Normally when I've talked about Antelope Island it is in connection with the sunset photos I've taken from our backyard. I love looking out across the Great Salt Lake to see the sun's reflection in the lake as it goes down behind the island.
Today was the first day we could actually begin to think of Spring with blue skys and temperatures in the low 50's, so with a desire to get outside and take advantage, we decided to actually head out to Antelope Island for a couple of hours and take in the views from that vantage point.
Above is the causeway you drive across to get to the island. While it had been explored previously by mountain men, it was only established for ranching in 1848.
Until the causeway was constructed, the only way to get on the island was by boat. Below is a view looking across the lake back towards the Wasatch Mountains and our home.
The island sits on the southeast corner of the lake and for a number of years it has been receding on "our" side. Going around the island you can look out to the west to view the largest natural lake in the West of the U.S. Beyond the lake is the Bonneville Salt Flats where speed records have been set over the years.
Below is Buffalo Bay.
When the island was first explored they found antelope on it, thus the name. Over the years the island has been used as a cattle ranch and for sheep herding. When the State of Utah took over management of the island, they introduced Buffalo to the island in an effort to increase their numbers. The buffalo herds have grown over the years and roam free across the island most of the year.
Below is the the Fielding Garr Ranch, which was established in l848. It now serves as a museum and represents a 133 years of western ranching history .
And so another Utah history lesson ends. The access to the island is just 1/2 hour from my home and provides both hiking and biking trails. The only downside are the
mosquitoes that can overwhelm you in the late spring. Go on a day like today and you
are absolutely in heaven.
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