Birds and bison are among the wildlife that make their home at this preserve northwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
By Sue Hansen
September 2016
The setting: the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. The place: a large land mass surrounded by its water. The inhabitants: a few people and an abundance of wild animals.
What better location for an island camping experience that promises pristine beauty and solitude amid huge amounts of history, both natural and human? Plus, this place is not far off the beaten path, offering an easy excursion for those traveling through Utah.
Long ago, an ancient body of water called Lake Bonneville was as large as Lake Michigan, and 1,000 feet deep. Now in its place, northwest of Salt Lake City, is the Great Salt Lake, known for being saltier than sea water. The nine major islands scattered within the lake were formed when the area underwent geological uplifting 2.7 billion years ago. The largest, at 28,800 acres, Antelope Island is the only one occupied. Its designation as a state park protects a variety of wildlife and preserves stories of the Wild West. Both are major attractions for approximately 300,000 annual visitors.
Antelope Island is 15 miles long and 4.5 miles at its widest point, and its highest precipice is Frary Peak, at 6,596 feet. Rocks taken from the southern end of the island are some of the oldest geological samples in the United States. They are even older than rocks at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Ancient burnt rocks have been found here, indicating fire usage, and human habitation has been dated back 6,000 years or so. Natives apparently used Antelope Island primarily for hunting and a place to process game meat, hence the fire marks on those rocks.
When John C. Fremont and Kit Carson led their exploration party to the island in 1845, they discovered a paradise of 40 freshwater springs (producing 36 million gallons every year), lush rangeland, and ample game — particularly pronghorn, which prompted the explorers to give the island its name.
A story involving Kit Carson says that he shot a couple of antelope for food on the isle but then was confronted by an Indian because it was their hunting ground. As payment, Kit handed over a red bandana, a hunting knife, and trinkets.
Two years later, Brigham Young and Mormon pioneers arrived in the Great Salt Lake region. Privy to Fremont’s report about Antelope Island, a scouting party went to the island in 1848 to determine settlement value. The Mormons saw good grazing grass for cattle, and so 800 to 1,000 head were brought in. They became known as the “tithing herd.”
Fielding Garr was the first permanent settler and manager of the island’s cattle. His family’s restored adobe home, built in 1848 and located on the island’s southern end, is open to visitors for self-guided tours. More island homesteaders arrived after the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. By 1900, the only settler left was John Dooly, who had purchased the island for $1 million in the late 1800s, and on it built one of the largest sheep ranches in the western United States.
With Antelope Island’s establishment as a haven for humans and livestock, what happened to its wildlife? Pronghorn were exterminated from the island by 1926 but were reintroduced in the 1990s. Initially 40 were released, and now approximately 200 live there. Also roaming the wild land are about 250 majestic mule deer and 200 California bighorn sheep. The latter were introduced to the island in the late 1990s and are used as a nursery herd for transplantation into other areas throughout the western United States and Canada. Bighorns can be seen from the lakeshore to the top of Frary Peak.
The biggest animal attraction in size and popularity are bison. They are not native to the island, but their arrival helped save this species from extinction. In 1893, when 800 remained out of what once were millions on the North American continent, John Dooly purchased 12 bison (four bulls, four cows, four calves) and started a herd. Today the herd’s numbers are kept at 500 thanks to an annual roundup (see sidebar). It’s one of the largest and oldest publicly owned lands in the United States.
Despite all the watchable wildlife — including coyotes and bobcats, plus 250 bird species, among them shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors — private landowners at Antelope Island banned visitors well into the 1960s. Visitors who did reach the island (it was accessible by boat only) were greeted by signs saying “Trespassers Will Be Shot.”
In 1969, with the growing desire for access to the island by mainland citizens and Davis County politicians, the state purchased 2,000 acres to protect the island’s northern tip. The remaining 26,800 acres, including the Fielding Garr ranch, became state-owned by 1982. The last of the cattle were removed two years later, leaving the land to descendants of the original bison herd.
At first, accessibility to Antelope Island was by boat. People could also wade or walk on dry land from the mainland to the island’s southern tip when water levels were low. A causeway was built, but it stopped a mile short of the shoreline. People would drive out, look at the birds and sunset, and then go back.
Upon the causeway’s completion in 1969, visitation increased, along with camping and recreation developments on the island’s northern end. However, flooding lake water covered the causeway in 1983, closing it for 10 years. Pumps eventually were installed to drain down the lake, and the 7.2-mile-long causeway is now open year-round.
Antelope Island is a Great Salt Lake sanctuary for wildlife viewing and early American history, as well as a recreational retreat. Visitors camp, picnic, and swim along northern-end beaches, and ride horses or bikes and hike on 25 miles of trails. Bird-watching and boating also are popular. Add in solitude, spectacular sunsets, and the sight of quirky fiberglass bison statues (leftovers from the 2002 Winter Olympics), and Antelope Island is a surprising Eden worth exploring.
The Bison Roundup
Every fall since 1987, the staff on Antelope Island oversee the popular Bison Roundup to keep the wild bovine herd at a manageable level. From approximately 250 bulls and 250 cows roaming the island, about 250 calves are born every April. The roundup keeps the herd at a healthy number and prevents overgrazing on a limited land mass.
At the end of October, most of the burly bison are rounded up by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback and shunted toward pens. There, they await physical checkups, plus culling for auction. The biggest bulls, dubbed beasty boys, are left on the open range, as their massive size prevents them from being safely confined in the individual squeeze chutes.
The roundup takes place on one day; this year, it’s October 22. If you decide to visit, be sure to arrive very early. Activity starts at sunup. You may decide to come a day or two in advance and stay overnight in the campground.
After the bison are secured, they stay in their corrals for a week. The following weekend (this year, October 27-29), “working the bison” takes place. Visitors watch as the animals are vaccinated and checked for disease. Any without a microchip are given one, and all are weighed. Cows are also checked for pregnancy. Most are then released, but certain bulls and cows are selected and penned for the silent auction held in early November (this year, it’s November 5). The animals are sold to private citizens.
Further Info
Visitors to Antelope Island can explore the entire length on well-maintained, paved roads. Tourist facilities on the northern end include a visitors center, a gift shop, and a seasonal restaurant on Buffalo Point.
Antelope Island is most welcoming in spring and fall. It has a dry climate and can be extremely hot in the summer and cold during winter. Carry fresh water and sunscreen. Fill fuel tanks before coming to the island.
In addition to the Bison Roundup, Antelope Island hosts the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in May and a Moonlight Bike Ride in July.
For more information, contact:
Antelope Island State Park
4528 W. 1700 S.
Syracuse, UT 84075
(801) 725-9263 (visitors center)
Park Campgrounds
Dry camping is available year-round at Bridger Bay, with 26 pull-through sites that can accommodate any size motorhome. Reservations are recommended. White Rocks Bay campground has 21 sites at the island’s southern tip for group camping only (up to 16 people per group). Two equestrian sites with horse corrals are located here.
For more campground information and reservations, visit www.reserveamerica.com or call (800) 322-3770. The park website also has ample campground information.