Antelope Island & Cracker Barrel Day Trip
Antelope Island, with an area of 42 square miles, is the largest island of 10 islands located within the Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States. The island lies in the southeastern portion of the lake, near Salt Lake City and Davis County, and becomes a peninsula when the lake is at extremely low levels.
The first known non-natives to visit the island, “we rode on horseback over salt from the thickness of a wafer to twelve inches”, were John C. Fremont and Kit Carson during exploration of the Great Salt Lake in 1845, who “were informed by the Indians that there was an abundance of fresh water on it and plenty of antelope”.It is said they shot a pronghorn antelope on the island and in gratitude for the meat they named it Antelope Island.
Antelope Island has natural scenic beauty and holds populations of pronghorn, bighorn sheep, American bison, porcupine, badger, coyote, bobcat, and millions of waterfowl. The bison were introduced to the island in 1893, and Antelope Island Bison Herd has proven to be a valuable genetic pool for bison breeding and conservation purposes. The bison do well because much of the island is covered by dry, native grassland.
Where the Buffalo Roam (and the Grandfriends all play!)
Garr Ranch
The Fielding Garr Ranch is a ranch located on the southeastern portion of Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States and is part of the Utah State Parks system.
The Fielding Garr Ranch is located at Garr Springs which is one of the strongest and most consistent springs of the 40 known springs on Antelope Island, though even this spring has shown some signs of drying up in recent years. The ranch is one of the oldest working ranching operations in the Western United States. The ranch was initially established in 1848, the year after the first Mormon pioneers came into the Salt Lake Valley.
Fielding Garr, a widower with nine children, was sent by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to live on Antelope Island and establish a ranch to manage the church’s Tithing Herds of cattle and sheep. The first building was an adobe house, built in 1848, and it is still in existence as the oldest building in Utah, built by pioneers of European descent, that still remains on its original foundation. The adobe ranch house was continuously inhabited thereafter until 1981 when the State of Utah prepared to set up Antelope Island as a Utah State Park. At various times other people tried to live on the island, but the harsh conditions, isolation and a lack of fresh water made it very difficult.
If you have never visited this amazing place, take a day and go check it out. You won’t be sorry!
http://www.utah.com/stateparks/antelope_island.htm
Contact Information
Antelope Island State Park
4528 West 1700 South
Syracuse, UT 84075
(801) 773-2941 Entrance Gate
(801) 725-9263 Visitor Center
Seasons/Open Hours
Open year-round
July – Mid-September – 7:00 am to 10:00 pm
Mid-September – October 1 – 7:00 am to 8:00 pm
October 2 – Mid-November – 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Mid-November – February – 7:00 am to 5:30 pm
March 1 – May 1 – 7:00 am to 8:00 pm
May 2 – June – 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
Visitor Center and Fielding Garr Ranch Hours:
April 15 to September 14 – 9 am to 6 pm
September 15 to April 14 – 9am to 5 pm
Holiday Closures: Thanksgiving and Christmas
Entrance Fees
$10 Day-Use per vehicle
$5 Day-Use for Utah senior residents
$3 Cyclists and Pedestrians