If you’re driving along I-80 in western Utah, that’s not snow you’re surrounded by, it’s salt! The Bonneville Salt Flats are 30,000 acres of flat land with a view that’s only broken by the mountains to the north and west.
We couldn’t visit Salt Lake City without seeing the Great Salt Lake. We decided to make a day trip out to Antelope Island State Park. The park has miles of hiking, camping, and beaches on the lake as well as a historic ranch. There are also plenty of opportunities for birdwatching and spotting wildlife.
On May 10, 1869, in the middle of the desert at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory, Leland Stanford drove the last spike to complete the First Transcontinental Railroad. Although the tracks have been removed and the trains no longer pass by Promontory Summit, the location where the Golden Spike was driven is celebrated by the National Park Service for its significance in American history.
Timpanogos Cave National Monument is a real treat to visit. Not only are the cave formations spectacular to look at, the tough walk up is a great workout.
Near the city of Provo is Bridal Veil Falls. It’s a 607 foot waterfall just off US 189 at the south end of Provo Canyon. There’s a parking lot right off the highway and a small park with picnic tables.
If you’re expecting to walk among fossils of fish, plants, and animals still stuck in rocks, you’ll be disappointed by Fossil Butte National Monument. If you’re keen on learning about “America’s Aquarium” and how fossils are formed and preserved, it’s a worthwhile stop for a few hours.
US Highway 89 in Wyoming runs through Grand Teton National Park. There are several turnouts along the road and a few points of interest to stop at. We stopped at a few of these spots during our trip down the road from Colter Bay Campground to Jackson. Each turnout gives a unique angle of the mountains but I had bad luck with the weather and could barely see them.
On our drive from Colter Bay Campground to Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, we went down a stretch of Teton Park Road. There are a few turnouts and points of interest that we stopped at along the way.
Jenny Lake is one of the most scenic and popular areas of Grant Teton National Park. It was also its first developed area. After setting up camp at Colter Bay, we packed lunches, drove to Jenny Lake, and set off on a late afternoon hike.
Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the main areas of Yellowstone National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s the location of spectacular travertine terraces created by thousands of years of crystalized calcium carbonate.