The average snowfall in the mountains near Salt Lake City is 500 inches. In 1875, with the intention of creating a money-making tourist attraction, James Wickham decided to bring whales to Great Salt Lake. He had two 35-foot Australian whales shipped to Great Salt Lake (by boat to San Francisco and then by rail to Salt Lake City) wherein he released them. Off they swam, never to be seen again! Though there have been several alleged whale sightings, scientists believe that they could not have survived the lake's high salt content. Location. About Us. From top-left: The Great Salt Lake, bottom-left: Green River, top-right: Park Building, bottom-right: Salt Lake City at Dawn. Salt Lake City. The Great Salt Lake, which is about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, covers more than a million acres.