First off, most people who live in Utah have never been swimming in the Great Salt Lake. I grew up 20 minutes away from Saltair and the southern side of the Great Salt Lake, and we only dipped our toes in once in my entire 30 years in Utah. The major drawbacks for swimming in the Great Salt Lake are the smell , bugs , salt and hassle. I think a dip in the Salt Lake is worth your time, so I will address our experience with each of these negatives.
I will give you some tips to make it enjoyable and tell you why I think you should give it a try. I grew up in Tooele, Utah and we had many days where living downwind from the Great Salt Lake was like living in the armpit of Utah. A dead sea does collect and stagnate water, which does produce a smell. Since the fresh water flows in from here, the smells stay fresh. We easily swam without distraction from the smell. The only creatures that live in the Great Salt Lake are brine shrimp and brine flies.
While we saw a few flies, mostly right where the water meets the land. We could quickly take a few steps into the shallow water and pass all the brine flies.
Grab some bug spray to repel the little guys. The water in the Great Salt Lake was crystal clear and we could easily see our toes as we walked through the water. There are no other fish in the Great Salt Lake i. This was a relief for some of my cautious kids. There is also no plant life anywhere near the Great Salt Lake. Nothing can grow in or around the dense salt. The upside, no seaweed wrapping around your legs, and crystal clear water.
The downside? There is no shade. With the higher elevation in Utah, you will need even more protection from the sun. What makes the Great Salt Lake earn its name is the fact that it only has rivers run into the lake, and no rivers running out. This means it collects salt and is very dense. Because of the density of the water, it is so warm. Most of the lakes and rivers in Utah are formed from snow runoff, which makes it very chilly and icy.
Swimming in the Great Salt Lake is a very different experience. Even in the early summer, we found the water to be warm and pleasant. Even though the salt warms the water up, there are other drawbacks to salty water. While salt water is ultimately supposed to be good for skin conditions, it will sting any skin abrasions. Salt also stings in the body crevices. Getting the water in your eyes, nose, and mouth will show you just how much salt it holds. I dare you to lick it. Once the water dries, everything the saltwater touched will be covered in salt.
My toddler ran through in her panties and they were stiff and hard by the time she got back to the car. Our bodies and hands and legs were caked in salt. Remember when you feel salty after being in the ocean? Multiply that by 10 in the Great Salt Lake. Due to the remote location of the Great Salt Lake, there are no easily accessible showers or foot baths, so bring your own water.
Consider a portable shower for easy rinsing. The salt easily washes off and leaves no lasting effects. While most places have cities and the richest area of the town built right around lakes, Salt Lake is the opposite. Due to the smell and the lack of life-giving water, most of the cities are quite a drive from the shore of the Great Salt Lake.
You will get awesome views of the lake from the Airport, as it is right next to the lake. There were no waves and the flat lake extended for miles. This unique beauty was easier to appreciate while actually soaking in the water, altogether surprisingly close to an ocean-swimming experience.
So, swimming in the Salt Lake: pass or fail? We rate it as a pass. Just make sure you bring some lotion. The Ease of the Two-Day Adventure. Journey to 14a with Anna Hazelnutt. A Glimpse of Alaska: Jake Rehm. Artist Feature: Leah Button. A Brief Introduction to Canyoneering. Setting Sail In Utah. Cancel reply. Your email address will not be published.
Tony Bombardo Jul 19, at pm. Close Menu. RSS Feed. If the bugs and brine shrimp keep you out of the water, I won't judge. However, they really weren't a big deal once I decided to just enjoy floating in the lake.
It's such a unique experience. Brine shrimp and flies keep the crowds away. We visited on a Saturday afternoon in July and there was plenty of space for everyone. You made it this far. I really did float like a cork in the salty water. I didn't even get my hair wet. When my daughter asked me to get her a rock on the lake bed, I had a hard time reaching it because the water kept pushing me upward.
The water at the beach is shallow and I had to wade out before the water was deep enough to sit back and float. My children loved playing in the waveless water and the depth was perfect for young children.
They learned quickly not to splash the salty water in their eyes and mouths. There were many round, flat rocks near and in the water. I was impressed when my daughter, who had never skipped a rock before, skipped one four times.
Flat rocks and calm, briny water make the beach on Antelope Island a great place to skip rocks. You'll want to rinse the salt water off before you go. There are free outdoor showers and a hose outside the bathrooms for a quick rinse, or private coin-operated showers for a more thorough clean. The bathrooms at the Bridger Bay are better than most beach bathrooms I've seen. They have flush toilets, tile floors and marble counter tops. You can easily spend a full day on Antelope Island.
Learn about the lake at the visitor's center. Hike to Buffalo Point and watch one of Antelope Island's exceptionally beautiful sunsets. Bike the island's roads and trails. Rent a kayak. Watch for wildlife on a scenic drive. We had a good time swimming in the Great Salt Lake, and would do it again. There are many freshwater lakes in Utah that are much nicer for swimming and boating, but nobody puts swimming in Pineview Reservoir on their bucket list.
Need a place to stay? Click the button to check rates and availability for local hotels now on TripAdvisor. Need a rental car? You will need your own vehicle to get to Antelope Island.
Find the best rates from dozens of agencies at RentalCars. Read my tips for getting the best price on your rental car HERE. Packing list: Swimsuit, towel and sun protection are necessities. Water shoes and a good water bottle are nice to have. You can bring a sun umbrella, beach chairs and cooler, but most people don't.
You can park right next to the bathrooms, so most people leave everything except the necessities in their car. Need a water bottle that will keep your drink cold all day? It is available on Amazon. I have great memories of visiting Antelope Island one of them being the smell! Great tips for enjoying the day there! Thanks for the information, Allison! A one-time visit should do for me! Thanks for the great article and tips. We hope to make it to Salt Lake as a family soon, and this just increased our interest to try.
Thanks again. Slc ut is a great city I loved it. I retired from pride transport in west valley ut I wish I had stayed just may come back.
This is the kind of review I love: short descriptions that are useful. Nice pictures. Great job! This blog is great, I have been asking to go to the Salt Lake with locals from the time that I moved here. All I heard was the cons of the lake, now with you new positive look I am planning a trip with my family.
Swam with my 9 year old many years ago and it was something we all still remember, especially my daughter.
It is a once in a life time experience. If you want to take a bath in salt water…you need to go to the Dead sea Israel. I have done it many times you can not get sun burn since it is the lowest place on earth and the uv do not go that far,it will also fix all kind of skin disorders. Thanks Izzy. The day we swam in the Great Salt Lake, we visited with a couple from the Netherlands who had also visited the Dead Sea. They told us that the two are quite different.
Izzy: WOW. You cannot get sunburn there?? Swimming in the Great Salt Lake was the best fun I ever had as a nine year old way back in the summer of I had always been terrified by water and was assured that it was impossible to sink in this great lake. Give it a try. You will not be sorry you did.
Water was very cool and bugs were flying around the ground but fly away as soon as we approached. Had to wade out a LONG ways just to get up to mid thigh.
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