![]() ![]() Or take a stroll on the Wetland Wonders and Marsh Meander trails. Travel the 12-mile auto tour route at your leisure, observing how different bird species use different kinds of habitat. Drop by the visitor center to learn about the more than 200 species which visit the Great Salt Lake and its key role in the Central and Pacific flyways. You don’t have to be an experienced birder to enjoy the refuge. Bald eagles, hawks and songbirds are also easy to spot much of the year. By fall, several species of ducks make their migration, peaking in the tens of thousands by October. White-faced ibis, great blue heron, snowy egret, grebes and Canada geese raise their chicks in the summer. American white pelicans, black-necked stilts, long-billed curlew and American avocets fly in by spring. See tundra swans, mallards and common goldeneye resting in the winter. The refuge spans 80,000 acres of marshes, mudflats, wetlands and open water which attract a stunning array of bird species all year long. Bear River Migratory Bird Refugeīust out the binoculars and fancy camera gear and prepare to be blown away by the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A great blue heron takes takes flight at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a 74,000-acre nature reserve in the northern Great Salt Lake on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. For more information and a calendar of events and closures, visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site website. Entrance fees cost $20 per vehicle, or splurge on a $35 annual pass. ![]() The park has restrooms and water, but the nearest gas and food are about 30 miles away in Corrine. The site also has auto tours and a hiking trail for visitors to see the old rail grade up close. History buffs will adore the reenactment of the “wedding of the rails” ceremony, complete with Victorian-era costumes. Train aficionados will love the locomotive replicas. The site is now part of the National Park system and makes for a fun peek into the past (it’s also on the way to the Spiral Jetty, so enjoy both on the same trip, if time permits). That effort culminated in 1869, near the shores of the Great Salt Lake, when teams drove the Golden Spike and completed the United States’ first transcontinental railroad. The photo depicts the completion of the nation's first transcontinental railroad.Īmerican laborers and engineers spent the early 19th century building a railroad network and uniting a growing nation. Russell on display at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Also, don’t build fires - it’s illegal and could mean hefty fines.Įast and West Shaking Hands at Laying Last Rail photo by Andrew J. There are no restrooms for miles, so plan ahead. Just remember to leave everything where you found it and carry out your trash. The Spiral Jetty has become a popular destination for families, picnics and even kite flying. Dip a toe in this part of the lake’s otherworldly purple water, marvel at all the strange salt crust formations and take a walk to the center of the jetty’s 1,500-foot spiral. One bonus about the Spiral Jetty is it’s in a portion of the lake that’s so salty, pesky brine flies and infamous biting no-see-ums are nowhere to be found. Expect a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City. Just remember, cell service remains spotty once you hit the dirt roads, so be sure to pull up where you’re going in advance. These days, directions are easy to search and Box Elder County has graded the route to suit the modern sedan. Indeed, it used to be quite the adventure to find. Smithson selected Rozel Point, off the Promontory Point Peninsula, as the site for Spiral Jetty, due to its far-flung location. It quickly became his most famous work and an icon of the American Land art movement. Sculptor Robert Smithson created the jetty in 1970 using basalt rock and a bulldozer. Topping any Great Salt Lake must-do list is a day trip out to the Spiral Jetty, a marvel of modern art in the lake’s remote north arm. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |