We headed south through Idaho and on to northern Utah past the northern most part of the Great Salt Lake and on to Nevada to Wendover. The drive was a lovely drive with no other vehicles to be seen. We stopped on the border of Utah and Nevada for lunch and a short walk. It was a great drive from American Falls to Wendover.
The Wendover area can be a bit confusing for those who have never been. West Wendover is the town in Nevada right along the Utah border which allows gambling and has the casinos. Just over the border in Utah sits the town of Wendover which does not allow gambling. Most of the entertainment, restaurants, hotels, stores, etc. sit in West Wendover. Interstate 80 runs through both towns and as you head east it takes you directly into the Bonneville Salt Flats. We decided to stay at the Wendover KOA which is in West Wendover, Nevada. It was still stinking hot and we wanted some A/C!! We were there to visit the Bonneville Speedway and have an overnighter on our way south.
RV Park: Wendover KOA
Location: West Wendover, Nevada
Site: A-6
Cost: $56.84
Services: FHU (50AMP)
Comments: A large pull-thru site in a clean RV park. It was practically empty when we were there but a few more rigs arrived as the day progressed. It was easy to get in and out of navigate AND a quick drive to the salt flats.
The RV park has a pool, game room, and laundry area along with rental cabins in addition to their full hook-up sites. It sits near I-80 yet we didn’t hear much noise. We had nice casino/city lights at night out of windows.
The town of West Wendover has a population of just over 4,000 people (Wendover has about 1,500) and has only a few streets so it is very easy to navigate. It is real easy to drive a big rig down the main street (the strip) where all the casinos are located. There are a number of grocery stores and liquor stores nearby to stock up on before heading out of town.
The Bonneville Salt Flats sit just a few miles east of Wendover, Utah and are the salt pan remnants of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville. The area is public land and run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is know for its speedway where many land speed records have been set. The flats are about 12 miles long and 5 miles wide. No camping is allowed on the flats themselves but there are boondocking areas for camping to the northwest of the flats. It can get quite hot in the summer in this area .
Getting to the Bonneville Speedway on the Bonneville Salt Flats from the KOA could not have been easier. You just pop onto I-80 and head east a few miles and exit at the sign for the Bonneville Speedway. You head north for about a mile and then turn east for 3 miles until you dead end into the speedway. The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) had just completed their Motorcycle Speed Trials a few days earlier. We tried to attend but just could not make it there in time. Maybe next year??? It is quite a neat place to visit AND fun to drive but it is not recommended in wet weather!!! Luckily, it was really dry while we were visiting so we did take a fast spin around the flats and had a blast! It is quite hypnotizing to drive.
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