State park
State park · Salt Lake County
Great Salt Lake State Park
The closest place to Salt Lake City to touch the lake, with a marina, sailboats, a beach and sunsets over the water.
Photo: Shaun Fisher · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Plan your visit: access, parking and practical details
Check the operator’s current fees, reservations, parking, transit, restrooms and accessibility arrangements before leaving. Confirm specific mobility or sensory needs directly with the venue.
Official visitor information ↗Great Salt Lake State Park sits on the lake’s south shore just off I-80, near the historic Saltair concert venue. The marina hosts sailboats and tour boats, and a visitor center explains the lake’s unusual ecology.
The lake is many times saltier than the ocean, and floating in it is a strange experience when water levels allow. The sunsets, with the mountains and islands on the horizon, are spectacular.
Don't miss
- MarinaSailboats, boat tours and sunset cruises.
- SunsetSome of the best sunsets in the Salt Lake area.
- Visitor centerExhibits on the lake’s history and ecology.
- SaltairThe concert hall next door, heir to a famous lakeside resort that opened in 1893.
File photograph from the official park gallery. Photo: Utah State Parks (photographer not identified) · Utah.gov informational-use terms · Utah State Parks official park gallery
Good to know
- Bring water to rinse off after floating; the salt dries on your skin.
- Bugs can be thick in late spring and summer; bring repellent.
- Check lake levels; the shoreline moves with the water.