Sal Del Rey — Attraction in Elsa

wow! This place is amazing. The walk to get to the lake is about 1 mile and you have to walk back that 1 mile. Good workout :) once you reach the lake, there's some history about it on a deck. The deck has a small wooded bench if you need to rest for a bit. I've been there 4 times and each time the water looks different and the amount of salt also differs. When the sun shines the salt glistens beautifully. The water looks pink at times, and each time I have gone the water always looks different so I feel like no matter how many visits I make it'll never get boring. Unfortunately I haven't seen any wild life yet. I did see a road runner once on the main drive to the parking space. The parking space available is quite small but as long as no one parks behind you, you are good. No entrance fee. No picnic tables available. Take water to drink & to wash your hands. Your hands get gritty feeling from the salt if you touch it or the water. R.R. available, more like an outhouse. Take toilet paper if you think you'll need to go to the r.r. no toilet paper available. No wash sinks available so take hand sanitizer or water...

La Sal del Rey is a shallow salt lake in a wind-carved depression in north-central Hidalgo County. The lake is mile-long, 5 miles wide, and covers 530 acres. It's estimated to contain at least 4 million tons of salt. The depression that holds the lake was formed 12,000 to 11,000 years ago during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Hunter-gatherers and fishers occupied the area during the Pleistocene, and Paleo-Indians may have camped there between 9,200 and 6,000 BC. The lake has been a source of salt for centuries, and was used by American Indians, Spanish conquistadors, Mexican traders, and possibly the Aztec Empire. The lake is open for hiking and wildlife viewing from sunrise to sunset. The lake and the surrounding area is full of wildlife. This unique and scenic lake is open to the public year round from...

Don't wear your nice shoes! They will get ruined! The salt seep in, and it really wears them down. It's also a long walk, so bring comfortable shoes. Besides that, it's really beautiful and a great area to experience. It's a great place for pictures and one of the most beautiful places in the RGV, but lets Keep it That Way! Please do be respectful and do NOT leave your trash anywhere besides a trash can, or take it back with you! Be respectful of the environment. I saw too much trash left by people who don't care about the environment. I saw dirty socks, trash bags, candy wrappers, and cans in the water and near the trees surrounding the area, it's gross and it affects the land the animals that depend on it. We need to take care of it, otherwise they can cut it off...