Great Salt Lake Desert The 1846 Donner Party's difficulties in making the crossing contributed to their becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada. Howard Stansbury explored the desert in 1849. In 1956, I-80 replaced the Wendover Cut-off across the desert, including a straight east-west section for ~ between the Cedar Mountains to the east and Wendover on the Utah/Nevada border. Following a railway completed across the desert's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1910, the flats were first used as a speedway in 1914. The world records for highest land speeds are regularly broken here. The Great Salt Lake Desert experiences a desert climate with hot summers
Miss Utah Teen USA second placement was in 2009, with Tasha Smedley making the top 15. The third placement was the following year, when Angelia Layton placed 3rd runner-up. In 2012, Keilara McCormick finished in the top 16, and in 2017 Rachel Bell placed in the top 15. Four Utah teens have won the Miss Utah USA title and competed at Miss USA. The most recent of these is Marin Poole, Miss Utah Teen USA 2002 and Miss Utah USA 2005, who is also part of Red Curtain Productions. All three Miss Utah Teen USA winners who won the Miss Utah Teen USA titles