Donations Add Up to a Visitor Center for the Great Salt Lake Marina

Utah State Parks

There are no official numbers on how may buses make the stop at Great Salt Lake State Marina annually, but Shaw feels there are easily enough to warrant a building to provide information about the Great Salt Lake and the marina —and eventually, a gift shop.

After approval from Jeff Rasmussen, his supervisor and now deputy director of Utah State Parks, Jeremy Shaw explored options for the building.

He didn’t have to go far to find something at a great price. Shaw had previously spotted an empty building —really a triple-wide trailer configuration —on 7200 West just off of Interstate 80, about 11 miles east of the marina.

A little research showed the building was no longer in use by the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau as a welcome center. Shaw discovered the building was now owned by a private entity, which owned the land on which it sat. He inquired about the facility and was pleased when officials with Suburban Land Reserve told Shaw they would donate it to Utah State Parks.

Once it’s moved, the building will sit at the end of the parking area closest to the lake shore.

"This will give visitors something to see with historical and geological information about the lake so people have a sense of what they are seeing when they stop," Shaw said.

The visitor center will be staffed by Great Salt Lake State Marina personnel and Shaw hopes to have it running by early summer. The gift portion of the shop may take a little longer to complete. Salt Lake Tribune