Random Rambler: January 2023

The Great Salt Lake State Park is a small State Park located in Magna. The park features a marina, 2 beaches, and access to the Great Salt Lake. There are also 2 shipwrecks which is part of what brought us out today. The other thing that brought us out is wanting to see the extremely rare natural phenomena, mirabilite spring mounds. We’ve come out to see them a couple of times now, but they are really neat! And considering that it has only been observed in a few places around the world, it's really something special to be able to see. Back when they were discovered in 2020 it was thought to be a fluke, but they have come back every year since!

Quick Details:

Length: It’s about 6/10ths of a mile out and back to the shipwreck with the spring mounds being about halfway, we did some additional wandering.
Trail Type: Out and Back
Difficulty: DR3.
Elevation Gain: About 30 ft.
Restroom: Yes,
Dogs? Leashed. Be sure to not let them disturb the formations though,
Other Info: Fee Area. $5.00

To Get Here:

Take i80 to exit 104. Head north. Turn left in front of Saltair. Continue down the narrow rd to the fee station.

The mounds are on Silver Sands Beach, behind the visitor center.

Downtown SLC and the mountains obscured by clouds (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

The new airport (PSP). I got to see it a lot more closely when we took a vacation to Seattle.

Uh oh, did I send us into the storm? (PSP).

Saltair III (PSP).

The road out to the GSL State Park wasn’t too bad (PSP).

The Trail:

While we were paying the park fee’s I asked about the newer found shipwreck. She informed me about where it was and that the lake has come up about a foot from the historic low set a few months ago, so it isn't really visible anymore. It is kind of weird to feel simultaneously disappointed and glad at the same time. I was sad I couldn’t see the ship, but happy to hear the lake is rising.

The Kennecott Smelter Stack. Tallest man made structure west of the Mississippi.

Alright. First stop after the visitor center, the observation deck.

This is the general direction where the shipwreck should be. Like I said, sad I missed, but happy the lake is rising. We also have another interesting thing to see here since the lake is still seriously low, stromatolites, often referred to as Great Salt Lake Coral. It is not a true coral though as it is not a living organism. It is a cyanobacteria which is an algae that builds bulbous sedimentary rocks.

Antelope Island.

Stansbury Island.

Panoramic.

Cool compass.

Next we headed down to Silver Sands Beach. There is a bit of a hill, but it’s not too bad.

The beach is a completely different beast covered in snow.

The smelter stack again.

Someone made a little heart with rocks.

Crossing the little creek.

Which is quite frozen.

Antelope Island again.

Before long we made it to the mirabilite spring mounds.

So cool!

Closer.

It looks like a volcano!

I love the built up tiers.

Small one.

Well, it would seem there is one main mound this year. I guess it has been a little too wet this year.

Panoramic.

This main mound has 3 springs.

The smelter stack.

From the other side.

Stansbury Island.

Antelope Island.

I think this is a smaller one.

Back to the main mound.

Detail.

The “volcano” again.

I really love the terraces.

Most of the terraces.

Closer.

Smelter stack again.

Well, I guess we waited to long too really enjoy the mirabilite mounds this year. We decided to continue out to the other shipwreck.

Antelope Island.

I still haven’t figured out what causes these potholes.

Random lake junk.

Ice sheet over some water.

Oh we found another little stream.

Another look at Stansbury Island.

Antelope Island.

We made it out to the shipwreck.

With Antelope Island. There isn't much too it, but it's still kind of neat.

Saltair. I would guess it's another ~mile or so out to it.

The wreck and Stansbury Island.

Well, we decided to head back and look for some more springs.

The smelting stack again.

The little stream again.

We were trying to find a thin part to cross it.

Antelope Island.

Stansbury Island.

Wet beach.

Panoramic.

More wet beach.

The other stream crossing, and the visitor center.

Nice lighting on Antelope Island.

Below the observation deck.

Yep, no sign of the other shipwreck. However you can see the Great Salt Lake Coral.

Closer to the lake, and Stansbury Island.

Heading back up towards the visitor center.

Oh, they have a self guided tour, in several languages.

The marina. The parks FB page posted that some of the mounds were found in it, so we decided to walk around. Spoiler, I think the lake rise has submerged them.

Now that the lake has risen it’s super weird to see the marina have water but no boats. I don’t think it is quite deep enough for most boats though.

Here we find the apparent fancy dock, as it is the only one with lights.

This is a fun idea. More parks should do it.

The back marina.

All of the boats are up here on the road.

Well, no spring mounds. But we decided to walk a little ways down Sunset Beach. Which we have done before as well, but meh.

Beach access.

Stansbury Island.

The Smelter Stack again.

Blackrock. It’s a little further away than it looks and I wasn’t up to going the whole way out to it today.

Beach puddles and Stansbury Island.

Well, since we had decided we weren’t going out the Black Rock, we decided to just head back. we were loosing light anyway.

Smelter Stack.

Footprint revealed some lake funk.

The short climb back up to the marina.

Faint sunset color.

Phragmites.

Faint sunset above the marina.

I thought I remember seeing a sign that this little mural was made with garbage picked up in the park. which is sad.

The smelter stack again.

The visitor center.

Saltair and Antelope Island (PSP).

Well that was a fun day out on the Great Salt Lake. The mirabilite mounds were not as as exciting this year, but still neat. I’ll keep coming out to see them as long as they keep coming back. The extra wandering became well, just that, wandering. However it was a pretty day and I was nice to do something aside from neighborhood trails for a change. 8 squirrels out of 10.