For nearly three decades, Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" lay underwater in the Great Salt Lake. Since 1999, as drought has lowered the water level, the 1,500-foot coil of black basalt has slowly re-emerged. Now it is completely exposed. The rocks encrusted with white salt crystals are surrounded by shallow pink water in what looks like a vast snow field.
Smithson
In 1970, when Smithson built the "Jetty," which is considered his
masterpiece, the giant black coil contrasted starkly with the dark pink water of
the lake. But time and nature have left their marks.
Thousands of people have visited this once-elusive artwork.
Smithson built the spiral out of black basalt rocks taken from the shore and
arranged them to a height just above the surface of the water so people could
walk on the earthwork as if on a pier.
At the time, the Great Salt Lake was unusually shallow because of a drought.
Holt said that after the water level went up, her husband talked about adding
rocks to make his work more visible. Over time, glistening white salt crystals
encrusted the black rocks. The crystals accumulated all around the jetty,
turning the whole area a glaring white.
"He liked that the work was strong enough that it could survive these natural
changes," Holt said. "He loved that these natural processes can be seen."
Wally Gwynn, a Utah geologist and editor of "Great Salt Lake: An Overview of
Change," said "Spiral Jetty" would be submerged again as soon as Utah's drought
ends. But he is not sure it is necessary to make the jetty more accessible.
"It has as much mystique underwater as it does when it is exposed," he said.
"It's kind of like Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. We know it's there, even if we
can't see it."
Bob Phillips, a contractor from Ogden, helped Smithson build the jetty 1970.
Initially suspicious of Smithson's plans, he is now one of the earthwork's
biggest fans. While the jetty was submerged, he said, he even considered adding
rock to it himself. But he decided it would be wrong to alter the piece in any
way without Smithson to supervise the project.
"Smithson had something to do with every rock out there," Phillips said. "It
would not be the same thing if somebody else monkeyed around with it. It would
no longer be Smithson's work."
Click Here To See A Divx Film of the Jetty
Video Requires Divx Codec
Directions
1. Go to the Golden Spike National Historic Site (GSNHS), 30
miles west of Brigham City, Utah. The Spiral Jetty is 15.5 dirt road miles
southwest of the GSNHS. To get there (from Salt Lake City) take I-80 north
approximately 65 miles to the Corinne exit (exit 368), just west of Brigham
City, Utah. Exit and proceed through Corinne, paying close attention to the
signs, and drive another 17.7 miles west, still on Highway 83, turn left and
follow signs, another 7.7 miles up the east side of Promontory Pass to the GSNHS.
2. From the Visitor Center at the GSNHS, drive 5.6 miles west on the main gravel
road running west from the Center.
3. Five point six miles should bring you to an intersection. From this vantage
point you can see the lake. Looking southwest, you can see the low foothills
that make up Rozel Point, 9.9 miles distant.
4. At this intersection the road forks. One road continues west the other goes
south. Take the south (left) fork. Both forks are Box Elder County Class D
(maintained) roads.
5. Immediately you cross a cattle guard. Call this cattle guard #1. Including
this one, you should cross four cattle guards before you reach Rozel Point and
the Spiral Jetty.
6. Drive 1.3 miles south. Here you should see a corral on the west side of the
road. Here too, the road again forks. One fork continues south along the west
side of the Promontory Mountains. This road leads to a locked gate. The other
fork goes southwest toward the bottom of the valley and Rozel Point. Turn right
onto the southwest fork, just north of the corral. This is also a Box Elder
County Class D road.
7. After you turn south west, go 1.7 miles to cattle guard #2.
Here, besides the cattle guard, you should find a fence but no gate.
8. Continue southeast 1.2 miles to cattle guard #3, a fence, and gate.
9. Another .50 miles should bring you to a fence but no cattle guard and no
gate.
10. Continue 2.3 miles south-southwest to a combination fence, cattle guard #4,
iron-pipe gate - and a sign declaring the property behind the fence to be that
of the "Rafter S. Ranch". Here too, is a "No Trespassing" sign.
11. At this gate the Class D road designation ends. If you choose to continue
south for another 2.3 miles, and around the east side of Rozel Point, you should
see the Lake and a jetty (not the Spiral Jetty) left by oil drilling exploration
in the 1920s through the 1980s. As you approach the Lake, you should see an
abandoned, pink and white trailer (mostly white), an old amphibious landing
craft, an old Dodge truck...and other assorted trash. From this location, the
trailer is the key to finding the road to the Spiral Jetty. As you drive slowly
past the trailer, turn immediately from the southwest to the west (right),
passing on the south side of the Dodge, and onto a two-track trail that contours
above the oil-drilling debris below. This is not much of a road! Only high
clearance vehicles should advance beyond the trailer. Go slowly! The road is
narrow, brush might scratch your vehicle, and the rocks, if not properly
negotiated, could high center your vehicle. Don't hesitate to park and walk. The
Jetty is just around the corner.
12. Drive or walk 6/10th of a mile west-northwest around Rozel Point and look
toward the Lake. The Spiral Jetty should be in sight. The lake level varies
several feet from year-to-year and from season to season, so the Spiral Jetty is
not always visible above the water line.
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