Just 40 miles northwest of downtown Salt Lake City, Antelope Island, in the Great Salt Lake itself, offers an alternative outdoor adventure, from the steep Wasatch Range that dominates the view to the east (and hoards most of SLC’s outdoor adventure seekers). Established as a state park in 1969, when the state purchased 2,000 acres on the north end of the island, the park now covers 28,000 acres—most of the island itself. There are more than 45 miles of hiking trails (no motorized vehicles allowed), and most of those are open to mountain biking and horseback riding, too. If you want to sleep out under the stars, there are four campgrounds with more than 50 sites to enjoy the wonders of a certified International Dark Sky Park.
