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Bonneville
Salt Flats
Imagine a place so flat you seem to see the
curvature of the planet, so barren not even the simplest life forms can
exist. Imagine the passing thunder of strange vehicles hurtling by on a
vast, dazzling white plain. This is to an alien world far from earth; it
is Utah's famous Bonneville Salt Flats.
The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the
most unique natural features in Utah. Stretching over 30,000 acres, the
Bonneville Salt Flats is a fragile resource administered by the Bureau of
Land Management.
Thousands of visitors, commercial film
makers, and of course, high-speed auto racers, make the Bonneville Salt
Flats a world famous destination.
Ancient Lake Bonneville
Although he never visited the salt flats,
the area is named in honor of Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, whose
expeditions in the 1830s proved the area was a part of the ancient basin.
During the last Ice Age, about 15,000 years
ago, Lake Bonneville was the size of Lake Michigan. It covered one-third
of present day Utah and parts of neighboring states. You can see traces of
the shorelines, representing different levels of the receding lake, etched
into the mountains surrounding the salt flats.
The Bonneville Salt Flats and the Great
Salt Lake are remnants of ancient Lake Bonneville. Wind and water combine
to create the flat surface of salt. Each winter, a shallow layer of
standing water floods the surface of the salt flats. During spring and
summer, the water slowly evaporates while winds smooth the surface into a
vast, nearly perfect, flat plain.
The salt surface contains potassium,
magnesium lithium, and sodium chloride (common table salt).
A Barrier of Salt
Humans have lived in the Great Basin for
thousands of years. Excavations at nearby Danger Cave have proven
occupation of the area as early as 10,300 years ago. While Native
Americans adapted to the desert environment, more recent arrivals found
the area less hospitable.
By 1824, Jim Bridger and other mountain men
explored the Great Salt Lake desert region. The first recorded crossing of
the desert was made in 1845 by Captain John C. Fremont's survey party with
scouts Kit Carson and Joe Walker. Early the next year, 23 year old
Lansford Hastings retraced Fremont's train across the salt plain. Joe
Walker's writings warned emigrants not to attempt the untried route,
however, Hastings convinced several emigrant parties to follow him.
Despite Walker's warnings, the
Donner-Reed
party, seeking a shortcut to California in 1846, attempted the
"Hastings' Cutoff." They failed to take enough water and lost a
critical number of oxen. Four of their wagons were abandoned just 10 miles
northeast of the salt flats. Time was lost, and the delay resulted in
their late arrival to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and their tragic winter.
Late, in 1910, the first permanent crossing
of the Bonneville Salt Flats was completed when the southern Pacific
Railroad was built linking Salt Lake City and San Francisco.
Racing for Speed
The Salt Flat's potential for racing was
first recognized in 1896 by W.D. Rishel who was scouting a bicycle race
course from New York to San Francisco. Rishel returned and convinced
daredevil Teddy Tezlaff to attempt an automobile speed record on the
flats. Tezlaff drive a Blitzen Benz 141.73 m.p.h. to set an unofficial
record in 1914.
The Salt Flats drew international attention
in the 1930s when Utah drive Ab Jenkins lured British racer Sir Malcolm
Campbell to compete for speed records on the salt surface.
By 1949, the raceway on the Bonneville Salt Flats was the standard course
for world land speed records. On this natural straightaway, the 300, 400,
500, and 600 mile per hour land speed barriers were broken.
In the 1960s, jet powered vehicles and
names like Craig Breedlove (600.6 mph) and Art Arfons (576.55 mph)
captured the imagination of millions. In 1970, Gary Gabolich's rocket car,
Blue Flame, attained a spectacular 622.4 miles per hour.
Since the first speed record attempts in
1914, hundreds of records have been set and broken in a variety of
automotive and motorcycle classes.
Typically, speed trials are scheduled
throughout the summer and fall. The events are open to the public. For
more information, contact the Bureau of Land Management, Salt Lake Field
Office at (801) 977-4300.
Visiting the Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats is administered
by the Bureau of Land Management for public use and enjoyment. Due to its
unique geology, history, and scenic beauty, the Bonneville Salt Flats was
designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern in 1985.
Help Preserve the Bonneville Salt
Flats
Stay on existing roads or areas designated
for vehicles. Despite the appearance of a hard surface, much of the area
is a thin salt crust over soft mud. It easily breaks under the weight of a
vehicle.
Stay off the salt surface when it is
covered by water. When wet, the salt surface is soft and easily damaged by
vehicles. Furthermore, the salt water is highly corrosive and can
short-out the electrical system in your vehicle.
Be prepared for desert conditions.
Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in the summer and drop well below 0 in
the winter.
There are no facilities nor services on the
salt flats. Temporary facilities are available during racing events.
Location: The Salt Flats
begin about 1 1/2 hours from Salt Lake City west on I-80. Exit 4 is
another 1/2 hour drive about 4 miles east of Wendover.
Overnight stays are prohibited on the salt
flats. Camping is encouraged on surrounding public lands. For additional
information contact Bureau of Land Management, Salt Lake Field Office,
2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119, (801) 977-4300.
Private campgrounds and hookups are
available in nearby Wendover, ten miles west of the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Other accommodations and services are also available in Wendover.
For additional information contact Bureau
of Land Management, Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 South 2300 West, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84119, (801) 977-4300.
Information Provided By The Utah
BLM
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