The BLM is getting ready to close part of the Salt Flats for Speed Week
Jul 23, 2025, 5:00 PM
FILE - A car rides along the Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (Deseret News)
(Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Beginning Monday, portions of the Bonneville Salt Flats will be closed while crews get the track ready for Speed Week.
Speed Week is scheduled to begin August 2 and run through August 8.
In preparation for the event, the Bureau of Land Management will temporarily close the track portion of the flats for grooming.
“A lot of the racers out there have many generations … of combined experience with reading the moisture content of the salt and determining if it’s a good time to groom it or not,” said Tyler Jutte, an outdoor recreation planner for the BLM.
“So before the racing even begins, they’ll drag a steel drag plate to prepare the track surface itself,” Jutte said.
A couple of years ago, Speed Week had to be cancelled because the salt was too wet. But Jutte doesn’t expect that to happen this year.
Jutte says even though it’s been hot and dry, the salt should be able to retain enough water to remain tacky.
“As vehicles drive over it, oftentimes we’ll see track conditions improve and the salt will continue to get smoother over time,” he said. “Heat will, of course, cause a little bit more evaporation of the moisture and the salt. But … once the course is groomed, it smooths out the salt crystals. So not a lot of water can evaporate in that week that they’re occupying the Salt Flats.”
If wind in the area kicks up to over 15 knots, Jutte said that’s when officials begin considering whether to postpone the races.
Visiting the Salt Flats during Speed Week
There’s a $25 entrance fee for Speed Week. By paying that fee, those visiting the Salt Flats will have more access than those who don’t.
“If they’re interested in traveling onto the salt up to 100 feet, just to take some pictures, that’s generally not a problem,” he said.
“Additionally, if people want to travel north of the Salt Flats to the Silver Island Mountains, that gives you a great commanding view over the salt as well as part of the surrounding areas like Pilot Valley and they can certainly do that for free and stay up to 14 days.”
To get to the events, Jutte says there’s an access road just north-east of Wendover.
“Once you get to the end of the access road, you get onto the Salt Flats itself. And that’s where that exclusive use closure comes into play. So people looking to get out onto the salt who might not know that there’s an event going on, they’ll be able to get to that checkpoint at the end of the access road. And the helpful staff there will be able to guide them.”
He said if you’re planning to attend any of the races out on the Salt Flats, make sure to check the forecast.
“Treat it like you’re going out either on an open lake or onto the snow. That salt really reflects a lot of sunlight, so make sure you’re bringing plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, water, some light refreshments and the shade structure if possible.”
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