![]() The total volume of salt has been estimated at 147 million tons or 99 million cubic yards of salt. The salt is 5 feet thick in the thickest areas, with the thickness tapering off to less than 1 inch around the edges. ![]() The salt flats are about 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, covering an area just over 46 square miles. This unique Utah location encompasses 30,000 acres. Located along I-80 near the Utah-Nevada border is the Bonneville Salt Flats. We only recommend products or services we personally use. If you click a link and make a purchase, Utah Outdoor Activities may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The salt flats are often under a layer of water and have a stunning reflective appearance.This article may include affiliate links. Visiting in the winter or spring can be a bit of a surreal experience. Particularly in winter and spring (or after heavy rains), the salt crust is too wet and soft to support vehicles. Though known for land speed records, the salt flats are only suitable for racing during dry times of the year. The salt flats have become a place for drivers to test their equipment, skills, and hopefully set a record. Rishel and Tetzlaff are, not coincidently, also peaks in the Silver Island Range to the west named in honor of the salt flat pioneers. The first record set on the flats was by Teddy Tetzlaff in 1914 at 142mph. His test was successful and began interest in using the salt flats for land speed records. ![]() In 1907 Bill Rishel drove a Pierce-Arrow car onto the salt flats to see if the surface was suitable for cars. The salt flats are named after Benjamin Bonneville, who visited the area in the 1830s as an army officer. At its center, this layer of salt can be 5 feet thick! It truly is a salt flat, with the surface being about 90% common table salt. Due to evaporation of historic Lake Bonneville, the area became covered by a layer of salt. The Bonneville Salt Flats encompass an area of 46 square miles. Though many zoom by on I-80, I highly recommend making the short side trip to experience the salt flats up close. World renowned as the place to set land speed records, Bonneville Salt Flats is a fascinating place to visit. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |