Great Salt Lake Desert

The Great Salt Lake Desert is a large playa in northern Utah, located west of the Great Salt Lake. It is an arid region extending west from the Great Salt Lake to the Nevada border. It covers 4000 sq. mi. (10,360 sq. km) in area.

Related Topics:
Playa - Utah - Great Salt Lake - Nevada

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The sand there is white due to the high concentration of salt in the soil. The salt comes mainly from evaporite deposits left by the extinct Lake Bonneville, of which only the Great Salt Lake remains. Several small mountain ranges crisscross through and along the edges of the desert, such as the Cedar Mountains, Lakeside Mountains, and Newfoundland Mountains.

Related Topics:
Salt - Evaporite - Lake Bonneville - Cedar Mountains - Lakeside Mountains - Newfoundland Mountains

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A large proportion of the desert is used by the military. A section of Hill Air Force Base is to the north and the Wendover Gunnery Range and Dugway Proving Grounds are to the south. A large section of the desert is still accessible though, where I-80 crosses the desert. The interstate runs exactly east-west and is dead straight for almost 50 miles, between the Cedar Mountains to the east and Wendover on the Utah/Nevada border. The Bonneville Salt Flats have a race track that was the location for land speed records set during the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Related Topics:
Military - Hill Air Force Base - Wendover Gunnery Range - Dugway Proving Grounds - I-80 - Wendover - Bonneville Salt Flats - Land speed record

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The only significant settlements in the desert are Wendover and Dugway, with only about 1,500 residents each.

Related Topics:
Wendover - Dugway

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Certain unusual plants can be found there, having adapted to the harsh conditions. The desert is hot during the summer and cool during the winter. It is warmer than the rest of northern Utah but is cooler than most of the south. Most of the desert receives less than 8 in (20 cm) of precipitation annually.

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