What Are Those Vivid Blue Ponds In The Moab, Utah Desert?

Utah has many natural attractions, and this one that has been gaining in popularity looks fake but is not.  

Moab, Utah has quite a few attractions that draw tourists and locals alike such as Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands State Park, and Arches National Park. However, the attraction that seems out of place in this desert is the Potash Ponds.  

Bright blue ponds cover a section of Moab and though they look like chlorine pools they are definitely not.  

Potash is short for a type of potassium salt that is being mined by private company Intrepid Potash Inc., the Utah Geological Survey said. The company uses solar evaporation ponds and dye to enhance the mining process. That's how these potash ponds came to be.  

Though it’s private property and you can’t go see them up close, you can still view the potash ponds through a few key places.  

One place you can view these blue ponds is through Dead Horse Point State Park. It's an overlook of the property and you get to visit a state park at the same time. Or you can drive along the Lower Colorado Scenic Byway 279 and get a slightly closer view that way.  

The best time to see Moab’s Potash Ponds is in the summer months since the blue is extra striking with the desert backdrop. You can go during other times of the year, but the colors won’t be as vibrant.  

So, before summer ends, go visit Moab and check out these manmade attractions and don’t do anything illegal like trespassing.