I had about an hour to kill before heading to the airport and on a whim looked to see if there was a possibility to get on the Great Salt Lake. I've been to SLC many times for work and pleasure but never had the chance to be on the Great Salt Lake until recently. I was lucky enough to find this boat tour company, and there was a 45 min boat tour leaving about 15 minutes after I arrived at the state park. To get into the Great Salt Lake State Park, the admission is $10. And for this boat tour, it was under $40 for a 45-minute boat tour. It was a beautiful fall day, and it just couldn't have been nicer to be on the water, I loved it. Our tour guide, who was also navigating our pontoon, said that yesterday all the boat tours were canceled due to wind and smoke. SLC has been quite smoky on this visit, and that's from all forest fires around, which made me so sad, really. SLC is a beautiful city, and the mountains are so breathtaking on a clear day. Having so much smoke tarnishes the entire beautiful of the city. This was a really nice ride, and the tour guide had all sorts of fun facts and jokes for us and told us a bit about the salt lake. The water is quite salty, and because of this, you will be able to float nicely on it. I'll have to get into the water next time. Overall, I enjoyed this lake ride immensely and would highly recommend it if you're in SLC. Everyone was friendly working for the company, and pretty laid back. And don't forget to tip your tour guide. You can also ask for a QR Venmo code to tip if you don't have cash. This park is also about 15 min to the airport, so pretty closeby. This is also seasonal for the summer, so make sure you check to see if boat tours are running. read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - The Great Salt Lake - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

See all

We struggled with a rating for this because we really wanted a place to swim in the Great Salt Lake since my husband remembered doing that as a child and wanted to recreate it with our son. That experience was provided right behind the Visitor Center. We did not see anyone else dip more than a toe in while we were there. The parking lot outdoor showers were warmish and helpful to wash off the tiny shrimp after our swim. The smell, swarms of low flying tiny bugs, and the residual dry skin were a bit unpleasant, but didn't stop us from enjoying our dip in the lake. Nor are they the fault of the Marina, so... read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - Where's everyone else? - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

Had a fun afternoon on the lake. Our tour guide was entertaining and knowledgeable of the area.

So, we wanted to spend the night on the Great Salt Lake and were super excited to get a campsite. The staff were friendly & bathroom / shower was great and clean. Tent camping here is a mistake. There are swarms of small sand flea/flies.... Everywhere. Bug spray barely helped. Also, no shade and it was really hot. We made the most of it, swam and then went to a hotel. Just too miserable. read more

Cool place to stop and take your dogs. They have a place to wash them off, too. There are showers if you get in the water. It's across from the visitor's center. Keep in mind that this place smells terrible, LOL. Also, the visitors center is so lackluster. Not many options for souvenirs or stickers. They do have pretty clean bathrooms! $5 admission to the park read more

this lake smelt absolutely horrid to say the least. there were flies/fleas swarming everywhere. we tried to ignore and just wander the beach but we stopped once we saw a dead fish laying in the middle of the dirt. not worth spending the night or even worth the 10 dollars to explore. read more

We went here in the evening for champagne and sunset. We parked at the marina and instead of going down to the beach area we walked towards where the sailboats actually go out into the water. We were the first ones there so we got the perfect spot we set up our chairs and pulled out our little picnic. We brought a little music with us. It was absolutely the best spot to watch the sunset from. By the time we left there were at least four other families that had perched around us. We didn't mind we felt like we were in our own little world. The reason this does not get five stars as it should is because of the bugs. They were terrible and the more of the sun went down the more the bugs came out. Whatever we did not eat got thrown away because the bugs were everywhere. They were even getting drunk off my champagne. I had a few bites the next day that were from the bugs. My suggestion, take bug spray!! I didn't know I was going there, my husband planned it, otherwise I probably would've taken bug spray with me. But oh the sun set was super amazing!!! Totally worth a few bug bites. read more

See all

Great views not crowded. This place is so relaxing to eat your lunch . I love it & I will be back . read more

This review is of the lake and visitor center, not the boat services. 20 minutes outside of Salt Lake City, this is your closest and easiest access view point of the Great Salt Lake. Worth doing once if you're into checking out famous natural wonders of America, but I didn't think anything was that visually stunning. If you go to the Antelope Island viewpoint (1 hour away from the city), then you have a chance of seeing bison on the island. I can sum up the lake in one sentence: It's like a calm beach, but much smellier and full of swarms of harmless brine flies. I was hoping to see some color patches, but those were better seen from my airplane window on my flight in. If you want the best view of the Great Salt Lake, it's from the plane window. This location is pretty bare bones. You pass by the Saltair performance venue, keep on driving on the road and then you pay $3 to access the parking lot next to the visitors' center, which is in a portable building. There's a 40 minute video that plays about the lake and a few poster board displays. The video is long, but very informative. The visitors' center is free to enter, it's the parking that costs. If you don't to see the visitors center, then you can usually park at the Saltair for free, thus avoiding the other lot's parking fee. It takes a few extra minutes to walk from the Saltair lot to the lake. On a clear day you can see the five islands from the viewpoint. Stansbury, Carrington, Promontory Point, Fremont and Antelope. You also might spot a few birds other than just seagulls. The brine shrimp (sea monkeys!) and brine flies thrive in the salty water climate. The wretched stench around the lake is not from the lake, but from the decaying hatched brine fly waste. The brine flies are harmless and don't bite. When you step towards them, they fly away, it's a pretty fun effect if you mess with them. If you can muster the courage to pass the brine flies, then you can walk in the lake in your bare feet. If you are even more daring, go in for a swim and let the salt water keep you afloat. Worth visiting once to satisfy my curiousity? Yes. Am I dying to go back? No. ***Hot Tip #1: If you don't want to pay $3 for parking, just park at the Saltair and experience the Great Salt Lake from there.*** ***Hot Tip #2: If you get your shoes dirty and want to get rid of that brine fly smell, go hose off at the pump across from the visitors center.*** read more

See all

Located about 17-18 miles away from where we are staying in Salt Lake City, my husband and I, along with 2 of our dogs came out to visit the Great Salt Lake this afternoon after 2 pm. We saw the sign that stated "Great Salt Lake State Park" and ended up at the marina. Not exactly sure if that is the "state park" but we parked in the lot and walked around. Being that this is towards the end of December (and also being by the lake), it was incredibly cold and windy! We walked down towards the beach/ sand with our dogs to take photos and take a look at one of mother nature's wonders of this earth. But only stayed for a short time because I could not handle it. Be sure to bring good shoes/ boots if you come here in December because there was snow on the ground and can be an easy slip (which you do not want to do because the sand is really dirty and smelly, like fish... I know this because one of my dogs thought it would be fun to roll in it. He smelled all the way back to our home and got a bath immediately). Not a whole lot to do around here, unless you have a boat. But I think it is still worth a visit if you are staying in Salt Lake City (but not worth a 2nd visit). By the way, there are restrooms here (separate men and women sides), but I did not use them (so can't tell you if they were clean and if they had the essentials or not). There is also a visitor center (in a trailer), but didn't go in on this visit. Bring your camera and get your photos on (and don't forget to post them on Yelp and write your review). read more

See all

Do not recommend. Roads are all messed up. Bugs and gnats by the millions. It smells okay from the parking lot. You go down to the sands and lake and it smells like you're surrounded by dead rotting fish in sh*t and p*ss that's been out in the sun for 3 days, drenched in garbäge bottom water. I've never experienced that but that's how I'd imagine it would be by the smells of it. Please enjoy it from a far. You'll thank me later. read more

Another landmark checked off the bucket list!! Was able to score free parking on the weekday, there was nobody at the booth. Not too far of a drive from SLC. I've wanted to see the salt lake for a while now and it looked so awesome flying in on the plane so we had to check it out! This particular address will take you to the other side of the salt lake which has more water, but if you drive about 5 mins away, you'll see this mosque looking thing and you can park there to walk down and see the salt sand part of the lake. I came around April so there weren't too many bugs that people were talking about. The Great Salt Lake is amazing and it was fun to walk on. It basically was like sand you'd find at the beach, but you could get a strong whiff of SALT. read more

I was here back in 2012.....the water stunk beyond belief. Remember the leftover shrimp in your fridge? Yeah...multiply X 100. Just nasty af. There were HUGE spider webs all over the place with 40+ spiders per web. Not quite sure how this place hosted the olympics at one point. Bottom line...save tour money. Go play in radioactive Lake Michigan read more

An easy way to see the Great Salt Lake. For a $3 parking fee you can see, touch (swim in) and smell the Great Salt Lake. The highlight of our brief visit was the video in the visitor center. The bathrooms were clean. We completed our visit in less than two hours to and from downtown Salt Lake City, spending a good amount of time looking around. read more

Holy cracker jacks! This place was beautiful. Had I have gone without my GPS, I would have gotten lost. Parking is $3 which isn't so bad. In a sense looking at the lake you get a feeling that it's fake, but in a good way. Just goes to show the beauty of it. Well deserved adventure that will want you take take a few snap shots. read more

See all

The Great Salt (stinky) Lake as I called it to my friend! This was my first visit to the lake itself and so I wasn't sure what to expect. I understand it's a state park but you'll end up probably in the marina area but I assume it's one and the same. I arrived maybe around 11:30 am and no crowds. There were people in the lake and some out and cleaning up. I walked down to the shore and WOW. You are immediately hit with the smell of stinky, rotting fish. I understand, very salty lake. That somewhat didn't bother me, what really really got to me was the millions of creepy crawlies that are EVERYWHERE. You hit the rocks and stand for like a minute and I swear, it's like you're covered in them. I quickly took my pictures and headed up to the viewpoint area. Some more pictures, some more creepy crawlies and I was done. Overall, if you're in Salt Lake City, one should visit this place. Can I say I was so WOWed by it? Not really but it's still pretty. This review is neither good or bad. Its a place one should visit to see Earth's wonders. Second visit? Not anytime soon! read more

See all

Not very impressive, but probably worth the $2 to get in to take a good look at Salt Lake. Not their fault that it stinks to high heaven. In addition, it was very hot. The Salt Lake is not really that scenic actually. It stinks and it contains two living organisms, brine shrimp and brine flies, lots and lots of brine flies. Three organisms, if you count the seagulls. There was a visitor center, but it was closed. Also public restrooms. Don't really know why people would boat on that lake. Too stinky for me! read more

We came here thinking that we could sort of drive around & see the salt lake. Instead we drove in, paid $3, looked at the information center & worked out we actually wanted to be at Antelope Island, took some pictures of the salt lake & left. It was freezing, the morning after Thanksgiving so we didn't go down near the water, but there wasn't much to see down there anyway. And the gift shop was closed. Antelope Island is a 1 hour drive north from here & well worth the drive. read more

See all

I can mark putting my feet in the Great Salt Lake off my bucket list. Was it as picturesque as I was expecting? Not even close! I was completely disgusted 99% of the time we were there. Let's make a list of the things that grossed me out: smell, giant spiders on the rocks, and brine flies. I didn't get it when people said there are billions, but they are literally everywhere! Imagine the ground looking like it's moving. Last but not least, get the idea of "State Park" out of your head before going. Instead think double wide trailer parked in a marina lot because that's what you're getting. All this being said, I never want to go back to visit the lake, but I am still glad I experienced it for myself. I did get some good sunset pictures out of it all--and a story my friend and I can laugh about for years to come! read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - Putting our feet in the Great Salt Lake - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

See all

Sometimes what's in your own backyard can offer the most surprises. The Marina at the Great Salt Lake is one of those gems with surprises in-store. A small campground next to the marina offers a quick getaway just minutes from the city. You can rent a paddle boat or a kayak, bike along the lake or, take in some amazing sunsets over the water. Bird watching is also great with a variety of migratory birds at all seasons of the year. read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

Well... I don't know what I had pictured in my head but it looks like any other body of water for the most part. However, the smell is bad... it's not the salt either, it's the waste from the brine shrimp and brine flies. If you go in the center there is a video that explains the lake and it's once very populated vacation destinations and many islands. There were once lots of people out on a pier with bathhouses, and roller coasters. The carousel that was once there was moved to lagoon, the nearby amusement park. I put my feet in... so interesting to learn about both the geology and history of the great salt lake. read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - The great salt lake - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

Using my trusty GPS I found my way to the Great Salt Lake. Well the marina, For $3 I parked, and made my way out the the flats. Other people mention the smell, I didn't notice it. I did notice the sun. I sweat It was stronger there than it was in Florida. But ... It was calm and still, not a soul around me, and it was peaceful. I loved it. I did notice some life in the water, the brine shrimp were there, and I could think of were the Sea Monkeys I used to raise as a kid. Now I know this is where the eggs come from. :) I would come back in a heartbeat. This was an awesome adventure. read more

The Great Salt Lake Marina is a good place to take photos of the Great Salt Lake as Andrew indicated. Since I don't own a boat and have never boated on the Great Salt Lake I don't know how the amenities are for boaters but as a sightseer it is a nice place to visit. Beware of the spiders in the spring time and the smell at other times. read more

Well, I can say I saw the Great Salt Lake. That's about it. SO many flies and spiders. Very pungent. It was just a shame that the water is so low this year. I did, however, get some really beautiful photos. Thankfully no technology exists that captures the smell of dead brine shrimp. Woof. For those wanting to experience the lake, I would have loved to take a boat out to one of the islands or at least get away from shore. I would recommend looking into that.. from the marina this is a pretty sad place. I wouldn't want to camp here. read more

See all

It is good and amzing from lit but far but if u gi to close to water its fish smell come and flies is too much other wise it was beutiful read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - When u enter , ucan see full mountains around just awsome - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

See all

3.5 stars The visitors center and gift shop could be done better, but my main focus was swimming. The visitor center does have some brine shrimp in a tank if you want to check them out before going in the water. They're not scary, promise. Swimming in a dead sea has always been on my bucket list. Unfortunately, I missed my opportunity to do so at Antelope Island because of all the morons online that have never been in nature that have a mental meltdown and scream about seeing a fly in the great outdoors. This scared us out of taking swimsuits to Antelope. A few days later, I came to the marina to fulfill my salty dream. Walking toward the water, there was no smell. I imagine there could be a smell if a bird died by the water or something, but the actual water does not smell. This is super-salty water that can only support the life of little brine shrimp... there's not a lot going on in there. The water is only 100 yards from the visitor center. The brine flies are extremely dense about 4 feet from the water's edge. There are so many that it's fun to run around and switch direction and watch their swarm maneuver. The brine flies will not bite you. I walked out into the water until it was about mid-thigh, then sat into it. My butt just popped up under me, letting the relationship between a human's density and that of the salt water push me to the very top. I was out there for about 1.5 hours, switching between a lawn chair lounge and laying on my stomach with my head popped up. I also played with normal free-style swimming to see how differently the force of a kick was handled by the water. It was very interesting. Everything just pops up to the top. It was peaceful. I had set my belongings on the rocks and there were little splashes of dried salt on everything I left on that rock. If you don't want salt on something, leave that something in the car. There are water hoses near the visitors center available for rinsing off the salt water. These are hoses, not showers. These hoses are out in the open, not in a private stall. People ask you how the water was as you rinse and stick their feet in the water from the hose as they mill back to their cars from walking the beach. If you have to go to therapy over seeing a fly, crawl into a plastic bubble and stay away from people that actually live their lives and are capable of seeing the good in life. This plastic bubble will also keep you away from the marina. Depending on the time of year and conditions, Antelope island's water entrance on the west side or the marina are the best entries. You can call either office and find out which is your best bet. It was a very unique swimming experience and I definitely recommend it. read more

AWESOME! have not been there in awhile... however the great salt lake and salt air has a special meaning and is very special to my husband and I. This is where we really started our lives together, we joined as one, and got engaged and more... Love it!!!! read more

We drove out to see the Great Salt Lake. It's big but, we didn't think it was anything special. We din not go to the Visitor Center which we probably should have to get more information. We will plan to visit the center when we return soon. read more

Bring nose plugs and some bug spray! The minerals in the lake give off a very strong scent which can be nauseating. The water itself attracts many bugs Other than that, the lake looks very serene especially with the mountains in the background. *This review is only for the park and does not include the marina and the information center. read more

Great laid back way to view and experience the Great Salt Lake... biggest surprise was the little trailer called the Galley that served some really great food including one of the best tasting Veggie burgers I have had..$3.00 admission per car full to enter but well worth it!!! read more

Stopped by on the way out of salt lake. Paid $3 for parking and then I wandered around the beach area and visitors center. Only spent about 20 mins here. Just did it to check it off the list. Water does have an odd smell and there are lots of flies. Still a pretty view, though. read more

See all

I love taking photos, and I live near by a marina in the Bay Area. So, I decided to look for a marina near SLC as well. Googled for some marina, and this place popped up. Since it snowed a couple days before my arrival, I thought I could take some great shots. Went to this place, it was very well maintained. Of course, nobody was really boating in the winter. Talked to a couple of rangers who were very nice and helpful in finding view points around the marina. They were willing to open the gates to docks so that I could take close-up pictures of boats covered in snow. They got really well-maintained facilities, too. Even their bathroom and vending machine looked clean. There was like $2-3 entrance fee to the facility, though. read more

I've had a boat at the GSL Marina since 2007. There are a number of slips, many with shore power. Water is available to all the slips. The new marina office is very nice, the old office is partly used by the yacht club. The bathrooms are heated and showers are available to slip renters. Recent improvements include a mast hoist. The State Parks have done a great job keeping the marina functional during low water periods. There's a port-a-head, dry storage and covered storage for canoeing clubs. The harbor master is also a social chairman. In conjunction with the yacht club, there are dozens of events and functions to attend. Frequent emails alert slip renters of weather conditions, storm damage reports, helpful hints and reminders. Slip rental is $150/month during the summer, $75/month during the winter. Prices differ for larger slips or slips sans power. A few hardy souls make their boats their home year round. Sailing on the GSL is amazing. (Sailing is amazing but that's something one has to experience for themselves.) Sunsets are spectacular. It's not at all uncommon to be the only boat on the lake. The yacht club is the oldest west of the Mississippi. Races are held Wednesday evenings in the summer. There are a number of slips available. Boats are always being bought and sold. The elements can be harsh at times. The lake's depth and weather patterns demand respect, clear thinking and rapid response should things get ugly. It kills me that there could be something this cool located so close to a metropolitan area like ours and yet be so unbelievably underutilized! Silly Utahns... read more

I mean I didn't understand how to get out.. there wasn't anyone at the paying window spot so I didn't pay? Haha I was confused there but it was super beautiful. read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

See all

We visited this visitor center as part of our visit to the Great Salt Lake. It's a small cozy building but great shelter from the fierce salty wind that blows from the lake. The building itself was decently maintained and the restrooms were clean. There's a small gift shop inside that sell some unique items such as salt. The only employee that I saw was pretty cheerful. read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - View from Marina - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

See all

I would pass on it. If it was just stinky water that would be fine, but the the sand was black with flies. I don't think I've seen so many flies in my life. Go at your own risk. Or don't. Either way if I never see this place again it'll be too soon. read more

I made a visit here on my travel to SLC. The place smelled horrible and people were actually taking their shoes off to walk into the lake. It was great to say I've been here, but have no plans to return. I would encourage on going if you want to experience it for yourself read more

Great Salt Lake Marina - The great salt lake - Boating Near Me - Magna, Utah

Horrible! Not a nice view smell was nasty . Walking down to lake we thought was grass flying because the air being pushed up but it was really flys .We couldn't find a way in. So much construction. read more

The first portion of this trip was very confusing. I thought I was in Egypt. Had to cross the Serengeti barefoot and afraid. Water was warm and I was able to enjoy a tasty cigarette. Too many bugs though. Gift shop sold shirts with sexual innuendos....tasteless. Also lake smelled like fish yet there were no fish in sight. I left feeling perplexed and with no desire to return. #NotSoGreatSaltLake read more

the views were a lot nicer than what I thought, but the smell is horrendous. And there were a good amount of dead birds as we walked up to the water. $3 to get in on a Saturday , not sure if it's different on other days. Apparently the dead birds are normal , I had to google it. But did I mention it smelled funky? You get kinda use to it after like 15 mins I guess. It was very quiet and a great experience read more