Ultimate Guide for a Bonneville Salt Flats Elopement
If your wedding vibe is outdoors and minimalistic, you’ve come to the right place. There may not be a better place in the US for a wedding that nails these points than a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement. This natural phenomenon outside of Salt Lake City, Utah is a sight to behold in and of itself – then add in you and your partner in your wedding day best, and it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful! Eloping in a remote place like this can come with some delicate logistics, but luckily I’ve got you covered.
While I haven’t been to the salt flats yet, I think it would make an epic wedding location so I wrote this guide with general information to help jumpstart your own research! As always, my best suggestion is to hire a local wedding planner or a planner with experience in the area who can help with the nitty gritty logistical details specific to the area. You’ll enjoy your day more and I’ll focus on getting you epic wedding photos!
About the Bonneville Salt Flats
This unique landscape encompasses a 12 by 5 mile stretch of Utah’s West Desert, equal to 46 square miles. It used to be part of a large lake thousands of years ago, and what’s left is a salt crust that is several feet thick in certain places and hard enough to drive on. The unique landscape features salt crusts framed by the Silver Island mountain range.
In fact, it’s most well-known for being the best place in the world for top speed land racing. The land speed world record was set here at over 600 miles per hour! But this spot is the perfect setting for more than just speed – it’s also a completely breathtaking place for an elopement. The salt forms a crisp white landscape that stretches on for miles, while the mountains add the drama in the background. Depending on the weather, you can also get some incredible skies here too! If you want your elopement photos to turn out minimalistic and dramatic, a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement is perfect for you.
When to plan a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement
From November to May, the salt flats flood with around a half inch of water. It’s possible to take incredibly unique wedding photos in the serene, flooded salt flats – the reflection is beautiful! But if you’re going for that look, you’ll have to wait until March through early May because the flooded waters are frozen in winter. However, for most, the best time of year for a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement is July through October. This live cam is a good way to gauge the current conditions.
There are still a few things to keep in mind during prime months for the salt flats. If you’re wanting to drive on the salt flats, you want to go when it’s completely dry because you can’t drive on the flats when they’re wet. In July and August, it gets very hot there during the day, so I recommend eloping at sunrise or sunset. The flats also host racing events that close the area to general visitors who aren’t event attendees. In August, there’s the Bonneville Speed Week, and in September, there’s World of Speed. You’ll want to check this schedule and plan around these.
How to legally elope at the Bonneville Salt Flats
While it’s totally free to visit the salt flats when there aren’t events happening, you’ll still need to have some paperwork lined up to legally elope at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Here’s everything you need to know.
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First things first, you’ll need your marriage license. If you pick it up at the Salt Lake County Clerk, it will cost you $50. There’s no waiting period and the license is valid for 32 days.
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In Utah, you need an officiant and two witnesses to get married. Good news: my husband is an officiant and I can be a witness so that’s two of three boxes checked if you need it!
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The Bonneville salt flats are located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. While you don’t need a permit to take personal photos at the salt flats, if you want to have your ceremony there, you’ll need a special use permit. While information for the permit isn’t readily available online, you can visit this page on the BLM site for phone and email contact information to obtain your permit. If you want to simplify the process, you can simply perform the legalities of marriage outside the park and head in for your photos.
Best locations for a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement
While many natural attractions feature a plethora of trails and diverse sights to see, the main attraction when you head here for a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement is exactly that: the salt flats. This area isn’t structured into trailheads. The best thing to do is to park at the I-80 Westbound Rest Stop – or enter the salt flats here if you’re driving on them!
Your second option is to head slightly further west to the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway off of I-80 Exit 4. The speedway itself stretches in a diagonal line to the northeast, and unless the flats are closed due to conditions or an event, you can drive on it yourself! If you’re just traveling on foot, a speedway viewing area stretches out into a cul-de-sac that’s slightly elevated above the flats, which is helpful if there’s water on the flats.
No matter which spot you begin with for your Bonneville Salt Flats elopement, pay attention to signage and only drive in designated areas. Keeping to Leave No Trace principles is extremely important to me since I’m an LNT Aware photographer! This environment is extremely delicate and we want to preserve it for future generations.
The key is to try and go early in the morning before crowds arrive and go out past the people so it’s just you, the vastness of the salt flats and the mountains in the background.
Where to stay for a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement
It’s important to know when you’re planning a Bonneville salt flats elopement that this area in the West Desert of Utah does not have a lot of infrastructure built around it. It’s not like national parks where there are visitor centers and bathrooms. The closest town is Wendover, Utah, but the accommodations there aren’t totally awe-inspiring. I would recommend staying in Salt Lake City, which is about 2 hours away, and making your wedding day trip to the salt flats a day trip.
There are TONS of cute, modern apartments on Airbnb in SLC, but you can find a few homes on there as well. Here are a few of my favorite picks for hotels and home or apartment rentals.
Peppermill Hotel Casino in Wendover – just across the border in Nevada, this is probably your best bet if you want to stay close to the flats
Kimpton Hotel Monaco in SLC – classic hotel luxury in Salt Lake
Industrial condo in downtown SLC – wood accents and a brick accent wall
Mountain view apartment in downtown SLC – ultra modern design with sharp lines
Modern guesthouse in SLC – standalone guest house with crisp interior
High end home near Liberty Park in SLC – luxe fireplace sitting area with 1 bedroom + 2 baths
Things to do when you elope at the Bonneville Salt Flats
While it’s an absolutely epic spot for an elopement, the options in this area are pretty limited when it comes to food and variety of activities. There are no restrooms, restaurants or places to eat at the Bonneville Salt Flats. You’ll have to head to Wendover for any basic amenities nearby, or you can base your elopement out of Salt Lake City. I’ve included options for both.
Food
Pancho & Willie’s – upscale Mexican in Wendover’s Peppermill Hotel Casino
Romanza – Italian food in Wendover’s Montego Bay Resort
Steakhouse Rainbow – steak in Wendover’s Rainbow Casino
Salt Flats Café – casual Wendover diner with memorabilia from land speed racing
Oquirrh – locally sourced new American in SLC
HSL – chic, modern foodie spot in SLC
Valter’s Osteria – white tablecloth Italian in SLC
Takashi – contemporary sushi in SLC
Finca – Spanish food with a romantic garden patio
Activities
Drive along the International Speedway – if you’re there during the time of year where driving is allowed on the flats, this is a can’t-miss activity on the flats. During Speed Weeks, this area is marked into tracks for land racing
See the nearby art installations – most of the salt flats are just that: flat. This structure towers 87 feet above it though. If you love modern art, there are several pieces of art to see in the area. The most well-known is probably the Tree of Utah, sometimes called the Tree of Life or the Mystery Ball Tree. You can also see the Sun Tunnels in Wendover or the Spiral Jetty on the short of Great Salt Lake.
Spot wildlife at Antelope Island State Park – this park is located in the Great Salt Lake. You can bike, hike or horseback ride through backcountry trails here and spot all kinds of wildlife, from antelope and mule deer to bison and bighorn sheep.
ATV over the sand dunes at Little Sahara Recreation Area – you’ll find these dunes about 3 hours south of the salt flats. They’re popular with ATV and UTVers. Rent an ATV and take it for a spin on the dunes or sand board down them!
Boat on the Great Salt Lake – rent a boat or kayaks on the largest saltwater lake in the US. Catch it at sunset to make it super romantic!
See the pink water at Stansbury Island – also on the Great Sale Lake is the phenomenon of the pink water you may. Have seen in Instagram photos. The water turns colors in the summer through fall because of tiny microbes in the water. It’s an incredible sight to see!
Visit the other Utah parks – one of the best things about Utah is the wide variety of landscapes you’ll find there. While the salt flats aren’t a national park, this state is home to The Mighty Five in southern Utah, which includes Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. If you’re already in Utah for your elopement, why not head south and get some epic photos in these stunning locations too?!
Let me help you elope at the Bonneville Salt Flats
I don’t know about you, but I am ALL IN on how stunning a Bonneville Salt Flats elopement can be! I’m here to help you get those pristine, minimalistic photos with no one in the background. I can even help you plan an experience-driven elopement that includes some of the other fun activities on this list! When you’re ready to elope at the Bonneville Salt Flats, I’m here for you!