Bridger Bay Beach + Day Use Area

The Bridger Bay Beach and Day Use Area is the best place to take a dip in the Great Salt Lake. The large sandy beach is a short 550-yard walk to the shoreline of the lake. The lake is actually quite shallow, so you will need to wade out a bit if you plan to go swimming. 

The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, and it covers about 1,700 square miles. The lake is fed by the Jordan, Weber, and Bear rivers that together deposit 1.1 million tons of minerals in the lake each year. There is no outlet for the lake; rather, evaporation contributes to lake's salinity. 

The bay is named after Jim Bridger, who along with Etienne Provost in 1824 became the first white man to see the lake. There is a plethora of evidence suggesting that prehistoric people inhabited Antelope Island as much as 6,000 years ago. 

Once you're done swimming in the lake you'll find showers and a restaurant near the roadside. There are also a number of covered picnic tables in case you brought your own lunch, and Bridger Bay Campground can accommodate those spending the night in the area.