One of my favorite places in all of Utah is Antelope Island.  Why?  It’s one of the most beautiful, rugged places to visit in the state and it’s only a short drive from the heart of Salt Lake City.  Each time I visit Antelope Island I reset my perspective on life and living.  This happens all within a matter of minutes.  I can leave my car, take a short walk or hike, sit still, look up, look out, and listen and the sight and sounds, or the lack of them, serve as a reminder that I am part of a wonderful, a wondrous universe of earth and nature.

The sky above the island is like a big blue dome.  It’s expansive.  There are rocks that are millions of years old, some of the oldest on the Earth, under my feet.  There are reflections of the mountains of the Wasatch Front glistening off the briny water of the Great Salt Lake, the modern remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville.  White, wispy clouds pass slowly overhead.  Bison, sometimes solitary and sometimes in a herd, lay around and graze heedless of the gawking humans eagerly snapping photographs of them.  Skittish antelope roam the island too.  They’re harder to see but equally as beautiful.

Even rarer are the island’s Big Horn Sheep.  They stay well inland and prefer some of the island’s higher and more rugged nooks and crannies. Antelope Island has other inhabitants too.  There are Sage Grouse, Terns, Mormon Seagulls, hawks, falcons, and the occasional Golden Eagle. The hike up to the Buffalo Point lookout is non-strenuous and amazing at the top.

There is a very nice visitor center on the island.  It’s maintained and managed by Utah’s state parks service.  There’s plenty of parking, clean facilities, and a well-stocked gift shop.  There are nice beaches with pavilions, picnic tables, restrooms, and even showers.   There are campgrounds with room for tents, trailers, and RV’s.  Some of the beaches are more remote, but they’re peaceful and worth the trip.

The Fielding Garr Ranch is at the southeast end of the island.  This old sheep ranch is worth its own visit to the island.  The home, barns, corrals, bunkhouse, sheep shearing equipment, ranch vehicles are still there, well preserved.

Finally, there is a Bison roundup each year on Antelope Island.  It’s usually in the fall of the year (October?).  The event begins at the Fielding Garr Ranch.  From there, the bison are pushed across the island to the corrals near Whiterock Bay. They are sorted, vaccinated, and checked for pregnancies, parasites, and other health issues.  Some of the bison are sold. This helps strengthen other bison herds in North America and around the world.