Great Salt Lake

Visited: January 2018

The Great Salt Lake is massive, and the state park covers a small amount of shoreline and marina. I do plan to go back and earn my junior ranger badge (according to their website) and this visit was a wee bit of cheating, as I missed the gate by 3 minutes (didn't realize 5 PM was such a hard deadline in the winter for closing the gate, and didn't want to sneak in when someone else left) and I parked at the Saltair and walked past the gate and to some shoreline technically in the park. I'll try to go back in winter, so it's not so weird when I go to a marina without a boat.

I participated in my usual state park activities, poking dead things with a stick, getting my shoes muddy, and catching a colorful sunset. Sunset over the Salt Lake really can't be beat. However, the sticks were scarce and soggy, making poking dead things a more difficult task than it should be. 3 stars.

Poking dead things with a stick

Looks like the Arc'Teryx logo

Lil bird footprints

 Crazy how the sunset can look so different facing 180 degrees apart. Brilliant orange vs soft purple.

I'll spare you from the more grotesque dead bird pictures. They were soooo cool though. I saw one's little lungs. So neat.

I'll update when I go back and get my Junior Ranger badge like the nerd I am.

Update: Their visitor center and Junior Ranger program are actually great and you should go (in winter, when the brine fly stench isn't as strong)

The Junior Ranger badge has a brine shrimp on it. Ages 10 and up do 8 activities, pick up some trash, and do a ranger program and watch the video. I actually learned a ton from the video. The GSL has a super strange history and I am into it.