Coordinates: 40°57′29″N 112°12′26″W – Antelope Island State Park is located near the city of Syracuse, UT which is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The island is located in the actual Salt Lake which you can reach via causeway on the east side of the island. Antelope State Park provides a sanctuary for several different wildlife groups such as free-roaming bison, pronghorn antelope of course, bighorn sheep and mule deer. You do have to pay an entry fee per vehicle at $9/day. You can find more information regarding pricing for other various activities on the island here: http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island.
The park is open to visitors year round and offers several different forms of recreation. There are campgrounds, hiking trails, a marina and picnic areas for day use. You can actually go for a swim in Salt Lake and yes, they do have beaches – long ones! The water is very dense so you can float on the water without much effort. Be prepared though, you will exit the water with dry skin and find you are covered in visible white salt. It really isn’t that pleasant in your hair either.
The island is largely undeveloped which offers an awesome feel of being out in nature without masses of people. The park didn’t seem to be crowded at all on my visit to the island. Below are a couple of videos I shot during the trip to the park. Pardon the blustery wind hitting the mic.
Antelope Island State Park Photos
