Swimming in the Great Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Magna: yard, car, best)

[thegooch]

I will be in Salt Lake City next week and would like to Swim in the Great Salt Lake? What is my best bet close to Salt Lake City??

[coolcats]

Probably Saltair west of Salt Lake in Magna. Beforeworned, the GSL is muddy, smelly, really salty, and probably really cold this time of year.

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

Yes, GSL has it's drawbacks, but it does have Seagulls to turn parts of your car white and take half your hand off if you dare to hold out a MacDonald's french fry....

This goes far in making folks from the coasts, especially the east coast, feel right at home.....

[DP525]

Dude, bring your wetsuit and clothespin. Brrrr and ick.

[AnnaGrrrrrl]

Don't do it! YUCK!

[Chickrae]

Don't swim in there. I took my kids to Antelope Island which is West of Syracuse and Syracuse is north west of Salt Lake. This was 15 years ago. They hated it so much that we never went back. It's not the type of "lake" you would want to swim in

[coolcats]

We had fun last fall when we went swimming at Antelope Island. You wouldn't want to do it every day, but for the novelty, it is worth the experience.

[dreameyes]

Ya I agree with coolcats. It was a fun experience and I'm glad I did it but not one I'd want to repeat!

[vmellen]

I went to the Spiral Jetty and swam in the pink/blue water. Smelly with brine shrimp, BUT it was a fascinating and almost primal experience, floating as if in an isolation chamber, laid out flat on my back, bobbing right on top of the water (only three feet deep after hundreds of yards of walking) in the hot air. Any cuts/holes will sting so beware. And make sure you use shoes because the bottom is often sharp salt-covered rock. Go naked if you can!

[Katzpur]

Don't go to Saltair!!!! It is ugly and stinky.

If you want to see the Great Salt Lake, do so from Antelope Island. I wouldn't discourage you from going for a "swim" (a "float" actually, because you can't really swim in the Great Salt Lake). I'd just want to make sure that you knew what you were getting into. The lake is very shallow for starters. You'll probably have to walk out into the water for quite a ways before it becomes deep enough for you to actually float. Do everything possible to keep from splashing water. If you do get water in your eyes, resist the impluse to try to wipe it out with your hand. It will just make the burning sensation worse. Instead, suck the salt off your fingers or thumb and then use them to wipe your eyes. Get out prepared to be coated with salt. It's not a bad experience, just a very unusual one. I personally love Antelope Island. It's an almost surreal spot. I would highly recommend that every new Utahn visit it, not necessarily to swim, but just to enjoy the scenery.