The Great Salt Lake

Wow, I don’t even know what to say here. First we tried to stop on that little «View» pull off along the highway. There were bags of barbage and filth everywhere. Someone even left a package of eggs sitting there. Does UT DOT ever clean that parking lot?
Then we went over to the «concert pavilion» although I suspect its been a while since any concert has been held there. Its also oddly placed. Why would anyone put a concert venue out there?
We walked out on the beach, and yes it smells, and yes there are hundreds of dead birds all over the place.
I usually love being around water but not so much here. My friend has lived in SLC for years and said no one ever goes out there. I totally see why.

It is a unique place with lots of fields and wildlife around. If you are a nature love, this is the place to be and mainly in April-​May

Salt Lake is not nice. It is muddy and smelly and full of bugs and dead birds. However it is also unique, fascinating, and amazing. If you let go of any assumptions that your visit will be pleasant and just embrace the total post-​apocalyptic landscape, the crusts of salt that form in your footsteps, the beach full of bird skeletons, and the bizarrely cheerful gift shop, you will be very glad you went.

We stopped right by the Great Salt Lake to go out and take some pictures. Well, at least that was supposed to be what we were going to do. Had just paid our entry fee a couple of miles earlier, and had read the sign about the biting gnats. Boy, they weren’t kidding. These gnats were everywhere near the lake. On Antelope Island itself, the gnats were not as plentiful.
Anyways, we decided to just take photos from inside the vehicle. The pics still turned out awesome. The views of the Great Salt Lake are terrific and very photogenic. I’d come back again, but hopefully there won’t be any gnats during that time.
Oh yeah, when you drive up to the entry gate to pay. There is a sign on the window stating something to the effect that there are No Refunds given for biting gnats. Well, it said something like that…

Smelly Cat!
Every seen that one scene when the griswolds check out the Grand Canyon for a few seconds…
Exactly!

I’m only giving this 2 stars because of the historical value of it. Plus it’s kinda campy to say you’ve been here. But if you’re not into either of these things, then I would avoid this place like the plague. Why?
* It smells like the worst thing ever.
* There are gnats EVERYWHERE. And then you get really close to the water, you’ll see that the sand gets darker. And you’ll notice it’s because of the millions and millions of gnats all over the sand. It seriously looks like the ground is moving.
* When we went a couple days ago, there were a ton of dead birds all over the «beach» area. Like hundreds of dead birds. And it wasn’t like they were decomposing, they were mostly feathers and bones. But it was totally gross and super creepy.
That said… have fun!

This place was really good to visit! It was a really memorable experience! Antelope Island was really nice and we saw a lot of neat animals roaming, including a herd of buffalo! I would suggest coming here, but do not get in the water because it is really salty and filled with shrimp. It also smells weird. And the most memorable thing was the gnats. I don’t think I have ever seen anything so… impressive, I guess. It was hilarious because we could hardly see and they were just clouding around our car. My aunt dared me to lick the front of the car, which was absolutely covered in dead gnats. I didn’t, lol. Don’t worry, the smell and gnats aren’t there once you get to Antelope Island.

For a tour this was a good place to go and see, fascinating and actually the smell was not an issue. The history and views for photography were good. Amazed that people actually want to hop off the tour bus and go get in the lake, mercy, but they do. The buffalo were also nice to get up close and personal with. Ideal for children or anyone actually if they have no knowledge of the lake, the contrast of the sun and reflections is amazing for shooting any hour of the day.

I’m so happy that I visited this Lake. I was so tempted not to based on reviews I read on this site and others.
The smell… it’s a lake with a high saline content. I wouldn’t expect it to smell any differently. Honestly, it wasn’t really that noticeable.
The gnats… these things are so little and cute and a total non-​issue. It was actually kinda fun to watch them swarm around because there are literally billions of them flying around. They look like a dust storm as they swarm around.
Fun…we had a blast here. We came in the middle of summer and there were only about 20 people here. It wasn’t packed so you could have the whole lake to yourself. It’s great to just sit in and relax and the fact that you can’t sink, a bonus for my non-​swimming family. Also, the waters have been known to have healing powers and my kid in with an old bruise and when we came out a day later it looked like it had healed for over a year.
I really wished I had captured some of this lake in a gallon container.
This lake is one of the only reasons I’d visit Utah again.

There’s a beach on Antelope Island that I don’t recall being stinky. But whoa… the silt in the water is pretty weird. Just don’t go upland where the buffalo are cause yeah… lots of skeeters. The visitors center is kinda cool though.

Yuck. On the list of American wonders I’ve seen, this has to be the most disappointing. I guess I should have read up more, as I didn’t expect the lake to just reek. Absolutely one of the nastiest smells ever. And the gnats. My god the gnats.
I had planned to hang around and spend some time checking this place out (was just passing through SLC) and ugh. Just ugh.

Although it is stinky in most spots, I treasure this unique landmark. The Great Salt Lake has not been stinky forever! It used to be the 2^nd most popular family destination west of Coney Island. The Great Saltair was the hippest place to be back when my grandparents were teens. I wish we got to experience the GSL like they did. We now think of it as a stinky gross place because us humans have been polluting it and stinking the place up ever since we stopped putting poop in places other than a hole in the ground outside our little house on the prairie.
There is a lot to explore out there on the great salt flats. The original wood pylons from the first Saltair resort built in 1893 still stand! I love this place.
Bring lots of water!

Beautiful and Not So Beautiful… all at the same time.
Walking on a salt beach, pretty cool. Being attacked by gnats, not so cool. Watching people walk up to their knees into the Great Salt Lake is pretty cool. Realizing the horrible stench is from all the carcasses and brine shrimp, not so cool.
Either way, its now checked off the «been there, done that» list.