Entry No. 2 — the Salt Lake City file — filed under: land art

Spiral Jetty

In 1970 Robert Smithson bulldozed 6,500 tons of black basalt into a 1,500-foot counterclockwise coil jutting into the lake, then it sat submerged and invisible for over two decades before drought re-exposed it — today it appears salt-crusted white or half a mile from shore depending entirely on how full the Great Salt Lake happens to be that month.

The move: Drive the roughly 23 miles of washboard gravel with a full tank, spare tire, and water, climb Rozel Point's hill for the aerial view of the spiral, then time it near sunset when the hypersaline water turns red from brine shrimp and algae.

• 📍 Rozel Point, Box Elder County (Great Salt Lake)
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Rozel Point, off Highway 83 near Golden Spike National Historical Park, Box Elder County, UT

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: visitutah.com · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-20