spiral jetty

You made it to the Golden Spike National Historic Site, now consider going a bit further (17 miles) and see a desolate bit of art in the Great Salt Lake. It is out there in the middle of no where, down a long gravel road through desolate landscape of scrub brush. Signage was OK and we did not have a problem finding the way there and back. Just somewhat disconcerting when your driving so far into no where with no one else in sight. Seems that help would be forever in coming, if needed. Didn't check to see if we had phone service. OK now the Jetty. Art created 40+ years ago with a bulldozer and black rocks to create this large spiral berm from the shore out into the lake. Interesting expression - sometimes below water but luckily was exposed when we visited. Surprised that there was one other couple there at the time we arrived. If your into expressions of art on our natural landscape in an undisturbed desolate location - this is one place to visit. Not much to do other than see, photograph, walk and experience the site.

I think a lot of people miss the point. I have been twice. The roads and signs are much improved. This is a destination, because it is on the way to no where. All though it is much easier to get here now it is still out in the middle of no where. I can't even imagine 40+ years ago. I do know it is very quiet, we were there for over two hours and didn't see a soul. Didn't hear anything but our own breath. Why would somebody do this? Way out here? I don't know but nobody is likely to undo it. Get away from the throngs of people and go see something most people don't know about, not even people from Utah.

I like to take photos of interesting things and nature. This is a great place to do so. I can understand why some folks might think it is a waste of time though. It's a desolate area. I've been out here twice. Once when the water was almost covering the Jetty in 2012, and once when it was high and dry in 2014. I think the water and Jetty are beautiful. It's also worth a walk out on the oil rig Jetty nearby. (You will pass it on the way in.) It's an easier and less muddy way to get to the water right now. Plus there are salt glaciers at the end that are really neat to see. That's probably not the right term, but there are solid slabs of salt out there that you can walk on. They were pink and white when we went to visit. We also saw little cubes of salt crystals on some of the puddles left by the lake receding. Watch out for the oil on the oil Jetty. I accidentally stepped in some and it was gross!

The spiral jetty is a great place to visit once in your life. It is about a 30 minute drive on a dirt road. If you are going to promontory point then visit the spiral jetty as it is just a little bit further down the road. It is literally at the end of the road so drive as far as you can. Wear good shoes as the trail to the spiral jetty is rocky plus there are nearby trails to hike around. Plan to spend about an hour here.

A visit to Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty has been one of those things I always sorta wanted to do, but it has been so far out of the way that no one I was with wanted to go visit and the thought of driving my car on 20 mile dirt road round trip did not appeal to me.Well, I was on a solo journey and in a rental small suv, so I decide to stop on my way elsewhere.First of all, the Spiral Jetty is a long ways from anywhere. It is accessed by making the long paved-road ride to the Golden Spike National Monument and then driving another 10 miles on a gravel road. The road isn't bad and can be driven with a passenger vehicle. I would warn you that cell phone coverage may be spotty out here and you are probably violating your rental car agreement by driving on a gravel road. Saw a guy with a flat tire out there, did not envy his position, as nearest services were probably 20 plus miles away.Be prepared with water and food in case you get stranded --though there should be a fair number of visitors on a summer day to help you out. Be warned, very hot desert in the summer with no shade.After driving the distance you arrive at a small parking area next to the Spiral Jetty. You get a good view of it from the parking area and can walk down to the Jetty from the parking area. As Smithson said he wanted people to walk on the Jetty, I did so to honor his work. :-)I also took a trail that went up the hillside to get a better view. Rather beautiful view of the jetty against the hazy backdrop of the Great Salt Lake and Gunnison Island in the background (nesting site for pelicans on the lake btw).Now I can check the Spiral Jetty off my bucket list. Well worth the visit.

Spiral Jetty was the biggest waste of time I have experienced in years. Perhaps it's because I'm not an art lover, but I would put forth a good argument why no one should not repeat my mistake: First, Spiral Jetty is equivalent to a Kindergarten art project with a large budget. It's what a kid would design if given access to construction equipment. If the artist had created Spiral Jetty by hand as a labor of love over many years, it would at least be impressive from that perspective. But, he didn't. As I understand, Spiral Jetty was created in a matter of days with heavy equipment. Why? I'm sure the book (really, there's a book!) explains it. I could create something much more interesting given the same resources!Second, the Great Salt Lake is not cooperative. I understand that Spiral Jetty was underwater for years. But now, it's high and dry. The 200 meter walk to the reddish waters was the highlight of our visit. Even if the lake cooperates, Spiral Jetty is only a foot above the water.Third, it's a long haul on gravel roads to reach Spiral Jetty. Unless you really, really, really want to see it and are already at Golden Spike, don't wear out your vehicle (and self) on 15 miles of washboard gravel roads past brush and rotting cow carcases (yes, long-dead cows) in the middle of nowhere Utah.Enjoy Spiral Jetty from the comfort of your computer. This is a case where pictures are worth a thousand visits. At least is was free. Enough said. I warned you!

We did this site along with the railroad exhibit at Promontory, which is 10 miles east. The two together are very worthwhile if you like strange art and trains. It was hot as blue blazes that day, up to 119 (no joke) in the car, but it was worth it. Take water,snacks, and Be prepared for a gravel road. It's drive able, though. Check, too, to be sure the jetty isn't under water. Sometimes it is. As an art geek, I'm glad I made the effort. I'm not so sure my traveling companion was as interested. The rocks change color with the salt build up. It's a good view of the salt lake too. No amenities at all.

My husband had learned about Robert Smithson back in the 70’s. We have wanted to visit this for years. We were heading north and made it a point to visit the Jetty, which is just 10 miles down the road from the Golden Spike Historical Site, which we also visited. The road is drivable all the way to the end and there are small signs pointing the way. The Jetty was clearly visible. Since we drove all the way here, I made sure I “walked the jetty”. And then crunched my way out to the water’s edge. Like being out on the edge of the world. Would love to come back at a different time of the year to see the difference.

You have to want to get here...it is very remote. I studied Smithson's work in college, so I was very excited to get to see this piece in person. It was amazing to see the effects of the salt on the rocks up close, and to see the Great Salt Lake.

Spiral Jetty is absolutely worth the trip. The setting -- mountains, Great Salt Lake -- is matched by Robert Smithson's monumental piece of work. My only quibble is with all the reviewers who claimed you need a Jeep to get there. My friends and I were scared off by the warnings, and so did rent a Jeep. However, we found the gravel road (the final 10 miles, the only part not paved) to be well graded, and the entire path is flat. We could have gotten to Spiral Jetty without incident in a Ford Focus. I don't understand people's concern. Perhaps the road had recently been graded, but we could drive up to 40 miles an hour at times (though usually more like 30 mph). I can imagine after the winter thaw, the roads might be rougher, but we had no trouble. I recommend bringing a picnic and enjoying the magnificent scenery in the little parking lot. Bring sunscreen!

This is an experience well worth the effort. On the north end of the Great Salt Lake, beyond the Golden Spike National Monument, the land art of the Spiral Jetty is awesome. The views of the lake and mountains are epic, and the art is sublime.

We visited the Spiral Jetty the last week of December. The water level of the Great Salt Lake is low enough that it is visible and you can walk out to it. The last fuel stop available is in Corrine when you get off the freeway. The Golden Spike visitor about 30 miles west of I-15. The Jetty is located about 16 miles (unpaved road) past the Golden Spike Historical Monument. There are bathrooms available at the G.S. visitor center. The G.S. employees will provide you a map, and answer questions you may have. The road was covered with snow and ice, so BE CAREFUL. We had 4-wheel drive! In the summer it is about a 30 min. drive from the visitor center each way, but it took us about 45 min-1 hr. each way. Use common sense, you will be "in the middle of nowhere"; in the winter be prepared. We did NOT have cell phone service. Our tire went low, luckily we had our emergency bag, with an air compressor. It was a fun activity for our family. I had always wanted to go see it, after seeing it from airplane rides. Definitely something to see!

This was a bucket list item for me. Although I've lived within a couple of hours of the spiral jetty for many years, I had never made time to visit until last fall. The water level in the Great Salt Lake has dropped low enough that the Jetty is completely visible and can be walked. It's pretty amazing. I was amazed at the beauty of the salt encrusted rock.It's off the beaten path - 15 miles past the Golden Spike National Monument west of Brigham City in Box Elder County. Directions on the website are pretty detailed, but you still have to pay attention. We overshot a turnoff by a couple of miles and had to backtrack. The roads past the Golden Spike Monument are unpaved. It had rained just before our visit, and I was worried that the roads would be unpassable. However, we drove to the jetty in a Toyota Camry and didn't have any problems. If you have a smaller car, or a car with a lower clearance, it may be wise to rent a vehicle. Take water. There are no restrooms, or anything at the site other than a guest book perched on a rock and the jetty. The closest restroom is at the Golden Spike Monument. Driving from Salt Lake City, plan on 90 minutes travel time each way.

We visited the jetty again on Saturday, October 12th. Conditions were perfect. I don't believe it has been this visible for years. If you've ever wanted to walk the entire length of the jetty, now is the time to go. Road conditions were very good.With the government shutdown, the Golden Spike Visitor Center is temporarily closed, but you can still drive out to the jetty. They've posted new signs to help you get there, and there's great driving directions on spiraljetty.org. Also, there's a link from that site that will tell you the current water level.Eat at Golden Spike Burgers on your way to/from the jetty, it's great!

Our late summer trip made it possible to walk inside and outside the entire spiral. Another reviewer talked about the beauty of the area. To me it was really eerie, with calm water and no sight of any life. If felt rather post-apocalyptic. But, I'm glad we went there. It gave me a totally different view of the lake and let us make contact with some very friendly horses along the way!