Brian: We drove to AI in the dark. The gate attendant greeted us with a blank stare and a dumb look. Kyle and Erin were disappointed that the showers were not operational. We drove across the long causeway to our campsite. I immediately like AI. The temperature was a wonderful 80 degrees Fahrenheit around 10:00 PM MST. The nearly full moon illuminated our campsite. The area reminded me of Parks Ranch, NM. Many jack rabbits ran in front of our vehicle as we drove. The camp was surrounded by desert landscape though we could see the Great Salt Lake in the not-so-far distance. I stayed up a little later than Kyle and Erin to take a moonlit picture of the campsite. I slept under the stars.
Erin: When we arrived we paid the attendant and he taped the ticket to the windshield. Then we drove across the causeway. The moon lit the water edges. We dodged jack rabbits as we drove to our site. The weather was warm as we sat up tent on a sandy beach. We went to sleep.
Kyle: I really enjoyed seeing the jack rabbits consistently crossing the road in front of our vehicle. I really liked our peaceful site on Bridger Bay campground. It felt great to camp on the sandy beach on such a mild night. IN the morning, I spotted a bison walking near a neighboring campsite.
Kyle: We awoke, took down the tent and got in the car to see the island. We stopped don a rocky peninsula and hiked close to the water. When we got near the water, we noticed the over abundance of Brine flies on the shore and H20. Then we drove until we found a very large herd of bison crossing the road. It was another unique photo opportunity as the bison didn't seem to care that we were around them. We then spent some time at the ranch where we ate breakfast and briefly explored. It was quite unique when we saw a young fawn walk within three feet of us. On the drive off the island we saw pronghorn antelope adding yet another animal to our list of wildlife on this trip.
Brian: I got up at 7:00 AM MST. It was 70 degrees and cloudy. We packed up camp. Then we drove around the island first stopping on a peninsula east of Bridger Bay. After verifying that the showers were pay and therefore undesirable, we hiked out on a trail and rock hopped toward the bay into an area of swarming flies which covered everything and lifted like a cloud of dust as we hiked by. We bushwhacked to the car and continued our island tour. We traveled to the south and crossed through a fence boundary. I quoted "Welcome to Jurassic Park!" We eventually spotted an enormous herd of bison crossing the road. We pulled through them and stopped at a pull off where we photographed many bison up close and personal. After the bison herd, we turned around and drove up the peak road and then continued to the ranch where we ate breakfast. On our drive out, we spotted two groups of pronghorn antelope. AI is a neat place and well worth the $9 entrance fee to cross the causeway ($12 to camp).
Erin: After we took down camp, we got in the car to begin our tour of the island. We pulled into a parking lot and hiked along the trail. We then drifted off trail towards the lake. We walked through a field of flies that guarded the shoreline. In the distance we could see "Byrd Island." It wasn't long before what seemed like every bird on the island filled the sky. We took pictures then made our way back to the car. As we drove, we were stopped by a herd of bison crossing the road. I took what I hope are some nice photos of the bison, flowers, and peaks. We arrived at the ranch and ate breakfast. Then we toured the grounds. We were all surprised to discoverer the island had fresh water springs which provided the source of water. The herd of pronghorn by the shore was amazing; I have never seen an antelope before. If we had more time, I would have liked to hike the Frary Peak trail. All in all, AI was very enjoyable and provided the best campsite at the lowest price on our trip.
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
Antelope Island
