Antelope Island State Park

The island runs about twenty-four kilometres and is reached by a causeway across the lake. Bison were brought here in 1893 and the herd now runs between five hundred and seven hundred animals, rounded up each autumn for health checks in an event open to spectators. The lake water is several times saltier than the ocean - salinity varies with level, and nothing lives in it but brine shrimp and brine flies, the latter in swarms that cover the shoreline in dense black bands in summer and are genuinely unpleasant though they do not bite. Biting gnats in spring are the ones that do. The lake has fallen to record lows in recent years, exposing lakebed and raising serious dust and ecological concerns.

What you actually see

• A bison herd of five to seven hundred - with an autumn round-up.
• Water several times saltier than the ocean - holding only brine shrimp and flies.
• Brine fly swarms - dense black bands on the shore in summer.
• A lake at record low levels - exposing lakebed and raising dust.

When to go

April to June and September to November; avoid peak gnat season in late spring. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Biting gnats in spring can make a visit miserable - check conditions. Brine flies swarm in summer. The lake's retreat means the shoreline can be a long walk from where maps show it. Bison are dangerous and approached far too closely.

Nearby

Salt Lake City is south-east; the Bonneville Salt Flats are west.