Bonneville Salt Flats | Salt Lake City Wedding | Utah Elopement

HOW TO ELOPE AT THE BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS

If you are looking for a unique location for your elopement, check out the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah! These are one of Utah’s most unique natural landscapes, stretching over 30,000 acres. They are about 2 hours east of Salt Lake City, fairly accessible, budget friendly, and far less busy than some of Utah’s other popular locations!

GETTING THERE

You can type in “Bonneville Salt Flats Westbound Rest Stop” into your GPS. From Salt Lake City, you will head West on the I-80 for 1.5 hours. You will see the rest stop on your right. Be sure to fill up your gas tank, get snacks and water before leaving because there are basically no stops along the way!

PERMITS AND FEES

The Bonneville Salt Flats are land managed by the federal government so to get married you’ll need a special use permit. You can apply for that here. Or you can find more info below:

Bonneville Salt Flats/West Desert

BLM: Salt Lake Field Office (Website)

Like most locations in Utah, a wedding permit is required if you’re having an actual ceremony there. If you’re just wanting to take photos there, then no permit is required. These requirements can always change, so you should always check with the land manager for the latest rules. Helpful tip: Lots of couples like to get married at their local county clerk before traveling out to the salt flats. It can save a lot of stress.

WHEN TO ELOPE

The Utah Salt Flats have a “wet” season and a “dry” season. Either is absolutely gorgeous! When wet the salt flats are flooded, and the thin layer of water creates a reflection during the right times of day. The white salt lines in the summer are beautiful too! They are typically dry for the summer and Fall, then flooded the rest of the year.

Temperatures are usually pretty close to the Salt Lake City weather though the flats usually have more wind and no snow or ice! Summer is a wonderful time to visit, though be prepared for rain. Just like most mountain regions, summer showers are common and it can cause the flats to flood a bit in certain areas. Usually no more than an inch.

Sunrise or sunset is honestly beautiful either way. You don’t have to worry about large crowds because the salt flats are so huge! There’s plenty of room for everyone. But if you’re worried about avoiding people, sunrise or sunset on a weekday is the best time to go.

HELPFUL TIPS

Try to avoid events happening there. The Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway holds racing events in September. Be sure to check the latest events on Google.
The salt is dry. You can go barefoot, but I don’t recommend this for long periods of time as it will dry your skin out and exfoliate intensely. I recommend rubber boots.
Bring a change of clothes for the ride back because the salt will get on your clothes and it might be uncomfortable for the drive back. Don’t worry – it’ll wash out of all your clothes.