Bonneville Salt Flats
International Speedway
Personal Notes
This page presents our personal notes on our visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway in Utah.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
We were looking for the road to Danger Cave, and were heading east on a frontage road along the south side of I-80. We crossed the Interstate at what would be Exit 4 if you are heading west and drove north on a rough paved road. There is a sign indicating the Bonneville Salt Flats Raceway, so we decided to check that out first. We've driven by this area many times on our way to or from Nevada, but we've never stopped.
The paved road continues north for a while, then curves sharply to the east. The total distance to the parking area is about five miles. The asphalt ends abruptly in a large circular parking area with an informational sign that explains the history of the Raceway. There are no barriers, so vehicles can drive right on out onto the salt crust, that looks very hard and solid at this point.
The maps show the raceway beginning a bit farther south, near the Interstate, and heading northeast for about 15 miles. The area is very unusual because of the white color and the flat surface. You get the impression that you can see the curvature of the Earth, but that may just be an illusion. The mountains in the distance seem to be floating in a sea of white.
When we were there we could see several vehicles out in the distance. It turned out that one couple had driven their sedan out onto the salt and had gotten stuck in the mud about a mile out. Two local trucks had been called to tow them out. There is often a thin layer of water on the flats, especially in the spring because of runoff and after thunderstorms. When the salt gets wet it can get quite sticky and muddy.
It's a very desolate, exposed area that would no doubt be hot in mid-summer. We were there in the late afternoon, with cloudy skies, so we were comfortable.
