Knolls Recreation Area is part of the Great Salt Flats and is located 82 miles (132 km) west of Salt Lake City just off Interstate 80. Popular with ATV enthusiasts, the Knolls Recreation Area stretches over 36,000 acres, but take care to not stray too far, because the land borders a bombing range. An EarthSky user describes the spot: “BLM land mainly used for overnight camping and dirt biking and ATV activities in sand dunes during the day. $6 to use the site (pay in an honor system box). Free if less than 30 minutes. Parking lot is near bathrooms. Milky Way is easily visible from here with very little light pollution (from SLC, Wendover, and nearby cars driving by). Note that it is very windy in this area as it is essentially exposed desert.”
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.