The Search for Pink Water
Off on a dirt road we go.
During my lockdown adventures of 2020, I wanted to see what Stansbury Island was all about. I’ve seen pictures on Instagram and wanted to see the pink water for myself. I’m not one for really venturing out into the west desert, but the pictures convinced me to take the drive out to the middle of the desert.
Stansbury Island is the second-largest island within the Great Salt Lake and is located in Tooele County. It is considered an island even though you drive on a dirt road that connects you to the mainland.
Little did I know about the dirt road. I’m known for not planning certain drives ahead of time and get greeted with a nice surprise. Since I didn’t do said planning, I didn’t have the proper vehicle to drive on the dirt roads, but my little car made it going slow and steady.
Note to self: Bring a 4x4 vehicle next time.
The island was named after Howard Stansbury who was the leader of a then government expedition that surveyed the Great Salt Lake in 1849. His role in the U.S. Army was a major. The expedition took two years (1849–1851).
I swear the drive seemed like forever, which I guess it was in my little Nissan. It started as a paved road and went down from there.
When you start the drive, the scenery is full of salty land, then transitions into a ton of sagebrush. Typical of northern Utah. So, after what seemed like miles of sagebrush, the scenery changed back to salt, then some water appeared.
From what I saw on Instagram I knew the water would be somewhere on the pinkish side. What I wasn’t expecting was some purple and blue hints to the pink. It seemed to change with every angle you looked.
Memorized and gorgeous would be the words used to describe Stansbury Island. I was in awe the whole time saying “how pretty” every time I looked. It was pretty and I could stare at it for hours, but I needed to get back since it was hot.
If you ever find yourself in northern Utah with some extra time, head out west to Tooele County. It’s a 50 min drive in total and will be a dirt road not long after you get off Interstate 80. Make sure you have a vehicle with 4x4 drive unlike yours truly.