The sea gull saved crops in the region from an invasion of Mormon crickets in 1848. Two sculptured sea gulls stand atop the monument, which was unveiled in 1913. Great Salt Lake, a closed basin in northwestern Utah, is one of the natural wonders of the world. It is a remnant of the freshwater Lake Bonneville, which existed about 25,000 years ago. The density of salt in the Great Salt Lake reached 27 percent in the early 1960's.
Some scientists believe that salt is carried into the lake from mountain streams.
The waters of the lake do not drain away, but dry up, leaving the salt behind. Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway near Wendover is world-famous as the site where world land speed records have frequently been set. Rainbow Bridge National Monument, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, is the largest known natural stone bridge in the world.