Great Salt Lake, Utah

During the last Ice Age, prehistoric Lake Bonneville’s banks were breached and a catastrophic flood ensued. Still lingering in the high desert of western Utah near Salt Lake City, the Great Salt Lake is an enduring remnant of that ancient ocean. Today, the landlocked basin is endorheic, it’s a terminal drainage where freshwater streams come to an end. Channeled by three major rivers, water flows in freely but with no release point available, it becomes trapped in the salty reservoir.

In a region influenced by the Mormon religion, the American Dead Sea remains defiant as it’s virtually uninhabitable. Even though the destination is distinguished by turquoise water and white sand beaches, this inhospitable place is not a tropical paradise.