Chapter 4: The Active Vacation Planner

Utah is one big outdoor adventure, with millions of acres of public lands where you can cast for trout or herd cattle, go rock climbing or four-wheeling, sail or ski. The state boasts five spectacular national parks, seven national monuments, two national recreation areas, one national historic site, seven national forests, some 22 million acres administered by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and 45 state parks. But who’s counting? It’s enough to say that almost 80% of Utah’s 85,000 square miles is yours to enjoy.

This chapter provides a primer for those folks who are new to planning active vacations or who haven’t been to the state of Utah before; up-to-date information on visiting Utah’s public lands; and descriptions of activities you can enjoy in Utah, including the best places to pursue your interests, and the information you need to get started. You’ll find more details in the appropriate regional chapters. Have fun!

Preparing for Your Active Vacation

What to Pack & What to Rent

Planning for a trip into the great outdoors may conjure images of vacationers loaded down with golf clubs, skis, cameras, tents, canoes, and bikes. If a car or light truck is your mode of transportation, try to keep the heaviest items between the axles and as close to the floor of your vehicle as possible; this helps improve handling. If you have a bike rack on the rear bumper, make sure the bike tires are far from the exhaust pipe; one local bike shop owner once mentioned that he does a good business replacing exhaust-cooked mountain-bike tires. Those with roof racks will want to measure the total height of their packed vehicles before leaving home. Underground parking garages often have less than 7 feet of clearance.

One alternative to carrying all that stuff is renting it. Camping equipment, ski equipment, mountain bikes, boats, and water toys are all readily available for rent in places where these activities are popular. You’ll find many rental sources listed throughout this book.

In packing for your trip, you’ll want to be prepared for a land of extremes, one that often has an unforgiving climate and terrain. Those planning to hike or bike should take more drinking water than they think they’ll need—experts recommend at least 1 gallon of water per person per day on the trail—as well as high-SPF sun block, hats and other protective clothing, and sunglasses with ultraviolet protection. Summer visitors should carry rain gear for the typical afternoon thunderstorms, plus jackets or sweaters for cool evenings. Winter visitors will need not only warm parkas and hats, but also lighter clothing—the bright sun at midday, even in the mountains, can make it feel like June.

Staying Healthy & Safe in the Outdoors

The wide-open spaces and rugged landscape that make Utah such a beautiful place to explore can also be hazardous to your health, especially if you’re not accustomed to the extremes here; see “Health” and “Safety,” in “Fast Facts: Utah,” in chapter 16, for details on dealing with desert climes and high altitudes. The isolation of many of the areas that you’ll seek out means there may be no one around to help out in an emergency. So, like any good Boy or Girl Scout, be prepared. Also, be sure to carry a basic first-aid kit that includes a pair of tweezers—very handy for removing tiny cactus spines from tender flesh. Most important of all, check with park offices, park rangers, and other local outdoor specialists about current conditions before heading out.

Outdoor Etiquette

Many of the wonderful outdoor areas you’ll explore in Utah are quite isolated; although you’re probably not the first human being to set foot here, you may feel as if you are. Not too long ago, the rule of thumb was to “leave only footprints”; these days, some of us are trying to not even do that. Being a good outdoor citizen is mostly common sense: Pack out all trash, stay on established trails, be careful not to pollute water, and, in general, do your best to have as little impact on the environment as possible. The best among us go even further, carrying a small trash bag to pick up what others have left behind.

On the Trail—and in the Maze—with Escape Adventures

Located on the west side of Canyonlands National Park, the Maze is one of the most spectacular places in the Lower 48. It’s also one of the most remote and unforgiving places in the Lower 48, making it a good idea to have one of the state’s many excellent guide services showing you the way.

Escape Adventures ( 800/596-2953; www.escapeadventures.com) is one such outfit, and a highly recommended one at that. I took one of its guided hiking/mountain-biking trips into the Maze in September 2008 and rank it as one of my top trips ever. With guides Rachel and Marc leading the way—and cooking up three scrumptious meals a day—we rode more than 50 miles and hiked another 20 in the span of 5 days, then caught a plane ride back to Moab from the lonely airstrip in Hite, retracing our serpentine path from the air over the course of a half-hour flight.

We started our adventure from the Glen Canyon Recreation Area, riding into Canyonlands and camping on the brink of the Maze on day 1. The scenery was second to none, all gnarled sandstone in reds, oranges, tans, and whites. On the second day, the group let Marc drive the bikes around—9 miles in 6 hours—as we followed Rachel into the Maze itself. Its labyrinthine nickname is well-earned—I would not wander in there without a guide or an excellent map and plenty of water. And it’s not even possible to get to the trail head without a very burly 4×4 vehicle. (As luck would have it, Escape’s biodiesel-fueled truck—expertly piloted by Marc—fits that bill perfectly.)

Day 3 involved another hike, this one down to the Colorado River via an interesting geological—and archaeological—area called the Dollhouse. We rode the next day to our campsite above devastatingly beautiful Cataract Canyon before making the 25-mile ride to the Hite airstrip the following afternoon.

The trip proved doable for even my novice mountain-biking skills, but being in fairly good shape is certainly a prerequisite. The guides were excellent in every respect, and I ate better than I usually do at home.

Adventure Travel

Opportunities for adventure travel are plentiful in Utah—as are some terrific outfitters to help you plan and execute your trip. You can take part in a cattle drive, thrill to the excitement of white-water rafting on the Green or Colorado rivers, scale a sheer rock wall in Zion National Park, or head out into some of the most spectacular scenery in the country in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The variety of tours available seems almost endless, but the tour operators can help you find the one for you. In many cases, you can work with an operator to plan your own customized trip—all it takes is money.

Below are some of the most respected national companies operating in Utah. Most specialize in small groups and have trips geared to various levels of ability and physical condition. They also offer trips in a range of price categories, from basic to luxurious, and of varying length. Numerous local outfitters, guides, and adventure travel companies are discussed throughout this book. For a complete list of outfitters in Utah, as well as a lot of other useful information and Web links, contact the Utah Office of Tourism, 300 N. State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84114 ( 800/200-1160 or 801/538-1030; www.utah.com).

• AdventureBus, 375 S. Main St., 240, Moab, UT 84532 ( 888/737-5263 or 909/633-7225; www.adventurebus.com), offers trips on customized buses with an emphasis on outdoor adventures, including multisport and mountain biking tours in the Arches, Zion, and Bryce Canyon national parks areas, as well as Hovenweep National Monument.

• Austin-Lehman Adventures, P.O. Box 81025, Billings, MT 59108-1025 ( 800/575-1540 or 406/655-4591; www.austinlehman.com), offers guided multiday mountain biking, hiking, and combination tours in the Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Canyonlands national parks areas.

• Backroads, 801 Cedar St., Berkeley, CA 94710-1800 ( 800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555; www.backroads.com), offers a variety of guided multiday road biking, mountain biking, and hiking tours in the areas surrounding southern Utah’s national parks.

• Bicycle Adventures, 29700 SE High Point Way, Issaquah, WA 98027 ( 800/443-6060 or 425/250-5540; www.bicycleadventures.com), offers guided multiday hiking and biking excursions in the Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks areas.

• Escape Adventures, 8221 W. Charleston Ave., 101, Las Vegas, NV 89117 ( 800/596-2953; www.escapeadventures.com), offers guided multiday hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, and multisport trips in the Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Capitol Reef national parks areas.

• Ski the Rockies, 4901 Main St., Downers Grove, IL 60515 ( 800/291-2588 or 630/969-5800; www.skitherockies.com), provides customized skiing and snowboarding packages at many of Utah’s major resorts.

• The World Outdoors, 2840 Wilderness Place, Ste. D, Boulder, CO 80301 ( 800/488-8483 or 303/413-0946; www.theworldoutdoors.com), offers a variety of trips, including multisport adventures that include hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking to the Canyonlands area, plus hiking/biking trips in the vicinities of Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

Utah’s National Parks

For many people, the best part of a Utah vacation is exploring the state’s five national parks (www.nps.gov). Unfortunately, these beautiful national treasures have become so popular that they’re being overrun by visitors at a time when the federal government is cutting budgets, making it difficult for the parks to cope with their own success.

passes = Paid Admission on Most Federal Lands

Those who enjoy vacationing at national parks, national forests, and other federal lands have opportunities to save quite a bit of money by using the federal government’s annual passes. The America the Beautiful—National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass costs $80 for 1 year from the date of purchase for the general public. It provides free admission for the pass holder and those in his or her vehicle to recreation sites that charge vehicle entrance fees on lands administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. At areas that charge per-person fees, the passes are good for the pass holder plus three additional adults. Children 15 and under are admitted free.

The Senior Pass is available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents 62 and older for a lifetime fee of $10, and the Access Pass is available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents with disabilities for free. The Senior and Access passes also provide 50% discounts on some fees, such as camping.

The Senior and Access passes must be obtained in person at national parks, U.S. Forest Service offices, and other federal recreation sites, but the general public version (the $80 one) can be purchased in person, by phone ( 888/275-8747, ext. 1), or online at http://store.usgs.gov/pass, a website that also provides complete information about the passes.

The parks are busiest in summer, when most children are out of school, so try to visit at almost any other time. Fall is usually best. Spring is okay, but it can be windy and there may be snow at higher elevations. Winter can be delightful if you don’t mind snow and cold. If you have to travel in summer, be patient. Allow extra time for traffic jams and lines, and try to hike some of the longer and lesser-used trails (ask a ranger for recommendations).

Outdoor Activities A to Z

Utah offers a surprisingly wide range of outdoor activities, from desert hiking and four-wheeling to fishing and, of course, skiing. Among the many online outdoor recreation information sources are the very informative and user-friendly Public Lands Information Center website, www.publiclands.org, and the GORP (Great Outdoor Recreation Page) website, at www.gorp.com. Another excellent website is www.outdoorutah.com, where you can order a free copy of the annual Outdoor Utah Adventure Guide, and connect to its other websites (www.bicycleutah.com and www.backcountryutah.com).

This is truly a do-it-yourself kind of state, and you’ll have no trouble finding detailed topographic maps—essential for wilderness trips—plus whatever equipment and supplies you need. Plus, every single ranger encountered in researching this book was happy to help visitors plan their backcountry trips. In addition, many sporting-goods shops are staffed by area residents who know local activities and areas well. In almost all cases, if you ask, there will be someone willing and able to help you make the most of your trip.

Boating For a state that’s largely desert, Utah certainly has a lot of lakes and reservoirs, from huge Lake Powell in the south to Lake Flaming Gorge in the north. Both of these lakes are national recreation areas and have complete marinas with boat rentals. Don’t forget the state parks, such as Jordanelle, which is near Park City, and Quail Creek—with the state’s warmest water—near St. George. A favorite is the picturesque but chilly Strawberry Reservoir, southeast of Park City in the Uinta National Forest. For information on boating in state parks, contact Utah State Parks ( 800/322-3770 or 801/538-7378; www.stateparks.utah.gov).

Camping Utah is the perfect place to camp; in fact, at some destinations, such as Canyonlands National Park, it’s practically mandatory. Just about every community of any size has at least one commercial campground, and campsites are available at all the national parks and national recreation areas (they’re often crowded in summer). Those who can stand being without hot showers can often find free or very reasonable campsites just outside the national parks, in national forests, and on Bureau of Land Management lands. Other good bets are Utah’s state parks, especially Kodachrome, just outside Bryce Canyon National Park; Coral Pink Sand Dunes, just west of Kanab; and Snow Canyon, near St. George.

A growing number of state and federal campgrounds allow visitors to reserve sites, although often only in the busy summer months. Throughout Utah are more than 100 national forest campgrounds and numerous state parks that will also reserve sites. To check on campground reservation possibilities for federal properties, contact the new Recreation.gov, which combined the old ReserveUSA and National Park Reservation Service into one portal ( 800/444-6777; www.recreation.gov), or use the link from the individual park’s website. For reservations for campgrounds in state parks, contact Utah State Parks ( 800/322-3770; www.stateparks.utah.gov).

Cattle Drives Opportunities abound for you to play cowboy on cattle drives that last from a single day to a week or longer. You can actually take part in the riding and roping, though the conditions are generally much more comfortable than what real cowboys once experienced on cattle drives. Each cattle drive is different, so you’ll want to ask very specific questions about food, sleeping arrangements, and other conditions before plunking down your cash. It’s also a good idea to book your trip as early as possible. A good company is Rockin’ R Ranch, located north of Bryce Canyon National Park, with a business office at 10274 S. Eastdell Dr., Sandy, UT 84092 ( 801/733-9538; www.rockinrranch.com).

Fishing Utah has more than 1,000 lakes, plus countless streams and rivers, with species that include rainbow, cutthroat, Mackinaw, and brown trout, plus striped bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye, and whitefish. Lake Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell are both great fishing lakes, but Strawberry Reservoir is Utah’s premier trout fishery. Fly-fishing is especially popular in the Park City area and in the streams of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest above Ogden. Contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W. North Temple (P.O. Box 146301), Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6301 ( 801/538-4700; www.wildlife.utah.gov), for the weekly statewide fishing report.

Fishing licenses are available from state wildlife offices, sporting-goods stores, and the Division of Wildlife Resources website (www.wildlife.utah.gov). Keep in mind that several fishing locations, such as Lake Powell and Lake Flaming Gorge, cross state lines, and you’ll need licenses from both states.

Four-Wheeling The Moab area, and Canyonlands National Park in particular, are probably the best-known four-wheeling destinations in Utah, but there are also plenty of old mining and logging roads throughout the national forests and on BLM land. Those with dune buggies like to head for Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, west of Kanab. For information on four-wheeling, contact Utah State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management .

Golf Utah’s golf courses are known for their beautiful scenery and variety of challenging terrains. They range from mountain courses set among the beautiful forests of the Wasatch to desert courses with scenic views of red-rock country. The warm climate of St. George, in Utah’s southwest corner, makes this area a perfect location for year-round golf, and St. George has become the premier destination for visiting golfers—the area’s Sunbrook Golf Course is probably Utah’s best public course. In northern Utah, the course at the Homestead Resort near Park City is well worth the trip. A free directory of the state’s 80-plus courses is available from the Utah Office of Tourism, or check out the Utah Golf Association at www.uga.org.

Hiking Hiking is the best—and sometimes only—way to see many of Utah’s most beautiful and exciting areas. Particularly recommended destinations include all five of Utah’s national parks. You’ll find splendid forest trails and wilderness at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and in the Wasatch Mountains around Ogden and Logan. Those looking for spectacular views won’t do better than the trails on BLM land around Moab. In Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, east of Bryce Canyon, numerous undeveloped, unmarked hiking routes explore some of the nation’s most rugged country. State parks with especially good trails include Kodachrome, near Bryce Canyon National Park; Jordanelle, near Park City; Dead Horse Point, just outside the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park; and Escalante, in the town of Escalante.

Keep weather conditions in mind when hiking, such as the brutal summer heat around St. George and the likelihood of ice and snow on high mountain trails from fall through spring. Because of loose rock and gravel on trails in the southern part of the state, wear good hiking boots with aggressive soles and firm ankle support.

Life on the open road: Planning an RV or Tenting Vacation

One of the best ways to explore Utah, especially in the warm months, is in an RV—a motor home, truck camper, or camper trailer—or a tent, if you don’t mind roughing it. If you own an RV, have the mechanical systems checked out before you go as there are some very steep grades in Utah. After that’s done, pack up and go. If you don’t have an RV or a tent, why not rent one for your Utah trip?

Why Camp? One advantage to this type of travel is that many of the places you’ll want to go, such as Canyonlands National Park, have no lodging. If you can’t accommodate yourself, you’ll end up sleeping 30 or 40 miles away and missing the spectacular sunrises and sunsets and that feeling of satisfaction that comes from living the experience rather than merely visiting it. If you have special dietary requirements, you won’t have to worry about trying to find a restaurant that can meet your needs; you’ll be able to cook for yourself, either in your motor home or trailer or on a camp stove.

There are disadvantages, of course. Tents, small trailers, and truck campers are cramped, and even the most luxurious motor homes and trailers provide somewhat close quarters. Facilities in most commercial campgrounds are less than what you’d get in moderately priced motels, and if you cook your own meals, you miss the opportunity to experience the local cuisine. But, all this aside, camping is just plain fun—especially in a setting as spectacular as this.

Renting an RV Camping to save money is possible if you limit your equipment to a tent, a pop-up tent trailer, or a small pickup-truck camper, but renting a motor home will probably end up costing as much as driving a compact car, staying in moderately priced motels, and eating in family-style restaurants. That’s because motor homes go only a third (or less) as far on a gallon of gas as compact cars, and they’re expensive to rent—generally between $1,000 and $1,500 per week in midsummer, when rates are highest.

If you’re flying into the area and renting an RV upon arrival, choose your starting point carefully. Because most of Utah’s national parks are closer to Las Vegas than Salt Lake City, you could save by starting and ending your trip in Vegas. The country’s largest RV rental company, with outlets in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, is Cruise America ( 800/671-8042; www.cruiseamerica.com). RV rentals are also available from El Monte RV ( 888/337-2214; www.elmonte.com). Information on additional rental agencies, as well as tips on renting, can be obtained online from the Recreation Vehicle Rental Association (www.rvra.org).

Choosing a Campground After you get a rig or a tent, you’ll need a place to put it. Camping in national parks, federal lands, state parks, and more is discussed in the relevant sections of this book. For a brochure on the campgrounds in Utah’s state parks, contact Utah State Parks. Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) can request the club’s free Southwestern CampBook, which includes campgrounds and RV parks in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Major bookstores carry several massive campground directories, including Trailer Life Directory (www.trailerlifedirectory.com) and Woodall’s North American Campground Directory and other Woodall’s titles (www.woodalls.com).

Horseback Riding It’s fun to see the Old West the way the pioneers did—from the back of a horse. Although you won’t find many dude ranches in Utah, you can find plenty of stables and outfitters who lead rides lasting from an hour to several days. Try a ride at Bryce and Zion national parks—it’s hard to beat the scenery—although you’ll likely be surrounded by lots of other riders and hikers. If you’d like a bit more solitude, head north to the mountains around Logan in the Wasatch Front or to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

Houseboating Among the best ways to experience either Lake Powell or Flaming Gorge Lake is from the comfort of a houseboat. Marinas at each lake rent them, although you’ll find the best selection at Lake Powell. Houseboats provide all the comforts of home—toilets, showers, sleeping quarters, and full kitchens—but in somewhat tighter quarters. Some of the larger ones have facilities for up to 12 people. You don’t have to be an accomplished boater to drive one: Houseboats are easy to maneuver, and can’t go very fast. No boating license is required, but you’ll need to reserve your houseboat in advance, especially in summer, and send in a sizable deposit.

Mountain Biking Although there are a few areas where road biking is popular (especially in Zion National Park), Utah really belongs to mountain bikers. With some of the grades you’ll find, be sure you have plenty of gears. Moab claims to be Utah’s mountain biking capital, but there’s no dearth of opportunities in other parts of the state, either. Be aware that mountain bikes must remain on designated motor-vehicle roads in most national parks, but are welcome almost everywhere in areas administered by the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM. In addition to the exciting and often challenging slickrock trails of Moab, you’ll find excellent trail systems just outside of Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. The warm-weather biking at Brian Head Resort, near St. George, is another great option.

River Rafting, Kayaking & Canoeing The Green and Colorado rivers are among the top destinations in the United States for serious white-water as well as flat-water rafting; they’re also popular with kayakers and canoeists. A favorite river trip, with plenty of white water, is down the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument. Trips on the Green also start in the town of Green River, north of Moab. The Colorado River sees more boaters than the Green, and has a greater range of conditions, from flat, glassy waters to rapids so rough they can’t be run at all. Most Colorado River trips start in Moab. Several companies rent rafts, canoes, or kayaks, and give you some instruction. They’ll also help you decide which stretches of river are suitable for your abilities and thrill-seeking level, and can arrange for a pickup at the takeout point. See chapter 14 for details on contacting these outfitters.

A worthwhile and lesser-known river trip is along the San Juan River in Bluff. This relaxing excursion will take you to relatively unknown archaeological sites and striking rock formations. See chapter 15.

A report on statewide river flows and reservoir information is available from the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center ( 801/539-1311 for recorded information; www.cbrfc.noaa.gov).

Rock Climbing This dizzying sport is growing so much in Utah that several popular areas have imposed moratoriums on bolting, and allow climbers to use existing bolt holes only. Among the more dramatic rock-climbing spots is Zion National Park, where climbing is as much a spectator sport as a participatory activity. You’ll also find some inviting walls in Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, in Logan Canyon, Ogden Canyon, and throughout the Wasatch Mountains in the Salt Lake City area.

Skiing & Other Winter Sports Utahns like to brag that their state has “the greatest snow on earth”—and one winter trip just might convince you they’re right. Utah’s ski resorts are characterized by absolutely splendid powder, runs as scary or mellow as you’d like, and a next-door-neighbor friendliness many of us thought was extinct. With a few notable exceptions—particularly Park City, Deer Valley, and Snowbird—you won’t find the posh atmosphere and high-end amenities that dominate many of the ski resorts next door in Colorado, but you won’t find the high prices, either. What you will discover are top-notch ski areas that are surprisingly easy to reach—half are within an hour’s drive of Salt Lake City Airport. And they’re relatively uncrowded, too: Utah generally receives about a third as many skiers as Colorado, so you’ll see fewer lift lines and plenty of wide-open spaces.

Cross-country skiers can break trails to their hearts’ content in Utah’s national forests, or explore one of the developed cross-country areas. Particularly good are the mountains above Ogden and the old logging and mining roads southeast of Moab. Several downhill resorts, including Brian Head, Sundance, and Solitude, offer groomed cross-country trails, and some of the hiking trails at Bryce Canyon National Park are open to cross-country skiers in winter. Snowmobilers can generally use the same national forest roads as cross-country skiers, and both head to Cedar Breaks National Monument in winter, when those are the only ways to get into the park.

Growing in popularity is snowshoeing, which is not only easy but cheap. Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the best parks for this sport.

Call 888/999-4019 for the daily avalanche and mountain weather report from the U.S. Forest Service (www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc), 866/511-8824 for statewide road conditions (http://commuterlink.utah.gov), and 801/524-5133 for weather information. Contact Ski Utah, 150 W. 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 ( 800/754-8824 or 801/534-1779; www.skiutah.com), for statewide ski resort information.

Wildlife-Viewing & Birding The great expanses of undeveloped land in Utah make it an ideal habitat for wildlife, and, in most cases, it isn’t even necessary to hike very far into the backcountry to spot creatures. There’s plenty for you to see—water birds at many lakes and reservoirs, elk and antelope in the Wasatch Mountains, lizards and snakes in the red-rock country of the south, and deer and small mammals practically everywhere. All of the national parks and many state parks have excellent wildlife-viewing possibilities: Coral Pink Sand Dunes near Kanab is known for its luminescent scorpions, and Escalante State Park is the best wetlands bird habitat in southern Utah. Hikers on Boulder Mountain, near Escalante, are likely to see deer, elk, and wild turkeys, and birders will enjoy the wide variety of songbirds found here.

The mountains above Ogden and Logan are especially good places to spot elk, deer, and even moose. The relatively remote Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is one of the best areas in the state to find wildlife, so don’t be surprised if a pronghorn (an antelopelike creature) joins you at your campsite. Birders have a good chance of seeing ospreys, peregrine falcons, swifts, and swallows along the cliffs; and hikers on the Little Hole National Recreation Trail, just below Flaming Gorge Dam, should watch for a variety of birds, including bald eagles in winter. Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake is another good destination for bird-watchers.