Bridger Bay Campground

We have stayed at Antelope Island 3 different times all for 1 night each. We have been there early season (April) and late season (Oct/Nov). The weather during those times of year has been very agreeable but there has been a bit more wind then we like. It might just be that this part of the island is windy. At other time of the year there can be a lot of bugs but the times of year that we have been there, the bugs have been non-existent.

Bridger Bay is the campground that I would recommend. White Rock is much more primitive but is the only option if you are bringing horses with you. For those of us without horses, we get to enjoy mostly level asphalt with concrete fire pit and table areas. Each site also has a pavilion providing the only shade available. They have planted some trees but they are several years away from being good shade providers. There is a standard metal picnic table and another prep-table (something we haven't see at other campgrounds) closer to the fire pit. Fire pits are concrete with a metal insert and all have a flip over grill grate. All sites are nearly the exact same and only differ by location and back-in/pull through. The pull through sites are very generous and could accommodate any size rig.

The lake is to the north of the sites and from our experience the wind blows from the south. This means that if your table is north of your rig, then it might help block some of the wind. Unfortunately this means that your awning and door will be on the wrong side. That being said, plenty of people go the wrong way on the one-way street to get setup "backwards".

While on the island there are several hiking trails for you to explore. On the South East side of the island is the Fielding Garr Ranch. It is a historic ranch with lots of old building and farm equipment. Be sure to stop by the office and get the sheet that tells you what each of the things are before you start exploring. The island is home to many wild animals, most notably 500-700 bison. They are free range and roam all over the island.

Antelope Island is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. It is a really beautiful spot, with a kind of bleak, epic landscape. And just to add to the epicness there are free roaming bison all over the island, including the campground. Apparently they can be quite vicious and they warn you to stay away, personally I don't need a warning to tell me to stay away from a creature that weighs over 1,000 lbs and can run a lot faster than me.

We stayed at Bridger Bay, which is graded so everyone gets a views. The sites on the north side of each loop have the best views because you are not obscured by your neighbor (Sites
2,4,6 & 8 on the lower loop, and sites 11,13,15 and 17 on the upper loop)

There are lots of hikes and the Fielding Garr ranch on the east side of the island is a really interesting visit. They let you pick up all the tools and handle all the exhibits. The park is close enough to downtown Salt Lake City that you could also visit for the day.

Unfortunately the insects here are also epic, I believe that it is worse at particular times of year, and we were not there at the worst time, but we were eaten alive by mosquitoes. You'll need your hefty DEET if you want to spend time outside (which you will because it's beautiful.)

The cell coverage here was pretty poor, with a booster you can probably get something but don't count on it.

We stayed here for one night. The campground was maybe half full. Nice large pull throughs, and each site has a picnic table and food prep table. The picnic table is under cover. Pit toilets are provided, and there are showers back at the beach area. Free cold ones, or warm ones if you pay. Loved everything about it other than the harmless but large and numerous orb weaver spiders.

Antelope Island is not for the weak of will.

In Spring you have extreme windy conditions and teeny biting flies that crawl through your scalp driving you mad.

Summer brings extreme heat with no cover anywhere but the Visitor Center. The biting flies are joined by Mosquitos. Then there's the ever present stench to end all stenches reminding you that despite the onslaught, billions of flying insects meet their end in the salty marsh water.

Autumn brings pollen which will defeat any and all allergy medication you might try as well freezing night time temperatures and yet MORE Mosquitos.

Winter is, well, winter but at least there's no biting insects.

We decided to check it out anyway because when we visited in August several years ago it was PERFECT- great temperatures, some wind to keep the heat and mosquitos at bay, plenty of Buffalo sightings and millions of Orb spiders everywhere which are harmless although they look like they will kill you dead.

Ladyfinger is a 5 site tent only campground with dedicated parking spots for each site. Open fires are not allowed, there's no running water and pit toilets. Campsites 1,2, and 3 are clustered together great for larger groups. 4 and 5 are off to the right and more picturesque. We camped next to another couple who spent all night talking and laughing quietly- it's so quiet here we could hear them despite their whispering.

The vistas are perfect and the rocks make for some beautiful photos.

We had a gorgeous view of the Milky Way and I got to hear all the coyotes howl as I stayed up half the night with a killer sinus pressure headache Tylenol was only able to conquer for a couple of hours.

I'm making this place sound terrible but the bird song and wind through the grass makes up for all possible trials. The campsites are on open ground near a very popular overlook in the Island so this is not the place to go if you are looking for peace and quiet. If you want spectacular sunsets and some great birding ops- this is the place for you.

Disclaimer: I stayed at this park in 2016 prior to the fire which burned half of Antelope Island.

This is a wonderful park, about an hour north of Salt Lake City. I stayed at the Bridger Bay Campground, which has nicely spaced, quiet sites and restrooms with running water. Because the island is located in the Great Salt Lake, it can be quite windy. I've heard the mosquitos run rampant during the warmer months, but for us, the wind kept them at bay. There is a large herd of bison on the island, which you may find roaming near your campsite when you wake. If you're lucky, you may even see bison on the beach! There are also antelope (duh!) on the island, a beach adjacent to the campground, and several fun hikes. If you're adventurous and fit, hike up the Frary Peak Trail for an incredible view of the entire island.

I would definitely return to Antelope Island. I hope it recovers soon!

We stayed here in the middle of November and it was awesome. Verizon service wasn't great even with boosting, ATT didn't work. I can't remember which campground we stayed in but it was the one for bigger rigs.

It would seem that timing is everything there because we did not experience bugs like people have stated. If not on a schedule we would have stayed longer. The natural beauty here is great.

Coming: https://youtu.be/TejVqYDgUKQ
Going: https://youtu.be/N8Qt7794COo

Passing through Salt Lake City for a few days, we chose to spend 2 nights at the Bridger Bay Campground. Absolutely a must – one of the most unique and beautiful locations we've camped in.

Since we visited in mid April, we had one chilly and rainy night but the rest of the time was warm and perfect. During this time, the bugs barely bothered us at our site. As for hiking, some trails were much buggier than others and our dog didn't appreciate it too much! Bug spray is a must ;)

Overall the island is beautiful and definitely recommend everyone visits. The weather we experienced was perfect.. I would assume the summer months are awfully hot since there is no shade on the island. We loved driving throughout and seeing bison, antelope and the occasional coyote so close to us.

The Verizon cell phone service was OK depending on the time of day.

One thing we did not know is that you're "locked in or out" at closing so be sure to be back in time ;)

We wanted to see the Great Salt Lake and the animals on Antelope Island so decided we'd stay one night even with the warnings about the bugs in the spring. We were going to have to spend $10 to get on the island regardless so what's another $13 to camp there. Both campgrounds are located on the absolutely gorgeous coastline of the lake...far enough back to not have issues with water/bugs too much. There are restrooms at the campground and pay for showers at the beach access nearby. We agree that the northern spots on both loops of Bridger Bay have the best views but they are all lovely.

Now for the bugs. When we originally parked the bugs didn't seem that bad. We made the mistake of walking to the beach from the campground with our dogs. The no-see-ums were horrendous! They ate our short hair dog alive drawing bloody welts all over the place. We recommend if you want to go down to the beach during no-see-um season you walk the boardwalk from the beach access. The bugs are still bad but not as bad as in the undeveloped areas. We didn't do any hikes because of the bugs and we were glad it was cool since this campground has no hookups and the no-see-ums go right through window screens.

We dumped and filled up with water at the dump station the next day and this time my husband was eaten alive. Over 25 bites all over his head, neck, and legs. He was itching for days.

So we would camp here again but NOT in the spring with the no-see-ums. The views were good but not that good :)

We stayed in White Rock Bay campground, not the more common Bridger Bay. It's a smaller campground on the west side of the island. The sites are large double sites or there are some that are individual, but share common parking space with two other campsites. We didn't make reservations online and it seems not everyone working the booth is familiar with how these sites work and their pricing. When we first arrived with friends, they made us take two different spots and pay full price for each. We were charged $25 each night. Another worker said we could park in the same spot, but we would both pay full price. The next day another booth attendant said we could absolutely stay in the same double site and it was only one charge and refunded us for one site. So the correct way for these double sites is that you can have two camping units and two vehicles for $30 for the first night and $24 for each additional night. We did have a friend come take the site next to us that night and they only charged her the the Bridger Bay fees of $15 the first night and $12 for the second night (they only let her buy 2 nights at a time in person where we bought 3). Who knows, but you CAN share the site with friends for $30/$24 a night and the sites are plenty large enough. Site 20 is more level than 19.

The bison grazed all around us and sometimes went very close to the site. There were also pronghorn antelopes coming through the campground.

Make sure to get water before arriving. There is a dump station. And there are flush toilets and pay showers on the east side near the public beach access.

We stayed in mid-September thankfully missing noseeum season. The ranger said it was May-June. But at dusk, the mosquitoes came out to attack. Days and night were fine, but we avoided being outside dusk.

If you plan to spend time in Salt Lake City, be prepared to drive almost an hour to get into SLC proper. You're out in the burbs from this entrance. And know that the gate closes at 10:00pm and it's too far to easily walk back to the campground from the entrance.

Internet on Verizon and AT&T was spotty. Some days we could work fine and then there were times that I couldn't do anything. I ranged from 0-2 bars on both. I did a speed test for Verizon on our way out
(1.37 down and 0.24 up), but I couldn't even get AT&T to run.

We stayed at the end of June in 2020 at Bridges Bay and the bugs were not to bad. The lake views and wildlife are worth any other minor issue. The birding alone Is pretty cool but throw in Bison walking by and Antelope roaming the hillsides it’s over the top to me. I wish we had stayed longer but will definitely be back to do some of the hikes. We did make it over to Gar ranch which was really interesting. We were able to easily pull into or site backwards which allowed us views from the slide out windows and put our entry door facing the picnic site area. We loved having the concrete slab area with patio cover and fire pit. Cell service was not great at the campground but good in other areas of the park.