Antelope Island State Park — Attraction in Antelope Island

We visited Antelope Island State Park on the 21st of March 2022 and it is definitely worth taking the hour long drive from Salt Lake City! There is a lot to see and do here between the trails, views, homesteads and American Bison, etc.

Ideally I would recommend visiting with a car so that you can make your way around the island and visit as many stops that you can if you are short on time as we were. However, there are camp sites on the island and we did see cyclists on the island. Its about $15 per car so its really inexpensive and its the best way to get your money's worth in a short space of time!

Stop 1: Our first stop on Antelope Island was "Lady Finger Point Trail". The short hiking trail was relatively well marked in sections but its so short you won't get lost! There was a few viewpoint markers along the way which was great at explaining the incredible views that were before us! There was a few rest benches along the way but honestly you could just sit on a rock and it was just as good. Be careful not to disturb vegetation as you go as we really should be leaving this place as we find it so that other can enjoy the park same as much as we did!

Stop 2: Our second stop was "Bridger Bay". We stopped here so that we could walk down to the water line! The beach was sandy as you would expect but as we walked closer and closer to the edge of the water the ground started to look like it was covered in thin slates of some type of stone. Upon closer inspection it looked more like the remains dried salt forming thin sheets of salt that cracked and covered the newly exposed beach area. We also tasted the water and you guessed it, it was salty😅. When we were driving around we saw our first glimpse of the herds of American Bison on the island. Some of them were laying near the road side and more of them were grazing! Amazing animals but always maintain a safe distance ideally from within your car as they can be dangerous!

Stop 3: Our thrid and final stop on Antelope Island was the "Fielding Garr Ranch" which was really cool! A portion of the original ranch is listed on the "National Register of Historic Places" indicating the importance of this site! The ranch was initially established when Fielding Garr was sent to live on the Island by the LDS Church and they had to establish a ranch on to manage the LDS church's Tithing Herds of cattle and sheep. There is a number of buildings on the site which are original dating as far back as 1848. The barns for sheering sheep are left open for peolpe to walk around and there is machinery and vehicle in stalls with information signs fpr visitors to read. I would recommend viewing the equipment that the ranchers once used on the island as well as the blacksmith barn and the old house as they were the most interesting to me! I believe there is tours of the ranch however, there was none available at the time that we visited.

Facilities on the island: There is a visitor Center on the island however, it was closed at the time when we visited. I'm sure it is full of information about the island and I hope to return some day during the busy season. There are plenty of restrooms dotted throughout the park which is really handy!

Overall: I would highly recommend visiting Antelope Island State Park as its really close to Salt Lake City and has so much to offer at any time of the year! I would advise to plan minimum of 4 to 5 hours to try and take in a few treks hours and hopefully see lots of wildlife from the many view points and of course from the side...

Antelope Island is the largest of ten islands located within the Great Salt Lake in Utah. It's a popular destination, known for its scenic beauty, diverse wildlife, and historic ranch. The entire island is a state park and is home to a free-ranging herd of American bison, as well as pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and various birds. The island's geography features a mountainous core surrounded by rolling plains. The island is accessible via a seven-mile causeway from the mainland near Syracuse, Utah. Visitors can enjoy activities such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. The high salinity of the Great Salt Lake allows people to easily float in its waters. The Farm: Fielding Garr Ranch The "farm" on Antelope Island is actually the historic Fielding Garr Ranch. Located on the southeastern end of the island, it is one of the oldest continually operating ranches in the western United States. History: The ranch was established in 1848 by Fielding Garr, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to manage the church's tithing herd of cattle and sheep. It remained a working ranch until the state of Utah purchased the island in 1981 to create the state park. What you'll see: The ranch is now a historical site open to the public year-round. Visitors can explore the original adobe ranch house and other buildings, including a bunkhouse, stables, and a blacksmith shop. It offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of the ranchers who lived and worked on the island for generations. Wildlife: The ranch area is a particularly good spot for birdwatching and is part of the scenic landscape where you can see the famous bison herd and other wildlife...

Very different experience than I expected. The park itself isn't that great. The picnic areas are all out in the open in the sun and the area surrounding is super ugly with not much of a view, which kind of surprised me. The museum is sort of interesting, but it's small and takes about 10 minutes to get through. The Salt lake is DISGUSTING. Although there were locals out playing in this stagnant, very pungent, fly infested water and beach, I wouldn't advise getting in. So now you're probably wondering why I gave this such a good rating. That is because nature is amazing. The sunset there on the beach of the Salt Lake was amazing. The seemingly mile long hike to the water's edge was interesting too since it's all hardened (what we supposed was salt) deposits that were fun to explore (make sure you keep your shoes on for this! Very hard on the feet). The wildlife you see on this island is super cool too. There are weird little antelope living here (hence the name) that apparently are native to this place and of course huge herds of bison that will literally cross the road right in front of you, make up for all the rest. Apparently there are hikes to do around the island too, but since it was so hot and there isn't any trees to speak of as well as the fact that we had kids with us, we decided against trying those out. There's nothing that separates you from the wild life so these hikes are for the adventurous! (Photos are from the beach we went to-I'm not sure where my photos of the bison went, but they were right next to our car at one point which was both amazing and terrifying at...