here for miles in either direction, so if you got stuck, you’d be…stuck.
Take lots of photos.
I have to include a disclaimer here. I’ve seen some pretty incredible photography from the Bonneville Salt Flats at all hours of the day.
We weren’t there at sunrise or sunset which I’m sure is all kinds of magical, but a lot of what I’ve seen has been filtered to heck and back.
This is a strange, very photogenic place without all of that, but it may not look like what you expect it to if you rely on images you’ve seen online.
Note: All of the images in this post were taken by me on our day trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats from Salt Lake City. I didn’t apply filters just so that you can see they’re just fine on their own.
Now that that’s out of the way, this is still a great place to take all kinds of photos from all kinds of perspectives. I’m not an expert photographer, but I was definitely feeling a little inspired by the strange scenery.
Bring your pup to the salt party.
Kimmy had a blast running around the flats. They’re completely dog-friendly for well-behaved dogs on- and off-leash.
A bonus of visiting in the off-season was that there were few people (and other dogs) for her to get distracted by, so she got to zoom to her heart’s content.
As always, make sure that you pick up after your dog if they decide to do their business on the flats. Bring more water than you think you’ll need for yourself and your pup.
If you’re dealing with a sensitive pooch, bring booties for fun on the flats. The salt can be corrosive to their paws.
Attend a racing event.
Racing has taken place in some form at the salt flats since 1914. It all goes down in what’s known as the Bonneville Speedway. You can visit there at any time, but it really kicks into gear around the major land speed events that happen there each year.
That includes the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, Bonneville Speed Week, and the World of Speed hosted by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association.
Note that none of these events are guaranteed at the Bonneville Speedway location.
Just as you can’t drive when conditions are too wet, racers can’t drive when the flats aren’t dry enough to do so safely.
It’s always best to check event schedules and to confirm whether flooding canceled anything that sounded exciting to you. Generally, most racing events take place in August and September.
Planning Tips for Visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats
If you’re amped to check out this Utah road trip attraction for yourself, I have a few planning tips for you as you work to make this happen.
Watch the weather.
What is the best month to visit the salt flats? The best months to visit the salt flats are August and September. This is the dry season when the salt flats are more accessible. This is also when most of the events are happening.
An extreme environment like this one can mean extreme temperature changes. Make sure to check the weather forecast before visiting and bring appropriate clothing, plenty of water, and sunscreen.
The sun off of that salty surface hits differently than it would on other surfaces.
Come prepared.
The Bonneville Salt Flats are located in a remote area with limited facilities. Bring anything you need to make your visit not only more comfortable but safer, too.
That includes snacks and more water than you think you’ll need. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting salty or muddy.
Make sure your car is in good shape before you head out, too, especially if you expect to drive out onto the surface.
Watch your impact.
Be mindful of this fragile environment. The flats may be known for racing, but this is also one of the more delicate ecosystems in the region. Leave no trace principles apply. That includes using the flats as your preferred dumping site for old couches.
If conditions are crummy on your visit, stick to the edges of the flats and look with your eyes instead of your feet.
Don’t follow drivers onto the flats if signs warn you not to do that. You could be messing up the surface for future visitors. Respect local rules and regulations.
If you’re here to do your own thing without respect for the flats, you should probably stay home. I said what I said.
You can’t swim in the Bonneville Salt Flats, either. You can’t kayak, float, or canoe in there. These aren’t recreational areas for watersports, and you can’t make the flats your personal version of the Narrows.
The surrounding canals are used for mining activities, so you really don’t want to hang out in this water anyway.
Manage your expectations.
I’ve already told you about the photo tricks folks played on me ahead of our own visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
This is an interesting enough place without those tricks, but it’s important that you manage your own expectations about what you’ll see there before you go.
One of the best things to do at the Bonneville Salt Flats is to take in what you’re seeing. Think about the fact that you’re at the edge of an ancient lake.
If you’re here when the flats are flooded, think about how resilient the critters in these pools have to be to survive the salinity.
Can you stay overnight at the Bonneville Salt Flats?
You can’t stay overnight at the Bonneville Salt Flats. There are no permits for camping because camping isn’t allowed here.
That includes your van house, people. You cannot park overnight at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
We visited on a day trip from Salt Lake City, and I’d recommend the same.
For Salt Lake City, we’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Salt Lake City Downtown and would recommend it. Browse the map below for more options:
These Utah salt flats are a unique place to see.
They’re also a great spot for quirky photos and host speed racing events that set records on the regular. That’s something.
If you’re within a short drive of the flats, I’d say go for it. It’s certainly one of the more unique places we’ve been in our travels.
Planning a longer road trip? Here’s some inspiration:
- A Guide to an Epic Two Days at Zion National Park
- Hikes and More at Capitol Reef National Park
- A Complete Guide to Canyonlands National Park
- How to Plan a Trip to Bryce Canyon
- Planning a Trip to Incredible Wyoming
Visiting Colorado while you’re here? Check out these guides:
- How to Plan an Epic Trip to Colorado
- A Guide to the Best of Quirky Fairplay
- A Golfer’s Guide to RainDance National
- A Detailed Guide to the Best of Colorado Springs
- Should You Hike Sky Pond? A Real Review
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