Seeing Great Salt Lake from a plane
A 1959 railroad causeway cut the lake in two. The saltier north half turned pink from salt-loving microbes; look for the ruler-straight line between the colors.
7 of our routes pass it. Utah · rated 7 of 10
The easy pick
Salt Lake City to Atlanta: sit on the left, on the climb, 4 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City to Phoenix | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Atlanta | Left | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Denver | Left | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Las Vegas | Right | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Chicago | Left | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Seattle | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 7 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Chicago | Left | 71 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Great Salt Lake from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (5 of 7). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Great Salt Lake from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Salt Lake City Deseret Peak Bingham Canyon Mine Wasatch Range Bonneville Salt Flats Salt Lake City (SLC) Phoenix (PHX) Atlanta (ATL) Denver (DEN) All routes