The Bonneville Salt Flats stretch for about 30,000 acres west of Salt Lake City on the floor of a former arm of Lake Bonneville. The surface, a crust of salt several feet thick, is almost perfectly flat and extends to the horizon in every direction. The effect, particularly in summer when a thin layer of water reflects the sky, is otherworldly.
Reaching the salt flats takes about an hour from Salt Lake City on I-80 west. A paved turnoff leads directly onto the salt crust, where you can drive or walk across the surface. The famous Bonneville Speedway, site of more land speed records than any other location on Earth, is at the eastern end. In September, Speed Week brings racing teams from around the world to attempt new records.