The highest speeds to be reached on the flats exceed 700 miles per hour, and some racers are making plans to try to top the 1,000 mph mark! Time will tell if this can be achieved. Summer is the racing season, and the various races and speed trial events are most often open to the general public. The racers come from all over the globe, and the spot that is most used for racing events is known as the Bonneville Speedway. Speed trials are also common events, with many entrants hoping to set a record with either a car or a motorcycle. One of the main reasons why the Bonneville Salt Flats area is so renowned is the fact that it is used for car races.

Once the water evaporates, wind takes over, smoothing the surface.

In the winter, a shallow layer of water covers the flats, and it remains in place until spring and sometimes early summer. Wind and water helped to shape the terrain, and they continue to do so to this day. When the lake dried up, various salt flat areas were left behind, with the Bonneville area being the most renowned. An excavation at Danger Cave proved that people occupied the area over 10,300 years ago In 1846 the famous Donner Party crossed the Salt Flats as a.

The federal government owns most of this land and portions are used for military testing. This ancient lake once covered a significant portion of Utah, as well as parts of Idaho and Nevada. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the largest of the Utah salt flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats, as is true of the nearby Great Salt Lake, is a remnant of Lake Bonneville.

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