7 Wonderful Things to do at Antelope Island, Utah

The horizon seems to shift in this open landscape where bison roam and birds flock in the millions. The landscape at Antelope Island alone makes this a perfect place for a visit, and there are plenty of things to do at Antelope Island to keep you busy including hiking, biking, and swimming.

For us, visiting this place was an amazing surprise, and we were blown away by the number of animals and the sheer size of the island. Make sure you drive along the Antelope Island Road to the south to get a sense of the scope and rugged terrain.

Quick Look at Things to Do at Antelope Island

Where is Antelope Island?

Antelope Island is a one of a kind State Park located in Utah. The park is located about 40 miles from Salt Lake City and about 30 minutes from the exit of route 15. It is very easy to get to, and you will need to go over the 7-mile causeway to get out to the island.

Antelope Island Directions from Salt Lake City: Drive north on route 15 and take exit 332 onto Antelope Drive. Continue west and pass through the State Park Gate and across the 7 miles causeway onto Antelope Island. There is a State Park Fee to get through the gate or you will need a camping reservation.

Map of the Best Things to do at Antelope Island

Best Time to Visit Antelope Island

The absolute best time to visit Antelope Island is in the early spring when temperatures are right and there are no bugs. Winter is cold with daytime temperatures around freezing and snow. Summer is hot with temperatures in the mid-80s on average but with cool nights it is still pleasant. With about 300,00 visitors each year, Antelope Island never gets as crowded as many of the National Parks. We visited in early August and it was a welcome break after crowded national parks.

Antelope Island is home to insects including biting gnats (April-June), mosquitos (during the summer at dusk and dawn), brine flies (Midsummer these cover the water’s edge but don’t bite), and midges (non-biting throughout the summer). The ones to avoid are the gnats as bug spray doesn’t work, otherwise, a little bug spray takes care of it.

Antelope Island Things to Do

Stop By the Visitor Center

The visitor center is a great place to start and since this is a really unique place, there is some great information here to get you started. You can also get information on the best place to see the animals (including bison) at the moment.

Antelope Island Camping

We loved camping on Antelope Island and felt it was worth having its own place in the list of things to do at Antelope Island. There are several campgrounds on the island Island for a total of almost 100 sites for both tents and RVs. All the campgrounds are open without trees, although, the sites have a table with cover for shade. The sites are all spread out with plenty of space.

We loved the open feeling of camping here that we didn’t have in other places during our month-long summer road trip. We chose to stay at the Bridger Bay Campground, and even in August, the campground wasn’t full. We were able to hike right from the campsite.

Search for Antelope Island Animals

Antelope Island is home to an amazing assortment of animals including free-ranging bison, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn (antelope), and millions of birds. The wide-open landscape is ideal for looking for animals and we saw many bison and pronghorn not far from the campground. The number of birds that visit the shores of Antelope Island number in the millions, making this a great place for birding.

We enjoyed driving Antelope Island Road early in the morning to look for animals

Biking on Antelope Island

Antelope Island State Park is a great place to bike. The island offers road and mountain biking. You can even bike right onto the island over the 7 mile causeway. Many of the hiking trails on the island are open to biking (with the exception of Frary Peak and Dooly Knob). Most of the trails are easy and you can put together some great loops, including hiking on the road.

It’s worth noting that while we loved biking here, we somehow must have run over a bush with some thorns and we almost all got flat tires. I don’t say this to deter you as we loved it and would do it again, but perhaps pay attention to where you’re biking, and bring a repair kit!

Best Antelope Island hikes: Frary Peak, Buffalo Point, Dooley Knob

There are several excellent hikes on Antelope Island. The three best options are described here, but you can also explore several smaller trails.

Frary Peak is the highest point on Antelope Island. The trail is 6.9 miles and gains 2,300 feet in elevation. This is a popular hike that is open year-round and is moderate to challenging. You should expect the hike to take about 4.5 hours.

Dooley Knob Trail is a shorter option with only 2.4 miles and 700 feet of elevation gain. This slightly more moderate route has great views of the Salt Lake and wildlife.

If you are looking for a much easier hiking trail, consider Buffalo Point Trail. This is located at the end of Buffalo Point Rd and is only about 1 mile and 200 feet of elevation. You can easily add on to this trail to make a slightly longer loop. You can often spot wildlife from this trail and had views out over the Salt Lake.

Visit the Great Salt Lake (maybe take a swim)

If you are visiting Antelope Island, then spending some time exploring the Great Salt Lake and maybe even going for a swim is an absolute must-do. We arrived right at dusk and headed straight for the water with the idea to go out for a swim. Since we were there in August, there were a LOT of brine flies as soon as we got near the water. We were prepared for this and willing to tough it out and go in anyway, but there were way too many for us and we decided not to try it after all.

Swimming on the Great Salt Lake is supposed to be an amazing experience, so if you’ve done it, leave a comment, we would love to hear about it.

Take Some Photos

Antelope Island is a one-of-a-kind place to take photos. With roaming wildlife and the open landscapes, we loved exploring and snapping some photos. Make sure you get out early or late and capture some of the golden hour photos.

After exploring Antelope Island, we headed off to Capitol Reef National Park.