Bonneville Salt Flats Photographer

The Bonneville Salt Flats are an epic spot to take your photos!

If you are considering the Bonneville Salt Flats as an option for your photography session, than keep reading and get all the amazing information you will need to make your day the absolute best and easy as possible!

From Salt Lake City:

How to get to the Bonneville Salt Flats

Take I-80 W for a little over an hour and a half.

This will take you to a parking area with restrooms, covered and uncovered parking.

You will have access to drive right on to the salt flat.

PLEASE NOTE: If you miss the pull over for the salt flats you will have to drive a good ways down I-80W to get to a turn around spot. The highway has guardrails in-between most of the drive.

From West Wendover:

Take I-80 E for about an hour and fifteen minutes.

You will have to pass the pullover until you get to a turn around area due to the guardrails in-between most of the highway.

The best time to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats

September - November is my favorite time to photograph at the salt flats!

There is typically a reflective water that makes for the coolest photos!

NOTE: If you choose a date when the water is out. please use caution driving on the salt flats. You can easily get stuck. Do not drive on flats when signage is posted.

May - August

This time of year is stunning as well and typically gives you a dramatic white out vibe. This time of year is safer to drive on the flats, since there is typically no water on the flats.

NOTE: I would not suggest booking anything the week of Speedweek in late August. Also, avoid early May when the salt flat host an endurance run. You can view the 2022 Bonneville Salt Flats Schedule of Events HERE.

As with any location, anytime of the year will yield different experiences depending on the time of year or even down to the day.

I say down to the day, due to a couples session I had at the salt flats where there was a monstrous amount of smoke from a nearby forest fire. It gave the photos a very dreamy look, so it all worked out perfectly.

One really rad thing about having a salt flat wedding at Bonneville, is you can drive for as far as the eye can see. You have the option to get closer to the mountain range or further away if you choose.

bonneville salt flats photographer erin venable photography

Bonneville Salt Flats Kayaking

Although you may be tempted to find the bright blue waters that you have seen in photos with people kayaking, please do not try this. The canals are industrial facilities leased for potash mining activities and are not designed or safe for public recreation usage.

Therefore, the public should not access, swim, float, kayak, canoe, or pursue any other recreation activities in these industrial canals. You can read more about that HERE.

How to prepare for your visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats

The drive from Salt Lake City to the Bonneville Salt Flats is a little over an hour and a half, so you are going to want to be prepared.

Tooele, Utah is the last stop on the way to the salt flats from Salt Lake City, so you will definitely want to make sure you gas up there, get snacks, drive thru food, champagne, etc & get a bathroom break in and any other goodies you may want. This will be your last stop with anything remotely available.

Depending on what time of year you decide to have your salt flat session, you will need certain items to help be as prepared as possible for the conditions.

The salt is very tough and hard on the feet and has been known to tear up some shoes in the past, so make sure to pack a pair of shoes that you don't care too much about.

Bonneville Salt Flats Kayaking

Although you may be tempted to find the bright blue waters that you have seen in photos with people kayaking, please do not try this. The canals are industrial facilities leased for potash mining activities and are not designed or safe for public recreation usage.

Therefore, the public should not access, swim, float, kayak, canoe, or pursue any other recreation activities in these industrial canals. You can read more about that HERE.

What to pack

- One towel or two

- Couple of trash bags

- Shoes you don't care too much about

- Sunscreen with SPF 50+

- Lots of water

- Change of clothes for the ride back

- Wet Wipes

- Bug Spray

- Snacks

- Don't forget to gas up your car beforehand

Final tips on photographing at the Bonneville Salt Flats

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Check the weather forecast before going. The weather can be a little unpredictable given the day, so be prepared by checking the Bonneville Salt Flats weather forecast. It could be really windy, hot, lots of bugs, it could be covered with water, so just checking the weather forcast can insure a prepared and comfortable trip.

Shoot around sunrise or sunset. Other than those two parts of the day, the Flats are completely open to sun exposure. There are overcast days at the Flats that make it easy to shoot during any part of the day, however they are few and far between.

Don't forget your sunscreen

Make sure your hair is done in a way that can work with wind.

Bring lots of water, snacks, towels and trashbags.

Since there is extremely limited gas stations near the Salt Flats, don't forget to use the restroom before you leave a town with bathrooms. (From personal experience, the bathrooms at the salt flats are really gross. I honestly would prefer to go to the restroom outside then their facilities.)

Make sure you have a full tank of gas, between Tooele, Utah and the Salt Flats is about an hour and a half. If you are coming from Wendover, NV it is an hour and 16 minute drive.

Most importantly, DO NOT PASS the exit for the Bonneville Salt Flats. The way the highway is designed, guardrails line almost the entirety of your drive. There are select turn around openings, but if you pass the Salt Flats, you will have about another hour of driving to get back to it.