Great Salt Lake 
The Great Salt Lake, half an hour's drive northwest of Salt Lake City, is the largest inland lake west of the Mississippi, 72mi/116km long, 34mi/54km wide and up to 50ft/15m deep. It is a remnant of a much larger freshwater lake, Lake Bonneville. Following a fall in the water table this was left with no outlet and shrank as a result of evaporation, leaving the Great Salt Lake Desert.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The combination of evaporation with the inflow of surface waters rich in minerals led the salt content of the lake to rise steadily, and at one stage it reached 27% (eight times as high as the world's oceans). In the last few years the water level of the lake has risen as a result of heavy rainfall in the surrounding mountains. At the south end of the lake are bathing beaches and a recreation park (boat hire).
Like the Dead Sea in Israel, Great Salt Lake is salty enough to allow bathers to float without sinking.
Like the Dead Sea in Israel, Great Salt Lake is salty enough to allow bathers to float without sinking.
Related Attractions
Antelope Island - Fielding Garr Ranch
The Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island was established as a farm in 1848, making it the oldest anglo-built house in Utah still on its original foundation.
Antelope Island State Park
Antelope Island is the largest of ten islands on Great Salt Lake. All 28,463 acres of the island have been designated as a state park, which can be reached by boat or by the 7.5-mile Davis County Causeway in Syracruse, which was reopened in 1993 after years of flooding.
All values are in United States Dollars
Hours
March 1 to May 1
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| Close | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
May 2 to June 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| Close | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 |
July 1 to September 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| Close | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
September 16 to October 1
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| Close | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
October 2 to November 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| Close | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
November 16 to February 28
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| Close | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 |
Always closed on:
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
| Camping fee | $ 13.00 |
| Vehicle plus all occupants | $ 9.00 |
| Adult | $ 3.00 |
Facilities
Beach
Great Salt Lake State Park
Great Salt Lake State Park has a marina with 300 slips on Great Salt Lake. The park is located 16mi/26km west of Salt Lake City.
Hours
April 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Sunrise | Sunrise | Sunrise | Sunrise | Sunrise | Sunrise | Sunrise |
| Close | Sunset | Sunset | Sunset | Sunset | Sunset | Sunset | Sunset |
October 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Saltair Resort
From its opening in 1893 until it burned down in 1925, Saltair Resort was one of the most popular attractions on Great Salt Lake. It was restored and reopened, with a visitor center showing the history of the resort.
