The 3 Best Ways To Visit The Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake is certainly one of northern Utah’s most famous geographic landmarks. But this huge lake – the 8th largest in the United States – isn’t the recreational wonderland you might expect. Why? Because it’s salty. Really really salty. 7x saltier than the ocean in fact. Consequently, locals more typically go to the state’s mountain reservoirs for water fun. So then, is visiting the Great Salt Lake even worthwhile? Of course! It’s an amazing and beautiful place! Let me show you three ways you can visit the Great Salt Lake.

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First, A Confession

I am a local and live about 40 minutes from the Great Salt Lake. Prior to preparing for this blog post, I’d really only officially visited the Great Salt Lake once. On a school field trip – a very very long time ago – when I do remember floating in the lake. I’ve never really thought much about going again.

And I think that is pretty typical for most Utahns.

But I do like to write a few posts about Utah during the summer when we take a break from our world travels. And so I decided that this summer, I’d finally get around to featuring the Great Salt Lake on this blog.

But since I am a travel blogger, I thought I’d look at visiting the Great Salt Lake from a non-local perspective. If I was coming to Utah as a tourist, what are the best options available to visit the Great Salt Lake?

So I checked out my favorite website for travel activities – Viator. And I immediately found two great ways to visit the Great Salt Lake – a Boat Tour and a Safari (on the lake’s Antelope Island).

Then over the course of a few days, I went on both these tours. And I think they both were great! Plus after participating in one of them, I discovered a third way to visit the Great Salt Lake (and it’s free!)

Let’s take a look at these 3 ways to visit the Great Salt Lake in more detail.

Visiting Antelope Island State Park

The Great Salt Lake is dotted with several islands. The largest of these is called Antelope Island. The entire island is a State Park and is connected to the mainland by a 7 mile long causeway. When you peruse Viator, you’ll find several tour companies offering day trips out to Antelope Island. Or if you have a car, you can visit the island on your own (you’ll pay a $15 Antelope Island State Park admission fee).

A Morning With Safari Utah

A company called Safari Utah offers what is certainly the most unique way to see the Island and the surrounding Lake. And this is the tour I opted for. Clayton, the owner and guide, is a native Utahn who lived in South Africa for some time. While there, he went to an accredited safari school and then guided South African safaris for a year. When he moved back to Utah, he decided to take those skills and put them to use – guiding people around Antelope Island.

He chose Antelope Island because both the island and the Great Salt Lake are rich in wildlife. I personally thought that this safari-approach sounded like a very appealing way to visit the Great Salt Lake and its largest island.

The tour itself lasts approximately 4 hours. Clayton keeps his safari groups small, and provides transport out to Antelope Island from downtown Salt Lake City (about a 30 minute drive). I shared my safari experience with a couple visiting from Texas.

Clayton has a wealth of knowledge about Antelope Island, the Lake, and all the wildlife – which includes one of the largest buffalo herds in the United States. I’m sure you’ve noticed the two buffalo statues in the photos already. Well, real buffalo will be discovered!

Views of the Lake

Obviously, since Antelope Island sits within the Great Salt Lake, you will see the lake from lots of different vantage points during your Safari. Plus Clayton will teach you quite a bit about the lake and its history.

Our first view of the Lake was from the causeway as it reflected Antelope Island in the morning sun.

This is the southeastern portion of the lake, and the water level here is very low. The Great Salt Lake has been at historically low levels for the last several years and is in danger of drying up all together over the next few decades. Recently adopted conservation measures will hopefully help save it.

The main road on Antelope Island runs along this especially-dry southeast arm of the Great Salt Lake. And at one point, we stopped and took a short hike out to a viewpoint. We could see water here and there, but it’s mostly dry salty lake bed in this area.

Towards the end of our safari, Clayton took us over to the western side of the island – to a place called Buffalo Point where we had a beautiful view out across the island’s Bridger Bay. Here we could look across the southwestern portion of the lake. This side of the lake is fuller and is where I ultimately took my boat tour a couple days later.

Spotting Wildlife

But let’s not forget that this was a Safari after all. And Antelope Island’s wildlife is one of its big draws. In fact, the island gets its name from the Pronghorn Antelope that live on it.

And we did spot several of these beautiful animals as we drove along the island’s main road. Clayton taught us about each different species of birds and animals as we encountered them. Facts like these: the Proghorn Antelope happens to be the fastest land mammal in the Americas and can run as fast as 60 mph.

But Antelope Island is even more famous for its Buffalo herd. This herd of 650 Buffalo is one of the largest publicly-owned herds in the country, and it was first established on the island in 1889. This is the closest we could get to one of these majestic beasts during our safari…

We did spot several other smaller groups of the herd from a distance over the course of our time on the island.

Clayton also helped us spot coyotes, mule deer (including a 4-point buck), burrowing owls (they live under the ground!), a barn owl (unusual during the day), and several other different species of birds. The Great Salt Lake is a vital habitat for 339 bird species, and is an important stopping point in their annual migrations. They feast on the lake’s brine shrimp and brine flies – the only organisms that can live in the super salty water.

Other animals on the island include bighorn sheep, porcupines, and badgers. But we weren’t lucky enough to see any of these on our safari. That’s the way it goes with safaris though. You don’t always see everything. Clayton did tell us that porcupines are easier to spot in the winter. And yes, he guides safaris on Antelope Island year round.

Utah History Too

Our Antelope Island safari also included an education on the history of the island’s settlement by early Mormon settlers. The Mormon Church initially used the island as a huge ranch. And the original ranch house still exists today, though it is now a museum. It’s called the Fielding Garr Ranch (named for its first settler) and the main house happens to be the oldest house in Utah still on its original foundation (1848).

The Church ultimately sold the ranch to a private owner, but it was still used commercially until 1981. As part of our safari, we were given a little time to explore the ranch/museum on our own. It’s clearly an important part of the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island’s history.

Visiting On Your Own

Obviously, you do not need to go on a safari or on an organized tour to visit the Great Salt Lake via Antelope Island. If you are a tourist with a car or a Utah local, you can drive yourself out there. You’ll likely see antelope and buffalo. The island has several hiking trails. And it even has several different campsites. Plus, a new Visitors Center is currently under construction.

I do however think there is great value in visiting with a guide. Clayton taught us lots of history, taught us lots about geography and geology, and helped us spot wildlife that we never would have noticed otherwise. If you want to visit the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island on safari, here’s a link to Safari Utah on Viator.

Visiting Great Salt Lake State Park

Another great way to visit the Great Salt Lake is by boat. It is a lake after all! As I mentioned before, the Great Salt Lake is not really one of Utah’s favorite recreational lakes. But there is a company that offers organized boat tours for tourists and interested locals. And they launch from the Great Salt Lake State Park on the southern end of the Lake.

Touring with Exclusive Excursions

The name of this boat tour company is Exclusive Excursions, and they offer a couple different tour options using their small fleet of 22-foot pontoon boats. You can choose from a 45-minute tour, a 2-hour tour (includes swimming in the lake), or a private sunset cruise. I chose the 45-minute tour for my second opportunity to visit the Great Salt Lake.

These boat tours all leave from the marina inside the Great Salt Lake State Park. Yes, there is a second State Park on the lake. And yes, it has a marina. Even though the Great Salt Lake isn’t a major destination for water sports, some boat owners do enjoy sailing on the lake. But the high salt content is hard on hulls and water levels are often low, so they definitely need to be dedicated.

For my tour, I joined a group of 10 other tourists aboard the very comfortable pontoon boat , along with our guide and captain Jeff (pictured below).

While we cruised out on the water, Jeff taught us about the Lake and its surroundings. I’d learned most of the information already on my Antelope Island safari a few days before, but first-time Lake visitors will learn a lot.

Jeff taught us about the harmless brine flies that “visited us” when we were close to shore. These flies are a major food source for all the migratory birds. They don’t bite and are not a reason to avoid the tour. The boat is stocked with facial netting, but these small flies weren’t bad enough that any of us wanted to wear it.

We also learned about the lake’s $60 million dollar brine shrimp industry Brine shrimp are the only species that can live in the salty water and are harvested as food for commercial fish farms. We even stopped the boat to take a look at these tiny creatures. Plus we visited the lake’s unique algae reef.

All in all, it was a great way to visit the Great Salt Lake. And if you want to swim in the Lake, definitely consider their 2-hour tour. It seemed very popular. Here’s a link to that swimming tour on Viator.

(If you want to read about another great boat tour from our travels, then be sure to check out my post on Taking An Elaphiti Islands Boat Tour in Dubrovnik)

Exploring the Park

After my tour, I took some extra time to visit the Great Salt Lake State Park itself. The Park’s entrance fee is $10, and it offers an excellent way to visit the lake with or without a boat tour. The Park has a Visitors Center filled with information about the Lake….

A viewing platform with an great view across the southwest portion of the lake out to Antelope Island….

And a “Beach”….

I use the word Beach loosely. When you visit the Great Salt Lake, you won’t really find beaches that you’d really want to spend hours on. Think of them more as direct access to the water.

You can get in and swim here if you want. And you can hang out here with a beach chair if you want. But I really think it’s a better place to walk around, admire the scenery for a bit, and take some cool photos of the unusual geography. The lake shore stinks a little (brine shrimp and algae breaking down). And there are the brine flies. And the “sand” is more like salty dirt. More reasons why locals don’t typically visit the Great Salt Lake for recreation.

But regardless, it’s absolutely worth spending some time at the Great Salt Lake State Park – whether by boat or by shore or both. It really is one of the best ways to visit the Great Salt Lake.

Visiting the Shoreline Behind Saltair

I came across my third suggested option for visiting the Great Salt Lake unexpectedly. When you follow the signs off the freeway to the Great Salt Lake State Park, you will inevitably notice Saltair.

Saltair is a concert venue with origins all the way back to the 1893. The first Saltair was a very popular resort and amusement park built directly on the Lake (you can click here to see a photo). It was often called the Coney Island of the West. Sadly, it burned down and was replaced by a second version – a popular dance hall in the late 1920s and 30s. But, version #2 also burned down. The current version (made of less flammable material!) is now used as a concert venue.

As I was driving away from the State Park, I noticed several parked cars outside of Saltair’s perimeter fencing. I also noticed people walking past Saltair and out to the Lake’s edge in the distance. Posted signs indicated that it was OK to access the lake from here.

So of course I parked my own car and went to check it out. I did have a feeling before I set out that the Lake was farther away than it looked. And I was right. It took me about 15 minutes to reach the Lake’s edge by foot.

But it was a fascinating otherworldly walk along the firm salty lake bed – a portion of the Great Salt Lake that hopefully will find itself under water again someday.

Once I arrived at the Great Salt Lake’s shore, I found multi-colored salt/sand formations and sweeping views out across the water.

I thought this unexpected Saltair access was most definitely worth the 30 minute round trip walk. And it offers a third (and free) way to visit the Great Salt Lake.

Final Thoughts

I’m glad that I decided to finally take the time to visit the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island. It was wrong that I could regularly see Antelope Island from my favorite hiking trail, but had never been. And it was wrong that I’d driven past Great Salt Lake State Park multiple times, but had never entered. I’ve finally repented.

The Great Salt Lake is in danger of disappearing forever. Hopefully, new conservation measures and awareness will help save it. Don’t miss the chance to appreciate this essential and beautiful Utah landmark with a visit of your own – using one (or all) of these three great ways.

If you would like to read more about things to do in Northern Utah then check out these posts:

The Snowbird Tram in Summer – Utah Mountain Hiking at 11000 Feet

Red Iguana – My Favorite Salt Lake City Restaurant

Two Popular Alta Utah Hikes – Albion Meadows and Cecret Lake

And if you would like to read about another great Utah State Park, then check out this post:

Snow Canyon State Park – Explore Petrified Dunes & Lava Tubes