This Underrated Southwestern Island Has One Of America's Only Mesmerizing Pink Lakes

Being close to a lake can evoke feelings that very few travel experiences can — stillness and your own "smallness" in the grand scheme of things. This is true whether you're visiting the most-filmed lakes in the world or underrated lake towns in Florida. Utah, the U.S. state known for its national parks, skiing, and the Sundance Film Festival, also has a lesser-known island — Stansbury Island — that offers breathtaking views of a unique type of lake. It is a pink body of water that belongs to something else the state is famous for — the Great Salt Lake.

Just under an hour's drive from Downtown Salt Lake City, Stansbury Island is a relatively rugged area that doesn't get much in the way of tourist attention, and portions of it are privately owned. Those who do visit get to enjoy fantastic hiking and gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, but the real highlight is the mesmerizing pink lake. The Great Salt Lake is touted as the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere and has two areas — Stansbury Island and the northern bay by the Spiral Jetty — that are rosy in hue. Talk about stumbling onto a place that will force you to take out your phone and click away!

But before we get into how you can travel to this wonder, let's take a look at why the lake is pink to begin with and how safe it is for swimming.

Stansbury Island and the Spiral Jetty area are separated from the rest of The Great Salt Lake, so their salt concentrations are higher. A lack of fresh water flowing into them further perpetuates this increased salinity, and waterbodies high in saline become home to different species. In the case of the pink lake of Stansbury Island, the highly salty nature of the water makes it so that only two kinds of organisms can grow there — bacteria and algae.

There are several reasons why this contributes to the lake's unique color. The first is that the halophile microalgae that thrive in such waterbodies contain pink carotenoids. There are also halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria that live in the Stansbury Island lake that contain a rose-hued protein that converts the sun's light into energy.

As fascinating as the science behind the shimmer is, you might be wondering if it's okay to dip your feet in these waters or go for a swim. According to travel enthusiasts who've visited the underrated island, it's safe to do so, as the bacteria are considered harmless. However, salty water can be abrasive on the skin, so it's best to be mindful of that.

Stansbury Island is located about 45 miles west of Salt Lake City— around a 50-minute drive. The final 15 miles of the drive on the island itself, leading to its northern point, are initially comprised of paved streets before transitioning into washboard roads. You may want to drive slowly and avoid veering into privately owned properties. 

When you admire the lake from the observation point (which has a parking lot), it may appear to be of a darker hue than you expected. Once you get closer, however, you'll see just how pink it is. Aside from enjoying the views of this one-of-a-kind locale, you can lounge on the beach and take drone videos, provided you obtain a $1 permit from the Great Salt Lake State Park. Although the pink waters are known to retain their color year-round, late summer to mid-fall seem to offer the most vibrant shade. 

The area is not shaded, so bring some sunscreen and a tent if you plan to sit on the beach for an extended amount of time. There are no gas stations or food outlets on Stansbury Island, so fill up on gas and pack a picnic basket. There are free campsites on the island as well, if you want to stay overnight.

If you're interested in other unique American travel destinations, Utah is also home to an underrated state park that's devoid of crowds.