Bonneville Salt Flats

Section of the Great Salt Lake Desert in northwest Utah; area 170 sq km/70 sq mi; named after the 1830s explorer Captain B L E Bonneville. It is located 160 km/100 mi west of Salt Lake City, near the Nevada border. It is the former bed of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, and is so flat that the curvature of the Earth can be seen. The region is characterized by flat white sands that are covered by shallow water in winter and spring, and are dry in summer and autumn. Since 1914 the flats have been used for auto speed runs, and numerous land speed world records have been set on them. The flats are administered by the Bureau of Land Management and in 1985 were designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The environment of the flats is so hostile that overnight stays are not permitted.