You can pull right up to them, take 20 steps, and be standing on the salt! It, for sure, is the best way to explore the salt flats if you’re just passing through. The first night, we slept at the rest stop and explored the area from there. The first one is from the rest stop and the other is off exit 4 near the Nevada border. There are two spots you can go to check out the salt flats. Wagon parts were found up until the 1930’s and wheel tracks can still be found today! Pretty wild, right? In 1846, a large party of families traveling in their wagons got stuck in the muddy salt and sadly perished. Unfortunately for travelers, it proved to be anything other than a short-cut. In 1945, this “short-cut” to the West was known as the Hastings Cutoff. They advised that the salt flats would not be a good route.

However, Native Americans were very familiar with the land and explained the harshness of the land to any other travelers who came through. Prior to this, the area had been explored by another fur trapper in 1827 looking for an easier route to California. So, the salt flats were named after Captain Benjamin L.E. When you’re at the Salt Flats, you’re walking on 147 MILLION tons of table salt! The flats are 12 miles long, 5 miles wide, and at certain parts, the salt is 5 feet deep (trust me…our van got stuck!).Įxcuse the history nerd come out in me for a second! In addition to the sheer awe you experience when you realize that you’re standing on 147 million tons of table salt, the flats also have an incredibly lush history! This land formed during the Ice Age where it encompassed two-thirds of Utah and was 1,000 feet deep! It was mapped in 1833 by a fur trapper and, back in this time, it was common for employees to name discovered land after employers (whether they’ve met them or not!) in hopes of better wages. The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah is a MUST to add to your bucket list.

Can you camp on utah salt flat