Great Salt Lake in Utah 2025

The Great Salt Lake is not only the largest saltwater lake in the state but also in all of the Western Hemisphere. It covers an area of 4,400 square kilometres with the depth of around 15 metres. Once this lake used to be a much broader freshwater lake—Lake Bonneville, but it shrank as a result of evaporation. This process influenced the content of salt in the lake. Nowadays it is around 27% which is eight times as high as the world’s oceans.

The Great Salt Lake is too salty to support fish or any other aquatic life. The southern part of the lake features bathing beaches and a recreation area. The Great Salt Lake is salty enough to float in it without sinking. It’s one of the unique experiences, but many locals have never swum in these waters. The best place for swimming and enjoying the beautiful white sand beaches is located at Antelope Island State Park. You can have a nice view over the lake from the hills of Antelope Island, especially from the Frary Peak and from the beaches as well. You can find lots of various activities around the lake like boating, kayaking, birdwatching, sunbathing, swimming, hiking, and biking.

This large and shallow lake is visited all year round but due to occasional winter snowfalls and summer thunderstorms, the very best time to visit the lake is considered spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October). It is also a good time for seeing migratory birds, which come to feed on brine shrimp and flies. Another benefit is less crowdedness comparing to always busy summer months.