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 Opened: 15 July 1886 Closed: End of 1895 season? Location: 2.5 miles west of where Lagoon is today Built by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Company a little north of Lake Side. At the end of the first season, 53,347 guests had visited Lake Park. That was more than the attendance of all the other resorts combined in that year, including Saltair. Over 60,000 visitors came the next season, despite the fact that the lakeshore was too muddy for fine bathing. One reason Lake Park did so well, is that it was located near a main railroad line between Utah's two largest cities (Salt Lake City and Ogden). It continued to be the most popular resort in its day. But the lake level was receding and the water drifted farther from the resort. Also, because so many people had occupied the shores, the sand turned into a sticky blue mud and was no longer desirable. The resort closed after the 1895 season. Simon A. Bamberger, who was vice president of the resort and owned 25% interest in it, moved most of the buildings to Farmington and it opened in 1896 as Lagoon. Above is an artist's rendering of the Lake Park Bathing Resort. If you look closely, you can see the trains going by in the distance and where the railroad splits leading closer to the resort. The Dancing Pavilion and rental cottages along the railroad tracks. The building on the far right may be the train station and/or restaurant. This is the Lake Park Terrace in Lagoon. This is what's left of the 1886 Dance Pavilion. Image is from a 1987 video sent to me by goldbadger, an FS Member. LEFT: Swimming & Boating in the Great Salt Lake. CENTER: Train making a stop on the Bamberger Railway. RIGHT: The steamboat City Of Corinne at Lake Park. This steamboat traveled back & forth between several of the Great Salt Lake resorts. If you have any information or photos of Lake Park or info about the photos above, please email me at farmingtonstar@hotmail.com . Thanks!
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