Some of these were killed, and in memory of the grateful supply of food they furnished, I gave their name to the island. The causeway was submerged due to record high lake levels for a decade, making it accessible only by boat. The lake receded, and, in July 1993 Antelope and was reopened to visitors as a state park, complete with a visitor's center, modern rest rooms and showers, RV and primitive camping, a marina, and group picnicking facilities. The Wildlife Although buffalo roamed free thousands of years ago, their numbers slowly decreased. They were reintroduced to the island in 1892, and now the approximately 600 head are the property of the state, and managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.
Visitors are welcome at the island's buffalo corral and management facilities.
During the annual bison roundup each fall, visitors can watch a working buffalo ranch in action as the animals are herded, branded, inoculated and released. Antelope were reintroduced in 1993 and can be viewed from various lookout points. Because of extensive marshlands around the Great Salt Lake, Antelope is visited by numerous migrating birds, and inhabited by those who stick out the winter in Utah. Other wildlife frequently seen are deer, elk, bobcats, coyotes, and bighorn sheep. Wildflowers The best time to see the blooms is in late May to early June.