Get Outside: A Night On The Bonneville Salt Flats

Get Outside is a weekly dose of inspiration to get you off the couch and enjoying what nature has to offer.

These naturally occurring salt flats are the result of the drying out of an ancient lake. As water evaporates the salt forms ridges and crusts which can feel like one is walking on the surface of another planet. This far from ordinary and seemingly vast area is incredibly flat and far away from city light pollution (although there is light pollution from the nearby highway). The land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, access is free, and vehicles are allowed. It makes for an ideal adventure just a couple hours outside of Salt Lake City. The flats are impressive any time of day, but at sunset and sunrise the textures of the salt bed are highlighted and the colors our here are spectacular. I spent the night in my van taking some photographs of the night sky. I was also able to witness a gorgeous sunrise out here without another soul in sight. Keep in mind that the salt flats can get messy after rain so a 4x4 vehicle is a good idea. Furthermore, the salt is highly corrosive so one must be willing to put a considerable effort in cleaning the underside of the vehicle after driving around out here.

Check out more of my adventure's here.