The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville, which covered much of Utah during the last ice age. At roughly eight times the salinity of the ocean, it supports brine shrimp and brine flies but almost nothing else — which makes it one of the most important shorebird staging areas in North America.
The lake is visible from almost everywhere in the Salt Lake Valley, but getting to it requires a short drive west. Antelope Island State Park is the most accessible point, with swimming beaches (floating is effortless; the buoyancy is extraordinary), hiking trails, and the bison herd. The lake level varies considerably year to year, and the mudflats exposed at low levels can make the smell formidable in summer heat.