The Great Salt Lake
Salt Lake
The landlocked Great Salt Lake in Utah is the largest lake between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the thirty-seventh largest lake in the world. It’s a popular recreation spot for locals and visitors, for swimming and beach fun in general, The water is more salty than the oceans, creating a condition that allows more buoyancy for people in the water, making floating almost effortless. Other than swimming and sunbathing, the lake and facilities attract boaters, from those piloting kayaks to those driving motor launches. Recreational facilities of note are Antelope Island State park, and the Great Salt Lake State Marina, both of which provide visitor centers for information and comforts. Bicycling, hiking, camping and picnicking occupy those visitors who prefer not to go in the water.
Even though the main attraction to this region is the lake itself, it is not a fishing spot. Fish can’t survive in the salinity of the lake but some of the feeder streams do provide limited fishing. The marshes that do lend themselves to fishing also attract migratory birds, and some waterfowl hunting is permitted. Game viewing is a surprising bonus for visitors to the lake area. Antelope Island is home to bison, antelope, deer and elk, and the careful observer just may spot the elusive bobcats.
The Great Salt Lake is actually the remainder of prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which covered some 20,000 square miles of land in what now is Utah, Nevada and Idaho some 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. The present lake is about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, with a maximum depth of 33 feet. Four rivers and numerous streams empty into the Great Salt Lake, carrying dissolved minerals. The lake has no outlet so these minerals are trapped. Continual evaporation concentrates the minerals, creating commercial opportunities for chemical companies.
The Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats are interesting neighbors. The Bonneville saltpan is a remnant of the same ancient lake from which the Great Salt Lake is formed, and is known for its use as a very high-speed racetrack and auto proving ground. The first car to be tested and tried on the flats was a Pierce Arrow, in 1907.
One hardly can visit Utah and the Great Salt Lake without paying homage to Salt Lake City, capital and the most heavily populated city and surrounding area in the state. Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 by the Mormon pioneer, Brigham Young. Today the city is home and headquarters to the Mormon Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). You do not have to subscribe to tenets of the Mormon religion to appreciate its effect on the city or the state. Many of the Church’s sites are open to visitors of all faiths and beliefs.
The most popular is Temple Square which includes visitors centers that are open to the public, and the historic Tabernacle that is home to the world-famous Morman Tabernacle Choir. The Family History Library, the largest genealogical library in the world, is located just west of Temple Square. It is run by the LDS Church and is open to the public and free of charge.
You can of course fly to Salt Lake City and rent a car, or drive from anywhere in the country from where you can intersect Interstate Highways 15 and 80. That freeway junction marks the city of Salt Lake, and the lake itself is northwest of the city, with numerous access roads from the main streets and highways. But while you’re in the vicinity, and when you can get away from the city and beaches and the hiking trails, take a stop at Promotory and the Golden Spike National Historic Site. It’s near the north end of the lake, off local highway 83, connecting to Interstate 80, where before such highways existed, on May 10, 1869, the Union and Central Pacific Railroads joined their rails at Promontory Summit.
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