Antelope Island, with an area of , is the largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
in the
Great Salt LakeGreat Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world, and the 37th-largest lake on Earth. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates...
, the largest
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
in the
Western United StatesThe Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, and the largest saltwater
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
in the
Western HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian , the other half being the eastern hemisphere...
. The island lies entirely within
Davis CountyDavis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In land area it is the smallest county in Utah. In 2000 the population was 238,994 and by 2008 was estimated at 295,332. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion...
, in the southeastern portion of the lake and becomes a
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
when the lake is at extremely low levels. The northern part of the island is the lowest point within the county.
Antelope Island holds populations of pronghorn antelope, porcupine, badger, coyote,
bobcatThe Bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. The Bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban...
,
bighorn sheepBighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America with large horns. The horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to...
, 600
American bisonThe American Bison is a North American species of bison, also commonly known as the American Buffalo. "Buffalo" is somewhat of a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two "true buffaloes", the Asian Buffalo and the African Buffalo...
and millions of waterfowl.
Antelope Island, with an area of , is the largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
in the
Great Salt LakeGreat Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world, and the 37th-largest lake on Earth. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates...
, the largest
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
in the
Western United StatesThe Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, and the largest saltwater
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
in the
Western HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian , the other half being the eastern hemisphere...
. The island lies entirely within
Davis CountyDavis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In land area it is the smallest county in Utah. In 2000 the population was 238,994 and by 2008 was estimated at 295,332. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion...
, in the southeastern portion of the lake and becomes a
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
when the lake is at extremely low levels. The northern part of the island is the lowest point within the county.
Antelope Island holds populations of pronghorn antelope, porcupine, badger, coyote,
bobcatThe Bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. The Bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban...
,
bighorn sheepBighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America with large horns. The horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to...
, 600
American bisonThe American Bison is a North American species of bison, also commonly known as the American Buffalo. "Buffalo" is somewhat of a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two "true buffaloes", the Asian Buffalo and the African Buffalo...
and millions of waterfowl. The bison were introduced to the island in 1893, and have proven to be a valuable genetic pool for bison breeding and conservation purposes.
State Park
Antelope Island State Park is a
state parkState parks are parks or other protected areas of the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreation, or other reason, and under the administration of the government of a U.S. state or one of the states of Mexico. State...
located on the island, established in 1981, part of the
Utah State ParksUtah State Parks is the common name for the Utah Department of Natural Resources - Division of State Parks and Recreation.This is the state agency that manages the state parks system of the U.S. state of Utah.The department's mission statement is as follows:...
System. The island is accessible via a
causewayIn modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated on a sandbank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :...
from
SyracuseSyracuse is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States, between the Great Salt Lake and Interstate 15, about north of Salt Lake City. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in
Davis CountyDavis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In land area it is the smallest county in Utah. In 2000 the population was 238,994 and by 2008 was estimated at 295,332. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion...
. Access from I-15 is via exit 332, Antelope Drive (
SR-108State Route 108 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Utah that spans in Davis and Weber Counties. The road connects I-15 and Layton to Syracuse and Clinton before terminating at SR-126 in Roy...
). The island's shore is mostly (all but west side of the island) relatively flat with beaches and plains to the base of the mountains on the island. These steep mountains are visible from most of the northern
Wasatch FrontThe Wasatch Front is an urban area in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Santaquin in the south to Brigham City in the north...
, reaching a maximum elevation of , which is about above the level of the lake.
Antelope Island State Park operates a 10-
wattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units . It measures rate of energy conversion. One watt is equivalent to 1 joule of energy per second....
travelers information stationHighway advisory radio , sometimes also called travelers' information stations , are licensed low-power AM radio stations set up by local transport departments to provide bulletins to motorists and other travelers regarding traffic and other delays...
on 530 kHz AM. The transmitter is located on the south side of the causeway close to the island itself. This station can be heard in nearby
OgdenOgden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 81,605 according to 2005 Census Bureau estimates. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a convenient...
and as far south as Salt Lake City. It carries information about the park's hours of operation, as well as promotes upcoming events that the state park coordinates.
On the east side of the island, south of the causeway, is the Fielding Garr Ranch. Here one can see the oldest (Anglo) building in Utah that is on its original foundation.
Wildlife
Antelope Island has a unique array of wildlife and is famous for its large bison population. The herd fluctuates between 550 and 700 and is one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the nation.
Other mammals found on the island include
mule deerThe mule deer is a deer whose habitat is in the western half of China. It gets its name from its large mule-like ears. Adult male mule deer are called bucks, adult females are called does, and young of both sexes are called fawns. The black-tailed deer is considered by some a distinct species...
, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, bobcats, badgers,
porcupine Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. They are endemic in both the Old World and the New World. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with an long tail....
s, jackrabbits and several species of rodents.
Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake attract numerous migrating and nesting birds. Along the shoreline avocets, black-necked stilts, willets and sanderlings can be observed. The island grasslands provide habitat for long-billed curlews, burrowing owls, chuckars and several species of raptors.
External links