Several years ago our good friends moved to West Haven, Utah, which is about 45 minutes north of Salt Lake City. It’s a gorgeous area, surrounded by the Wasatch Mountain Range and Great Salt Lake, and not far from Golden Spike National Historical Park.

While we were sad to see them move at the time, we’re thrilled that we’re back within driving distance of each other now that we’re situated in Wyoming. A recent long weekend proved to be the perfect time to test that driving distance and go see them!

The last time we visited, we checked out some museums and breweries in Ogden and hiked to an incredible frozen waterfall. This time, one of my favorite excursions was joining them on a day trip to nearby Antelope Island State Park.

Visitors to Antelope Island State Park drive across the causeway, a narrow two-lane road spanning from mainland to island, leaving the bustle of the Wasatch Front for a refuge of rangelands floating on a desert sea … Antelope Island is home to free-ranging bison, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn (antelope), and many other desert animals. Millions of birds congregate along the shores surrounding the island, offering unparalleled opportunities for birding.

https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/discover/

After driving across the causeway, we wound along the water on the southeastern side of the island to our first stop at Fielding Garr Ranch. According to the state website, the Fielding Garr Ranch House is distinctive for two reasons: first, it is the oldest continually inhabited Anglo home in the state of Utah (1848 to 1981), and second, it is the oldest Anglo built house in Utah still on its original foundation.

Several of the buildings have information plaques explaining some of the ranching activities that took place as well as the uses of the multiple buildings on site. We also wandered over to the stables and stopped to pet some of the horses that were wandering around outside. The mountains were in full view – quite the idyllic spot to set up shop!

We continued our drive around the island, keeping an eye out for wildlife but mostly spotting other humans who were hiking and running along the trails. It was a beautiful day, cool and sunny.

We circled around to Bridger Bay Beach to check out Island Buffalo Grill, which overlooks the Great Salt Lake. They are known for their buffalo burgers so we grabbed some sandwiches and fries and then walked along the sandy shores of the lake. There were some other couples and families wandering around – overall a very relaxing and lazy afternoon.

I am so glad we got to experience this beautiful state park with our friends – I know we’ll be back to see them, and I’d love to go back to check out some of the trails on the island during a future visit.

If you’re looking for some outdoor experiences around Salt Lake City, I’d definitely add this one to your list!