SYRACUSE — Antelope Island State Park in Utah has been experiencing record visitation in the past four years, prompting park managers to build a new visitor center to help handle the growing crowds.
"Last year, we hit over a million visitors, and we're very excited about that," Doranne Pittz, manager of Antelope Island State Park, said. "That is a huge number, and it does make it a challenge from time to time, but honestly, it's a good challenge to have."
2024 marks only the third time the park has surpassed a million visitors, with visitation nearly doubling in the past five years.
The new visitor center is set to open early next year.
It will be nearly five times the size of the current one and will feature a large education theater, conference room and catering kitchen.
"The reason why we're doing it is because we've seen such an increase and an interest in learning more about the island. And not only the island and our wildlife, but the Great Salt Lake," Pittz explained.
Visitors to the park in the coming months will find a temporary visitor center next to the park headquarters.
However, park managers advise bringing your own water, as it will not be available on the island during this phase of construction.
"We hope to have the water back on in a few months, but we want our visitors to be prepared," said Pittz.
Plenty of people were still visiting the park on Thursday. Laurie Sant, who lives in Santaquin, was one of them.
"We got a state park pass, so we're trying to see as many as we can this year," she said.
Antelope Island is one of the first stops for them.
"It's beautiful. It is barren, but you can find beauty in barren," said Tom Sant, Laurie Sant's husband. "I was able to hear a meadowlark."
The Sant family is already planning their next visit.
"We bought a trailer and would like to bring it and spend a couple of nights," Tom Sant said.
Winter offers a unique opportunity to experience the island with fewer visitors, but even with the increased visitation during the busy season, Pittz said there is still a certain magic to the island where you can still feel like you are getting away from it all.
"Antelope Island truly is just a solace away from home," Pittz said. "It is a special place."
