visiting the bonneville salt flats in december

On May 10, 1869, the westward Union Pacific Railroad and eastward Central Pacific Railroad met at Promontory Summit. Spiral Jetty is an earthwork sculpture constructed in April 1970 that is considered to be the most important work of American sculptor Robert Smithson © Alamy Stock Photo 3. Obey posted signs: parts of the flats are thin and can trap vehicles.

From here you can drive on the hard-packed salt during late summer and fall (it's too wet otherwise). Take exit 4, Bonneville Speedway, and follow the paved road to the viewing area parking lot (no services). Getting to: The Flats are about 100 miles west of Salt Lake City on I-80. The nearest town is Wendover, on the Utah–Nevada state line. If you're traveling west, there's a rest stop where you can walk on the sand (and wash off your shoes in the bathroom). If you drive on the flats, wash your car – especially the undercarriage – afterward. That said, remember that salt is insanely corrosive. The flat, hard salt makes speeds possible here that aren't possible anywhere else. The Bonneville Salt Flats are now public lands managed by the BLM, and are best known for racing. Today, all that remains is the Great Salt Lake and 47 sq miles of shimmering white salt. Millennia ago, ancient Lake Bonneville covered northern Utah and beyond. Motorhome parked on the Bonneville Salt Flats © Arina P Habich/Shutterstock 2. Getting to Antelope Island State Park: Antelope Island is just an hour from Salt Lake City on I-15 North and UT-108 North across Farmington Bay. In addition to an 8-mile driving loop, there's a white, sandy beach to the south on Bridger Bay with basic facilities and showers. Nineteen miles of hiking trails provide many opportunities to view wildlife however, some trails close during mating and birthing seasons.

Also making their year-round home here are burrowing owls and raptors, as well as namesake antelope, bighorn sheep and deer. The fall roundup, for veterinary exams, is a thrilling spectacle. The largest island in the sprawling lake is home to a 600-strong herd of American bison, or buffalo. White-sand beaches, birds and buffalo attract people to the pretty, 15-mile-long park.

The best place to experience the lake (and see the birds) is at Antelope Island State Park. The Great Salt Lake is the largest body of water west of the Great Lakes, but it's hard to say just exactly how big it is, as its size fluctuates. Bison grazes on grasslands near a rock on Antelope Island © Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock 1.

Visiting the bonneville salt flats in december