When traveling through Utah on your way to Yellowstone, you may be surprised to come across a small ocean in the middle of the desert. You may be just as astonished to find a causeway leading to Antelope Island—the largest of the Great Salt Lake’s nine islands. This is just the start of amazing facts about Antelope Island State Park and the Great Salt Lake, America’s Dead Sea.
Antelope Island offers many activities year-round, including sea kayaking, wildlife viewing, lunch and dinner cruises, horseback riding, picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, camping, beaches and so much more. Take the time to view herds of mule deer, big horn sheep, pronghorn antelope and more than 600 bison that call the island home.
The island is the best place to experience the Great Salt Lake, where white oolitic sand makes great beaches. Those who swim here find that they bob like a cork due to the high level of salinity.
The Great Salt Lake is habitat for more than 250 species of birds and a critical link in the Pacific Flyway between North and South America. Four to six million birds feed and nest on the Great Salt Lake each year.
Fielding Garr Ranch, built in 1848, represents 135 years of Western ranching history. The original ranch has been restored and is open to the public, providing a great opportunity to learn about life in the mid-19th century. While visiting the ranch, be sure to take the self-guided tour of the museum.
The Antelope Island Visitor Center provides information on the island’s biology, geology, and unique history and offers a souvenir shop. Call 888-777- 9771.
