Salt Lake City: Great Salt Lake 45-Minute Boat Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/13

Duration45m

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

A Slow Boat Across the Saltiest Lake in the Western Hemisphere

You board a slow motorized pontoon at the state park marina and spend 45 minutes on the Great Salt Lake, staying within a mile of shore while the captain shares the lake's history and stories. You get bottled water, a mesh hat for the bugs, and views of the Salt Lake Valley and mountains from the water. The pace is deliberate—designed for commentary and photos, not speed.

45m

Step-by-step itinerary

Great Salt Lake 45-minute boat tour

Depart from Great Salt Lake Marina
Board motorized pontoon boat
Enjoy slow boat ride near marina
Listen to stories, history, and jokes
View salt lake valley and mountains
Take photos during the tour

The Experience

The pontoon motor cuts low as you push away from Great Salt Lake State Park Marina, and the water spreads out in front of you—flat, wide, and so salty that nothing sinks. Forty-five minutes doesn't sound like much time, but on a lake this size, staying close to shore is the whole point. The captain keeps the boat slow enough to talk, and he does, feeding you the kind of stories about the Great Salt Lake that you won't find on a plaque: how the water got so dense, what lives in it, why the islands sit where they do. You're not racing to some distant landmark. You're floating on something genuinely strange.

The tour stays within a mile of the marina—the captain is clear about this upfront, and it matters. The islands are several miles out, and honestly, the view doesn't change much once you're past the first stretch. What changes is the feeling of being on the water itself, seeing the Salt Lake Valley and the mountains from the lake side instead of standing on shore looking out. It's a different angle on a place most people only see from land. The boat moves slow enough that you can actually hear what's being said, take photos without everything blurring, and notice small things: the color of the water, the way the light hits the shoreline, the scale of the whole thing.

One practical thing: the lake has bugs near the marina, especially depending on the season. They don't bite, but they can swarm. The tour gives you mesh hats to keep them out of your face—it sounds odd until you're out there and grateful for it. The captain will tell you the current bug situation if you call ahead, since it changes. Bottled water is included, and the whole vibe is low-key: you're getting the lake's history and a few jokes, not a high-speed thrill ride. If you want to race across open water or reach the islands, this isn't the tour. If you want to actually float on the saltiest body of water in the Western Hemisphere and hear about it from someone who knows it, this is.

What’s included

Your 45-minute tour includes departure from Great Salt Lake State Park Marina on a motorized pontoon boat, captain-led commentary on the lake's history and stories, bottled water, mesh hats for bug protection, and views of the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding mountains from the water.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Exclusive Excursions SLC

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to experience the Great Salt Lake from the water without arranging your own boat—the fixed 45-minute window and included bug protection mean you show up and float, no logistics to manage.