About Wendover
Wendover sits on I-80 at the Nevada line, about an hour and a half west of Salt Lake City. It's the base for the Bonneville Salt Flats, which start a few miles east of town. The Tree of Utah sculpture stands beside the interstate on the way in.
Around town you can visit Danger Cave, where people lived more than 10,000 years ago, and scuba dive in the warm water of Blue Lake to the south. The ghost town of Gold Hill is a long, lonely drive south. Cross the state line and you're in West Wendover, Nevada, with its casinos.
Things to do in Wendover
5 listings
Blue Lake
Beaches & Lakes
Wendover, UT
A warm, spring-fed lake in the desert south of Wendover that stays diveable all year. It's a favorite training site for Utah scuba divers and a good birding stop. The last stretch is a rough dirt road.
Bonneville Salt Flats
Scenic Viewpoints
Wendover, UT
More than 30,000 acres of hard white salt along I-80 east of Wendover, famous for land speed racing at Bonneville Speedway. Drive to the end of the access road and walk out onto the salt. It's often flooded in winter and spring, so check conditions before you drive on it.
Danger Cave
Historic Sites & Landmarks
Wendover, UT
One of the most important archaeological sites in the Great Basin, with evidence of people living here more than 10,000 years ago. The cave is gated to protect it; Utah State Parks offers occasional guided tours.
Gold Hill Ghost Town
Historic Sites & Landmarks
Wendover, UT
A remote mining ghost town in the Deep Creek Mountains south of Wendover, with a handful of weathered buildings left from its gold, copper and tungsten booms. Buildings are private property; look from the road.
Metaphor: The Tree of Utah
Scenic Viewpoints
Wendover, UT
An 87-foot sculpture by Swedish artist Karl Momen rising out of the salt desert beside I-80, about 25 miles east of Wendover. There's no exit at the tree, so most people see it from the road.
Where to eat in Wendover
1 listings
Salt Flats Cafe
Restaurants
Wendover, UT
A Mexican cafe on the Utah side of Wendover, the closest sit-down meal to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Where to stay in Wendover
3 listings
Motel 6 Wendover
Motel
Wendover, UT
A budget motel on Wendover Boulevard on the Utah side of town, about 10 minutes from the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Super 8 by Wyndham Wendover
Hotels
Wendover, UT
A budget hotel on Wendover Boulevard on the Utah side of Wendover, close to I-80 and the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Western Ridge Motel
Motel
Wendover, UT
A small independent motel on Wendover Boulevard on the Utah side of Wendover.
Good to know
- Tooele County is big. Tooele to Wendover is about 100 miles on I-80, so plan the Salt Flats as its own trip.
- Fill up before you head west or south. There are long stretches with no gas past Grantsville, and none on the Pony Express Trail.
- Cell service drops in the canyons and across the West Desert. Save your directions before you leave town.
- Summer is hot and dry on the valley floor and much cooler in the canyons. Bring more water than you think you need.