Utah Archives - Exploration America

Hole in the Rock Utah – Is it Worth Seeing? + Tips for Visiting

Caves Oddities Roadside Attractions West

Hole N” the Rock was an awesome discovery we made driving from our cave stay in Moab, Utah on the way to Canyonlands National Park. I thought we had mapped out our 9000 mile road trip pretty good and somehow we totally missed this unique treasure!

It was over 110*F on the day we were heading to the Canyonlands when the kids started screaming and pointing in the car begging me to pull over and check out the “Hole in the Rock” they spotted painted right onto the side of the red rock cliff.

I had heard of Hole N” the Rock but didn’t realize we would literally be driving right past it! So we stopped in and bought tour tickets to view the house. Being HUGE fans of visiting caves across the USA, I knew we would tour this cave carved into the side of Utah’s red rock canyon.

If I’m totally honest I’m a little jealous of this story and wish I could live in a cave! Either way this marvel is unique and worth the short stop if you’re near the area in Moab Utah.

The front of the house is pretty normal looking considering it’s built into a giant rock, so we bought our tickets and searched for shade to wait in outside. The biggest downside of this tour really is that you cannot take pictures at all. Take photos is how I remember my adventures so I always cringe a little when it’s not allowed. You can see some of the inside of the house here.

It’s a short 12 minute tour tour through the 5000 square foot cave but comes with the fascinating story which begins with brothers Albert and Leo Christensen. Originally a diner, it later turned into a hand carved 14 room house featuring natural light, a 65 foot chimney, and even an enormous bathtub built into the rock.

Albert lived there with his wife Gladys until he passed away in 1957.

Featured inside the house are some of Albert’s paintings, Gladys’ doll collection, and even a hideous donkey that Albert tried to taxidermy. It took Alberto 12 years to excavate 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone out of this rock. To say he had an unusual hobby is an understatement.

In fact you can even sit at this table hand carved out of the rock…..

…..as well as visit their graves on the back of the property, also hand carved out.

The property is plenty large enough to give you some time to walk around and stretch your legs. Across the parking lot is a kitchsy little zoo and ice cream parlor to kill some time and keep the kids occupied. If you’re going to do anything here at all then definitely take the tour of the house. It’s a tourist trap worth stopping at.

Tips for Visiting Hole N” the Rock:

Water & sunscreen! This is more a tip in general for exploring the Moab area, and especially in the summer. Do not be caught without plenty of water for each person in your group as well as sunscreen. It can easily get over 100*F and you do not want to be caught without protection!
Bring money to feed the animals! If you’re going to visit the zoo, know that you can purchase feed in the gift shop while you’re visiting. The zoo is small of course but nice enough – my kids enjoyed the distraction. Plus they have a pressed penny machine there too!
Take your tour before you head into Canyonlands. I highly recommend stopping in for your tour BEFORE hiking for the day. You’ll be far too tired at the end of your hiking day to deal with waiting for a tour to start – especially if you have kids.
Buy your tickets then wait outside. There’s not a lot of room inside the gift shop area where you buy tickets so expect that you will probably be most comfortable waiting outdoors for the tour to start – especially if you have kids.

Other Utah Adventures:

Where to Dig for Fossils in Utah – U Dig Trilobites

Nature Oddities West

I have an undying love for archaeology (seriously, it was my “what I want to be when I grow up” career as a kid!) so when I learned about U-Dig Fossils in Delta, Utah we literally drove hours out of our way to visit. You can dig your own trilobite fossils in Utah AND KEEP THEM! Keep as many as you can find – and they are everywhere!

In fact EACH of us loaded a 5 gallon bucket full of fossils before we got too tired to hunt anymore – although we decided NOT to take 25 gallons of rock home with us! So let’s start back at the beginning of this hot and dusty journey.

First, the quarry is about 50 miles west of the town of Delta, Utah. (From Provo it’s about 142 miles and 182 miles from Salt Lake City.) Trust me when I say there’s nothing out near the quarry – so make sure you gas up your vehicle and have plenty of water and supplies with you before you leave town!

We drove in from Salt Lake City on our (very out of) way to Colorado Springs. It can get well over 100* in the summer in Utah and you do not want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere because you forgot to fill up your gas tank! I also highly recommend having a gallon of water per person on hand if you’re traveling.

I’ll tell you this – the scenery is breath taking! Aside from traveling on a road to get there – you’ll feel like you’re the only person who exists on the planet. It’s a strange and beautiful feeling all at once. The kids were SO excited by the time we saw our first quarry sign – but be forewarned, you have 20 more miles to go – all on a gravel dusty road!

How to get to the U-Dig Fossils Quarry:

As you can imagine there’s a pretty good possibility that your phone GPS will not work out there…..and even if it does it will probably be quite wrong. Once you get on the main road, you can’t miss the quarry signs like you see above. There’s quite literally nothing else around.

U-Dig has done a fantastic job of marking every turn once you get to their quarry. I get a little nervous driving to the middle of nowhere with kids and a GPS that won’t work but everything was so clearly marked it wasn’t an issue at all.

Directions from Delta:

Drive 32 miles west of Delta on highway 6/50. At the U-Dig Fossil Sign, between mile markers 56-57, turn north. (you’ll see the sign in the photo above!) Then travel 20 miles down a gravel road to reach the U-Dig trilobite quarry. There are U-Dig signs posted along the 20 miles of gravel road (like you see below!) to keep you on the correct route.

I was driving a mini van and the gravel roads were just fine. There was one or two very tight curves so make sure you are driving slow enough to handle them! Personally I wouldn’t have wanted to drive an RV 20 miles on these gravel roads as the two curves had me a little nervous. I can’t imagine having a big rig!

And a word of caution – keep your windows rolled UP and your recycled air on. As you can imagine it is a VERY dusty drive out there!

Just look at that scenery!!! There are only a few road splits and as you can see above the road signs that mark the road are clearly visible. You won’t miss them!

What to Bring on Your Fossil Hunt:

kids in U Dig Trilobite Quarry digging for fossils in Utah

I highly recommend bringing the following items on your fossil hunt:

sunscreen
hat
a gallon of water per person
first aid kit

U-Dig Fossils provides the hammers and buckets so there’s no need to bring along your own gear! Although I do recommend if possible bringing your own container(s) to put your fossils in.

We were about 7000 miles into a road trip so all we could do was triple bag ours which wasn’t the most ideal but it worked.

How much does it cost to dig for fossils?

The price to dig for fossils depends on the age of the digger as well as how long you are digging for! You can see current prices here, but we spent about about $60 for 4 of us (my daughter was free) for 2 hours of digging. And they DO accept credit cards!

The guy at the fossil shack was INCREDIBLY nice. You could tell he really loves what he does, and he was so helpful! He showed us some fossil examples, showed the kids how to hammer away to find the best fossils, and threw a bunch of fossils in our bucket to get us started.

Trilobites are not in short supply here! They are EVERYWHERE! And crazy enough my 4 year old found more trilobites than the rest of us! Probably because she is closer to the ground to see them! The quarry is huge. Even if you’re in a large group there’s PLENTY of space for everyone.

There is a shaded picnic table area for anyone who is not digging. Much of the quarry is rocky and steep enough that it’s not suitable for everyone to climb through, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join the group and watch!

My oldest son was 12 years old at the time that we went fossil digging. Let me tell you that after toting around a 5 gallon bucket full of rock – it gets exhausting! I recommend taking frequent water and sunscreen breaks and there’s not a lot of shade out in the quarry!

Once we had our fill of digging rocks, we took our buckets up to the table and began pounding away, hammering off excess rock. The fossil shack guy will help you know how to hammer the excess rock away leaving just your trilobite exposed! He’ll even buff out and smooth your favorite pieces for you! (Tips are always appreciated!)

This was my 4 year old – she wanted to keep ALL of the trilobites! Don’t get me wrong, we each left with a solid 10-15 pounds of rock, but she just wanted to hoard it all haha! I conveniently made some of the more damaged pieces disappear when she wasn’t looking!

I don’t recommend bringing kids younger than 4 years old at all. Two hours was a long time in the straight heat. She did a great job, but even I was utterly exhausted in the heat! Expect a few smooshed fingers if you’re letting your kid swing a hammer!

Have younger kids? They’ll love this fossil play dough idea!

U Dig Trilobite Quarry digging for fossils in Utah

You can barely even see my 10 year old here! He’s just a little dot in the horizon! Overall the U-Dig Quarry was absolutely worth carving out a day to visit. We literally carried 20+ pounds of trilobites in our van throughout the remainder of our 9000 mile road trip and then across the country when we moved from Illinois to Louisiana.

Our trilobite fossil dig was a special memory we won’t ever forget! It’s probably a good thing we don’t live closer to Utah because the kids would want to go back often!

Other Things to Do in Utah:

Camping in a Cave in Moab Utah for $75! – Booking Details, Views, & Tips

Campgrounds Caves Nature Oddities

It has been my dream to sleep in a cave but they’re always CRAZY expensive to rent! When I discovered Kane Creek Campground I immediately booked for us to go camping in a cave in Moab, Utah. And it was ONLY $75! You absolutely NEED to know a few things that we experienced though! (the campground is currently now closed due to management issues)

First of all, I noticed they closed for the remainder of 2020 due to covid so just a heads up if you’re looking to stay! OK, we camped for 40 straight nights on our 9000 mile road trip and this was by FAR the most remote and solitary (but incredible!) experience we had. It was an AMAZING experience and I would hands down do it again – but you’ll want to know a few things before you go.

Video Walking through the Cave in Moab:

The drive to get to the “campgrounds” is AMAZING. You’ll see in photo below that the view next to the Colorado River is absolutely unparalleled. Hands down one of the prettiest drives to a campground ever. You’ll drive by Moonflower Canyon and loads of petroglyphs which you can find more about here.

The actual “check-in” was pretty non-existent. The entire experience was confusing and the entire weekend I never saw a single person….ever. It was a little unnerving to be honest. I wasn’t really sure where I was driving to but found a mobile home past a few tent sites on the side of the road that seemed like it was the “camp host”. It was more like someone living next to a few tent sites. No signs.

I knocked on the door to “check in” and no one answered. There was a phone number to call on the door if no one was home but that far into the canyon I had no cell phone reception so I had to drive back into town to get cell phone reception. It wasn’t a HUGE deal but it was over 100* that week and I was driving and hiking by myself with 3 kids.

Colorado River scenic view near cave in Moab — *The road to Cane Creek campground.*

Once we got back into town for cell phone reception no one answered the camp phone number or ever called me back. So I decided to drive back down to what seemed like it might be the campground area (again, there are NO signs down there!). Notice a lot of confusion here?!

On the right side of the road you’ll see some tent sites. Past that is the mobile home I mentioned. KEEP DRIVING – on the left side when you are REALLY thinking you’re totally hopelessly lost and in the middle of nowhere – that’s where you’ll find it.

I found a sign with cave rules in the gravel parking lot and was not prepared at all for how steep it was to hike up into the cave! In fact from the parking lot area look up and you can barely see the cave entrance. There’s no marked path or anything to get up there either – you’re going to need to have sturdy shoes and a firm foot to climb up the side of the steep hill. (watch the video to get an idea of how steep!)

It was quite the ordeal after hiking in 112* temperatures in the national parks that week to carry our tent and gear with 3 kids by myself up the incredibly steep incline. I had previously read the reviews warning of the height up but mostly dismissed HOW steep it was. Thank goodness my boys helped me tremendously! Trust me when I say that you will NOT want to be hauling much of anything up there!

It was such an odd feeling to show up and camp without even seeing a single person but I absolutely won’t knock the experience camping in a cave – it was the coolest thing we did all summer! There was a picnic table up there and a small campfire area too. My kids and I literally had the entire hillside (entire valley??) AND the entire cave to ourselves! The cave was impressive in size considering we had the whole thing!

Inside of the Cave in Moab:

Below are tips on camping in a cave to help you know better what to expect but the view as you can see from our cave was just breath taking. Make sure you watch the video above for a complete picture – W.O.W. I knew the floor would (obviously) be hard but I wasn’t expecting the swarm of mosquitos!

We had camped at Slick Rock Campgrounds in Moab the night before and the mosquitos were worst than I had ever seen in my life! I expected being so high up and in a cave we’d be mosquito free but that simply wasn’t the case.

cave in Moab Utah — *The inside of the cave was HUGE!*

Noises are amplified in the cave at night. Sometime during the night a whole bunch of four wheelers were screaming and driving around on the sides of the hill where we were and my gosh it sounded like they were literally in our cave.

Being alone in a desolated area with 3 kids by myself I was getting really nervous because it sounded like they were in our tent it was so loud! I couldn’t tell if anyone was approaching the cave or if they were on the other side of the valley. Although I was a little unsettled we were totally safe and it was just annoying to be woken up during the night.

View from Inside the Cave Looking Out:

Let’s talk about bathrooms. There’s a wonderful building with showers and toilets down on the other side of the parking lot – a very impressive bathroom set up considering you’re literally in the middle of nowhere. (and I mean really impressive for primitive camping – it was very adequate)

The only downside of camping with 3 kids up a very steep hillside in a cave is that if you need to use the bathroom at all you have to hike back down the very steep hill and across the parking lot to use the bathroom! Just a little finagling since I could leave me boys on their own up at the cave but not my 4 year old!

Although it was eerily desolate and I was confused on never being able to “check in”, I hands down preferred this experience over my over-crowded experience at Slick Rock Campgrounds just down the road. Kane Creek Campgrounds (known to me as the cave in Moab since there are no camp signs anywhere that I could find) was affordable and the most unique experience I’ve ever had.

I mean have YOU ever slept in a cave or woken up in the morning to views like this!?

Tips for Camping Inside a Cave:

You will not be able to “stake” your tent down so be mindful of your equipment. We used this specific Coleman pop up tent for our entire 9000 mile road trip and it was perfect for use in the cave!
If using a pop up tent in an open cave like this be forewarned that it can stir up a LOT of dust inside the cave when opening up your tent! I highly recommend setting up your tent before you actually need to get inside so that you can let the dust settle a bit! We actually put our rainfly on the tent to help keep the dust out.
Typically inside a cave is cooler temperatures, but this cave was so open that it was still quite hot! If you’re sleeping in an underground cave make sure you have warm sleeping bags, socks, etc. If you’re somewhere hot like Moab, make sure you have water!
Bring a flashlight! It doesn’t matter whether you’re in an open cave like this one in Moab or you’re in an underground cave – there will be no lights when the sun goes down. You definitely don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and whack your head on a rock.
Understand the ground is harder than hard with potential rocks! If you’re tent camping you’re used to sleeping on hard ground, but in a cave you may also have uneven rock or rocks you’re maneuvering around. I recommend an extra sleeping pad or something soft to help cover the hard ground.
Bathrooms might not come easy in a cave! More than likely if you’re sleeping in a cave there’s no bathroom there with you! As mentioned this cave in Moab had bathrooms (sort of) near-ish. Always bury any waste and not in your cave! You may need to have your own toilet paper on hand.
Have a weapon of some kind – a stick, baseball bat, stun gun, anything. I was traveling alone with 3 kids for 9000 miles – I kept a long flashlight and a stun gun by my side at all times. Not only for protection against people but against wild animals.

Tips for Camping in Hot Weather:

Always have water! We traveled our entire trip with 4 gallons of water in our van at all times and additionally each person lived with a water bottle attached to them. I was concerned about our van breaking down and with the temperatures soaring well over 110*. I wasn’t taking any chances.
Having a portable battery operated fan won’t hurt!
Dress for the weather AND environment! While it may be extremely hot you need to be mindful of sunburns (during the day of course) and mosquitos at night. If you need long sleeves and long pants keep them light and airy!
Have protein packed snacks available. Although you don’t really feel like eating in the heat, make sure you keep protein packed snacks handy. Being overheated and hungry is a bad combination!

More Unique Adventures:

looking into the meteor crater winslow arizona route 66

Where to Find Petroglyphs and Rock Art in the USA

Historical Oddities

The summer of 2019 I spent 2 months tent camping across 9000 miles in the USA with my three kids and it was absolutely stunning – honestly the trip of a lifetime! It’s what inspired me to write this article sharing with you where to find petroglyphs and rock art in the USA.

I soaked up every second of our hard earned trip that summer. We explored caves, volcanoes, waterfalls, Alcatraz, the Grand Canyon, Route 66, dug for trilobites, ran on the salt flats, and yes, saw lots of petroglyphs!

My favorite petroglyphs that I’ve seen up close was in Moab, Utah – there are TONS to be discovered there! And not just some seen from a distance. Some close enough to reach out to! (although please don’t touch or damage the rock carvings!)

Below are some examples of petroglyphs and rock art as well as a few places you can see them in the United States.

Petroglyphs and Rock Art in Moab, Utah:

Newspaper Rock, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

One of the places I wanted to visit during our stay in Moab, Utah was Newspaper Rock State Historic Site. (roughly an hour from Moab) It’s certainly an incredible discovery of preservation from the past, however it’s a long drive out there and you really need to have binoculars to get a good view of it as the rock is a far distance from where you can reach.

There are many “Newspaper Rock” type rock art locations around the country! So make sure you’re researching the right location!

If you want to see an incredible amount of petroglyphs AND a breathtaking view drive along Kane Creek Blvd. in Moab, Utah. It winds along next to the Colorado River (but don’t take your eyes off the road!)….absolutely stunning. Keep an eye on the rock walls next to the road for petroglyphs! Definitely pull over in Moonflower Canyon to see more up close rock art!

Kane Creek Blvd. and Moonflower Canyon are worth the drive from a short distance and a MUST SEE detour if you’re in the area visiting Arches National Park. In fact there are so many petroglyphs as you drive that you can’t stop at some as you’ll be in the middle of the road. The best thing to do would be to park at Moonflower Canyon and walk down.

How old are the petroglyphs in Moab?

The petroglyphs in Moab are between 1500 and 4000 years old.

What are the oldest petroglyphs in the United States?

Rock art near Reno, Nevada are approximately 10,000 years old.

Cave Spring Trail, Arches National Park, Utah

Another place I recommend if you’re in Moab is the Cave Spring Trail in Arches National Park. Even on a hot day you can find a lot of shade on this trail. When we visited Arches National Park it was 112* outside (PHEW!) but we still made the trail with my 4 year old in tow!

The trail is easy for all ages (but not handicap accessible due to the sandy paths) and leads to a cowboy camp and caves with prehistoric pictographs.

Where to Find Petroglyphs and Rock Art in the USA:

rock art at Pictograph State Park Billings Montana

Pictograph State Park – Billings, Montana

Pictograph State Park is a small-ish state park (23 acres) with a short loop trail passing by Pictograph, Middle and Ghost caves. Discovered in 1936, the trails are short but quite steep so make sure to wear good sturdy walking shoes! About 30,000 artifacts have been recovered and the there are over 100 pictographs about 2000 years old featured. (although many are difficult to detect to weather) Binoculars are helpful.

Petroglyph National Monument – New Mexico

Petroglyph National Monument is one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. The symbols here were carved by Native Americans and Spanish settlers a short 400-700 years ago. Dogs ARE allowed (on leash) here and you can see petroglyphs from Boca Negra, Rinconada and Piedras Marcadas Canyons. No bikes allowed.

Jeffers Petroglyphs – Comfrey, Minnesota

Jeffers Petroglyphs features about 5000 rock carvings made by Native Americans 7000 years old. The trails are lined with rare plants and offer daily guided tours. As with any rock art, look closely as humidity, lighting and temperature can affect the ability to view the rock carvings.

Roche-a-Cri State Park – Friendship, Wisconsin

Roche-a-Cri State Park was established in 1948 to protect a 300 foot high rock outcropping featuring Native American petroglyphs AND pictographs. “Roche-A-Cri” means “screaming rock” in French. You can also camp, fish and hike nearby. At the top of the stairway near the rock art is a breath-taking panoramic view of the prairie. Pets are welcome.

El Morro National Monument – New Mexico

El Morro National Monument is a must-visit location, even if you only have an hour! There are three different trails: Inscription, Headland, and Atsinna. From petroglyphs to ancestral Puebloan ruins, any of these trails offer stunning views.

Dighton Rock State Park – Berkley, Massachussetts

Dighton Rock State Park is located in a small museum building which can be difficult to find open so I recommend calling. The rock itself has been moved from its original location. It measures 11 feet long, 5 feet high and 9.5 feet wide. There is still much to be studied about this rock full of carvings. The surrounding park is a lovely spot for a picnic.

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park – Cass City, Michigan

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park contains the largest collection of Native American petroglyphs in Michigan and features a one mile self-guided walking trail through forests and the remains of a 19th-century logging camp. The sandstone rock has about 100 petroglyphs on it and are about 400-1400 years old. Stone tools and pottery have also been found in the park. Pets are welcome outside only.

Puako Petroglyphs – Holoholokai Beach Park, Hawaii

Puako Petroglyphs has an enoromous amount of petroglyphs in the area. Around 1200 in the public section and a total of over 3000 designs in the preserve. The Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs are found inside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Waikoloa Petroglyph field is nearby. These are just north of the two resort hotels at Mauna Lani Resort, Holoholokai Beach.

Olympic National Park (Ozette Beach)- Washington

The petroglyphs at Ozette Beach in Olympic National Park come with stunning scenery. Perhaps some of the best in the United States. Here you can find the Wedding Rocks petroglyphs. You can find about 40 scenes including orcas. Most of the carvings are about 300-500 years old. The entire trail is roughly 9 miles long with Wedding Rocks being the mid-way point.

Tutuveni – Tuba City, Arizona

The Tutuveni petroglyph site is host to more than 5000 Hopi symbols. They date from 1200 to as early as the 1950’s spreading over 150 boulders (although most of them are on eight boulders).

Valley of Fire State Park – Overton, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park is a stunning MUST SEE location. The best place to see petroglyphs in Valley of Fire State Park is on the .75 mile Petroglyph Canyon Trail. Atlatl Rock is another great viewing area. Some of these petroglyphs measure over 3000 years old! Please stay on the trails here and do your part to preserve the area.

Nine Mile Canyon – Utah

Nine Mile Canyon petroglyphs are a short daytrip from Salt Lake City and is another phenomenal Utah MUST explore area. It has tens of thousands of petroglyphs and pictographs. The canyon itself is 75 miles long and contains over 60 rock art sites! I definitely recommend setting aside a day for exploring but make sure you’ve got plenty of gas in your car and water to drink!

Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park -Wrangell, Alaska

Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park is easily accesible via boardwalk overlooking the beach. The lovely thing here is that there are replicas of multiple rock art designs available for visitors to make rubbings on. Search for more than 40 petroglyphs here.

Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area – Shawnee Forest, Illiniois

Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area interprets an ancient Indian village site on top of the bluff on the 3/4 mile trail. At the top of the trail go straight to see the petroglyphs etched into the rock almost 500 years ago!

Judaculla Rock – Cullowhee, North Carolina

Judaculla Rock features one large boulder (48 feet wide!) with mysterious carvings, probably Cherokee. There’s not much else to see so this is a great quick-stop on your road trip!

Track Rock Gap – Georgia

Track Rock Gap, created by Creek and Cherokee people more than 1000 years ago, are petroglyphs carved into soapstone boulder much like the Judaculla Rock. There are over 100 carvings and is the only petroglyph site on public land in Georgia.

Sprayberry Rock – Georgia

Sprayberry Rock is a unique petroglyph for its location – displayed at a Wells Fargo Bank in Marrietta, Georgia.

Reef Bay Trail – U.S. Virgin Islands

The St. John petroglyphs on the Reef Bay Trail are located in the Virgin Islands National Park made by Taino Indians as early as 500 AD. Nearby you can also explore the ruins of a sugar factory.

Washington State Park – Missouri

You can find two petroglyph sites at Washington State Park. They can be easily accessed by a short trail with interpretive signs nearby. This area has ties to the Cahokia Mounds in Illinois.

Courthouse Wash – Moab, Utah

As mentioned the Courthouse Wash is just one of many petroglyphs that can be found in and near the Moab, Utah area. This specific panel is found within Arches National Park and has an informative interpretive panel there. The colors are absolutely astounding here!

As you can see there are quite a few places spanning the entire United States to see rock art in person! This is by no means an exhaustive list! There are many places in the USA not listed here to view petroglyphs and pictographs. Remember, a petroglyph is carved into stone and a pictograph is painted onto stone.

If you have any specific locations that you have loved visiting pre-historic rock art please leave a comment below for others to learn about!

Petroglyph Rock Art Gifts & Souvenirs:

Other Unique Places to See in the USA:

Tips for Visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah

Nature West

On our 9000 mile road trip between Seattle and Chicago the Bonneville Salt Flats in western Utah was top on my list to see! Re-routing didn’t take us terribly far our of way as we were able to see other once-in-a-lifetime stops!

I didn’t know much about the Bonneville Salt Flats before visiting other than it is famous of course for breaking records in racing.

I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to find the location but it was easy peasy! There are some things you’ll want to know before going.

How far are the Bonneville Salt Flats from Salt Lake City?

The Bonneville Salt Flats are approximately 100 miles west of Salt Lake City and roughly 1.5 hours of driving away. It’s a pretty straight drive out there getting more desolate the further away from Salt Lake City you go!

How do I get to the Bonneville Salt Flats?

Take Interstate 80 west of Salt Lake City and get off on Exit 4 – just before you reach the Nevada State Line. You’ll be able to see them before you get to them! It’s AMAZING! Once you exit the freeway turn right and drive north past the truck stop.

Can I drive on the Bonneville Salt Flats?

Yes! You can drive on the Bonneville Salt Flats as long as there is no sign telling you not to. But you do so at your own risk. It’s easy to get stuck around the edges where it tends to be wet and anywhere there’s water.

When we visited there were standing puddles of water everywhere, a sign restricting vehicle access as well as police presence to enforce it.

Does it cost anything to go to the Bonneville Salt Flats?

No! There are no fees for visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats! The road you turn on to get to this Salt Flats International Speedway is LONG! Seriously though – it’s an incredible feeling driving out there surrounded by stark white amazing views.

I should have known it but you WILL GET SALTY! Walking out on the salt flats is an experience like none other but you will get absolutely caked in salt. Most of us were wearing flip flops and were met with immediate salt streaks and cakey white dust on our legs.

Looking over the white stretch of land tricks you into thinking it might be amazing to take your shoes off – it’s not! As you can imagine clumps of salt are very rough and don’t feel the best on bare feet!

The day we went the temperature was well over 100*. Just roasting hot. My poor van AC couldn’t keep up with the heat. So be prepared depending on when you are there for unbearable heat and sun glare off of the white flats.

What to Bring with You to the Salt Flats:

Sunglasses
a Gallon of Water
More Gallons Water
Wet wipes
Hat
Sunscreen
Camera

We only had 2 pairs of sunglasses between the 4 of us and quickly realized at the time that there was no way we were going to be able to open our eyes for a long period of time without them! I’ve been to white sandy beaches my entire life and the glare off the salt flats was no joke!

We had one gallon of water in the car which we quickly ran out of! I wish we’d had 3 gallons. Not only did we all drink a full water bottle each while we were out there (warm water – bleh!) but we also used some of it to clean the salt residue off of our feet and cuts.

Also, if you’re going to hike out on the salt flats or spend any length of time out there I highly recommend putting on sunscreen first. You’ll quickly burn with that salt sun glare!

You are absolutely going to want to bring your camera! If you’re taking special photos make sure to bring any props you want! As long as you take them out with you!

Try photo props like balloons, bright colors, big floppy hats, long flowing dresses, etc.

I was by myself and the 3 kids, my youngest was 4 years old, on a 9000 mile road trip – otherwise I would have LOVED to set up an awesome photo shoot out there!

I mentioned that most of us had flip flops on when we visited which allowed us to walk through the salty waters. It was also nice that we didn’t have to wash off sneakers after our visit.

I don’t recommend shaving your legs or having any cuts on your legs/feet if you’re going to wear flip flops! Just something to think about! One of my boys had blisters from previous adventures and it didn’t feel so great on the salt.

We honestly didn’t stay more than 15 minutes….and it took us a lot longer than that to get there! It was cool to see, although some of the nearby rest areas could have provided us a close up to salt flats.

If you’re making the trek out have a game plan handy! It’s a cool place no doubt but the heat can be ruthless if you don’t plan ahead!

Tips for Visiting Hole N” the Rock:

Other Utah Adventures:

How to get to the U-Dig Fossils Quarry:

Directions from Delta:

What to Bring on Your Fossil Hunt:

sunscreen

hat

a gallon of water per person

first aid kit

How much does it cost to dig for fossils?

Other Things to Do in Utah:

Video Walking through the Cave in Moab:

Inside of the Cave in Moab:

View from Inside the Cave Looking Out:

Tips for Camping Inside a Cave:

Tips for Camping in Hot Weather:

More Unique Adventures:

Petroglyphs and Rock Art in Moab, Utah:

How old are the petroglyphs in Moab?

What are the oldest petroglyphs in the United States?

Where to Find Petroglyphs and Rock Art in the USA:

Pictograph State Park – Billings, Montana

Petroglyph National Monument – New Mexico

Jeffers Petroglyphs – Comfrey, Minnesota

Roche-a-Cri State Park – Friendship, Wisconsin

El Morro National Monument – New Mexico

Dighton Rock State Park – Berkley, Massachussetts

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park – Cass City, Michigan

Puako Petroglyphs – Holoholokai Beach Park, Hawaii

Olympic National Park (Ozette Beach)- Washington

Tutuveni – Tuba City, Arizona

Valley of Fire State Park – Overton, Nevada

Nine Mile Canyon – Utah

Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park -Wrangell, Alaska

Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area – Shawnee Forest, Illiniois

Judaculla Rock – Cullowhee, North Carolina

Track Rock Gap – Georgia

Sprayberry Rock – Georgia

Reef Bay Trail – U.S. Virgin Islands

Washington State Park – Missouri

Courthouse Wash – Moab, Utah