Bonneville Salt Flats Special Recreation Management Area

The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of Earth’s most unique landforms. The salt flats are about 12 miles long and 5 miles wide and are comprised mostly of sodium chloride, or table salt. Located 120 miles west of Salt Lake City in Tooele County, Utah, the salt flats are a 30,000 acre expanse of hard, white salt crust on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake Basin in Utah. Like the Great Salt Lake, the Salt Flats are a remnant of Lake Bonneville, which covered over one-third of Utah from 10,000 to 32,000 years ago. The salt flats are on the National Register of Historic Places, are designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and are managed as a Special Recreation Management Area.

The salt flats are generally open to the public for recreational purposes. Motor vehicle use is limited by seasonal closure during the spring when the salt is moist or has standing water on the surface. Closure dates may vary and will be posted by sign.

The salt flats are used for land speed racing, archery competitions, running races, photography, videography, and scientific research projects. Public wishing to utilize the salt flats for these purposes need a special recreation or film permit from the BLM Salt Lake Field Office.