Silver Island Mountain Back Country Byway (BCB) | Utah

Circle around Silver Island Mountain with the Silver Island Mountain Byway. This 54-mile loop tunnels into Utah's Great Basin, giving room to explore the entrenched canyons and layered mountains. Miles of snow-white salt and mud blanket the byway’s surroundings in a dreamlike tint. Enjoy serenity by driving through remote yet beautiful scenic road. 

Byway Details

The Silver Island Mountains road is located in Northwestern Utah, near the Utah/Nevada border. It is a 54 mile loop, from the Bonneville Salt Flats access road, around the Silver Island Mountains and through Utah’s Great Basin. This is a graded, gravel road that is maintained on an “as needed” schedule. In part, it may be traveled in any type of vehicle, but four-wheel drive is recommended and is necessary to safely traverse the entire loop, and to explore any of the jeep roads into the rocky canyons or washes of the range. The scenic landscape is unique. Hiking, camping, photography, rock collecting, and sightseeing are all accessed via this Back Country Byway. Often views appear distorted, with distances running together or becoming disguised in the heat, reflection, or the curvature of the earth. Surrounded by the skeletal remains of the landlocked sea that once was Lake Bonneville, this mountain range is perhaps the most isolated, yet accessible public land. Nowhere else in the Bonneville Basin is separation so defined. Vistas are spectacular from any of the high peaks. Serenity is overtly accentuated by miles of silver-white mud and salt which together frame this beautiful mountain range in a 320- degree arch of desert solitude. The loop also provides access to explore the historic Hastings cutoff of the California National Historic Trail (made infamous by the Donner-Reed party of 1846).

Attractions & Features

The Silver Island Mountain hosts many features, including:

• Views of the Silver Island Mountain
• Opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, photography, rock collecting, and sightseeing
• Access to the California National Historic Trail
• Access to the Bonneville Salt Flats
• Geological remnants of the former volcanoes