Bonneville Salt Flats

There are many places that people hear about and immediately think that it will be fun. Museums, foreign countries and cities, unimaginable landscapes, and exciting amusement parks are all exciting places to visit. People don’t think ‘exciting’ when they hear the words ‘salt flats’. It sounds boring. There is nothing there. What could you possibly do on salt flats? The answer: walk. You drive and drive so you can get to walk on some salt. Despite the unappealing description, it is very much worth it.

The Bonneville Salt Flats, located in Tooele County, Utah, is 30,000 acres of salt that was formed by the receding of Lake Bonneville. Over 2 million years ago, Lake Bonneville covered about one-third of Utah. Though researchers can not be sure, there is an estimated 147 tons of salt on the flats. Additionally, the salt is 90% table salt, so it is safe to put on actual food. The flats were originally mapped out by a fur-trapper in 1833. The trapper, Joseph R. Walker, was working for a company under Cap. Benjamin L.E. Bonneville, hence the name of the flats. Included in its rich history is the unfortunate tale of the Donner-Reed Party, a group of west-bound pioneers that met an ill fate along the trail that passed over the salt flats. (“Life…”). The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of the biggest deposits of salt in the world. There are a lot of interesting facts and history that go along with the salt flats. Signs posted around the flats explain some of them.

Now, in Northwest Utah, the Bonneville Salt Flats are open to the public. People are allowed to go walking along the flats, wet granulated particles sticking to the bottom of their shoes, the salty smell of the air mixing with crisp, fresh mountain air. Picnics are common to see, as there is free seasoning and everything. There are cars racing back and forth along the plains. During the colder months, when the moisture has been lifted from the plains, cars are allowed to race along, kicking up a white cloud behind them as they leave tire-skids on the ground.

Going as fast as they want, the car's speed down the white expanse, the black of the tires seeping into the ground, leaving tracks and skid marks in stark contrast. Miles stretch on and on with nothing else but the mountains to guide your way. The people around you, far enough away that they are silent images, go nowhere as everyone is ants. The air is hot but breezing by, flitting your hair around your shoulders in a quiet way. It cools you off just enough. It smells of the salt around you and the fresh, woodsy smell drifting from the mountains. The sky seems impossibly blue, the way it can only appear with the perspective of the freedom of nature, no cities in sight.

There is something unbelievably comforting about the rhythmic ‘smack’ of shoes against the flats. Step after step, it is calming and relaxing to be able to sense everything around you. This is a luxury rarely afforded to an everyday life.

You pull into the small parking lot. You step out and can see the expanse on white plains, bordered by huge, majestic mountains on each side. The light is reflecting off the salt, creating a crystal-like reflection of colors, from the green of the mountains to the blue of the sky. The heat is enveloping you, seeping up from the ground and pulling you forward onto your destination. The salt crunches under your feet as you walk. The mountains in the distance appear small and huge, all at once. The salt permeated the air, making the taste appear on your tongue.

You can walk as long or as briefly as you want. The salt builds up on the bottom of your shoe, to the point that thinner flip-flops will have more salt than sole. This makes it so that every time you step, your shoes make a new crunching, grinding sound as the salt shifts and molds to the pressure from your feet. The cooler months means that the precipitation in the ground is thicker. The salt sticks easier and, sometimes, the flats flood. In the hotter months, the salt is drier and tends to be more rough.

I went there with my cousin this last summer. We hopped in the car and drove for about two hours to get there. When we got to the flats, we made the mistake of leaving the water bottles in the car by accident. So about 10 minutes of walking, we realized that we had let our water and decided to just keep going. We picked a direction and kept walking towards one of the mountain peaks. Unfortunately, neither of us have a good sense of direction. We bumped into each other so much that we had bruises on our hips. By the time we decided to turn around, we had made a 90 degree turn, so we walked a full triangle when we were done. We walked 3 miles in total. We were parched and tired, but happy.

It was a good time. The walk itself was calming. It is a weird experience to see people all around you but not hear anything beyond the musings of your companions. You could practically see the people tilting along the curved horizon in the distance. The heat was offset by the slight breeze, just enough for comfort. The sun gives you that extra burst of energy and happiness.

This is not the kind of place people generally want to visit. It sounds boring and worthless as a trip. It has no roller coasters or 5-star restaurants. No once-in-a-lifetime picture opportunities arise and it is not exotic. Instead, it is close to home. It is nature that is available without having to travel far. It has a history unique to its location. It may not be exotic, but it is unique and can offer whatever you want to put it. The salt flats are by no means fancy, but they are rich in history and possibility. Additionally, walking 3 miles in the sun makes the water you drink after tastes fantastic. As someone who has personal experience, I highly recommend paying a visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Works Cited

“Life Utah Elevated”. https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/bonneville-salt-flats. Accessed 5 November 2020.