Did you know that only a 50 minute drive north of Salt Lake City, you can see a thriving bison herd? Antelope Island State Park, located near the south shore of Great Salt Lake, is home to 550-700 Plains Bison. The herd roams the island, moving and grazing year-round. Before you visit these iconic creatures, here’s some helpful context in understanding the bison, their behavior, and how they came to live by Great Salt Lake.
Photo taken by Cael Crosby at Antelope Island on Aug. 13, 2025
History of Antelope Island’s Bison
Despite their success on Antelope Island, the introduction of bison to the area is fairly new. The ancestors of American Bison travelled from Asia to North America 300,000 to 130,000 years ago, when sea levels were low due to ice ages. Fossil analysis shows the bison we know today emerged around 5,000 years ago, and once numbered between 30 and 60 million, making them the largest spanning herbivore on the continent. They existed in two subspecies: the massive Wood Bison and the more widespread Plains Bison, whose herds roamed the Salt Lake Valley. Throughout European colonization, bison were driven to near-extinction: the U.S. Army deliberately targeted them as a way to deprive Indigenous Peoples of food, medicine, clothing, and spiritual tradition. By the late 1800s, fewer than 1,000 bison remained in the entire United States.
In 1893, rancher William Glassman and Antelope Island owner John Dooly introduced 12 bison to Antelope Island, hoping to profit from recreational hunting. The herd grew to about 300, but when A.H. Leonard purchased the island, the herd faced a major setback. After failed attempts to sell the bison to zoos and the whole island to the Department of the Interior, he decided he wanted to clear them out to allow for cattle grazing. In a move widely criticized by groups including the American Humane Society, he organized a bison hunt, which made national headlines in 1926 and reduced the herd size to only 55 individuals.
Today, careful management keeps the herd at 550-700 animals. Since 1987, the annual roundup in late October has gathered all bison health screenings, vaccines, and research tagging. This also ensures that their population is maintained at around 550, to accommodate the limited resources of the ecosystem. The public can attend the opening phase of the roundup this year on October 25th.
Visiting the Herd
Seeing these beautiful bison makes for an amazing trip that you can do in less than a day! Before you explore, there are some important tips to make your trip smooth, safe, and fun!
Park Entry
Antelope Island is a Utah State Park, so National Park passes don’t apply. The day pass per car (up to 8 people) is $15 with seniors (65+) discounted to $10. Individual walking or biking passes are $3 and motorcycles are $5.* Stop at the visitors center for updates on herd locations—the center is currently housed in a temporary trailer at the Antelope Island Marina during renovations (set to finish in 2026). Bring plenty of water, as filling stations aren’t available.
Safety
Bison attacks are extremely rare. Between 2010 to 2020, only five incidents were reported among 4 million visitors. Still, it’s important to follow safety guidelines.
If a Bison stops what it is doing to look at you, you’re too close and should slowly back away. Stay inside your vehicle if bison are walking across the road. When photographing, stay 25 yards away (two school bus lengths).
Bison Behavior
Bison are very intelligent and social animals, with many interesting behaviors to look out for including:
Wallowing: (also known as dirt bathing): Bison roll in dirt to shed winter coats, cool off, deter insects, play, or signal readiness to mate. It leaves craters in the dirt, around 12 feet in diameter, which can be viewed around the island. You see wallowing year-round on Antelope Island.
Calving Season: Calves are born from early to mid-April into May, which allows them enough time to grow and prepare for their first winter. Like humans, bison have a 9 month gestation period. Unlike humans, bison calves are born at 30-70 lbs and are able to walk and nurse within 10-30 minutes. Bison calves can be seen with fuzzy reddish-brown coats, expressive ears and tails, and can be seen ‘bouncing’ as they learn how to keep up with the older bison.
Rutting Season: July and August bring dramatic mating rituals. Bulls bellow, kick up dust, and charge each other to express dominance—sometimes losing almost 200 pounds (10-20% of their body weight). After dominance is established, bulls and cows form temporary “tending bonds,” which can last from a few minutes to a few days, depending on when the female is ready. This all makes it a great time to visit!
Lone bison: For most of the year, bison herds typically consist of cows (female bison), calves, and immature males only, except during mating season. Mature bulls usually separate, joining smaller “bachelor herds” or striking out on their own.While it may be easy to write bison off as absentee fathers, this behavior has an ecological purpose. Because bulls can weigh up to 2,000 pounds—nearly double the size of cows, they require far more grazing to sustain themselves. Researchers theorize that splitting up stops them from monopolizing the food supply.
The bison on Antelope Island are beautiful creatures that you should visit when you have the chance. Specific highlights are the calving season (mid-April), rutting season (July -August), and the yearly roundup (October 25th), but are amazing to see year round. Seeing these majestic bison cradled in the arms of Great Salt Lake can be truly life-changing. The bison and their animal relatives, ourselves included, are lives worthy of saving. We hope to see you out there!
*Additional camping and fee Information can be found at https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/park-fees/
Sources
National Parks Service Bison: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bison/bison-facts.htm
Department of the Interior Bison Fact Overview: https://www.doi.gov/blog/15-facts-about-our-national-mammal-american-bison
Utah DNR Antelope Island History: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/antelope-island-history/
The Nature Conservancy: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/oklahoma/stories-in-oklahoma/bison-history/
Time Magazine Archrive (Sport:1926): https://web.archive.org/web/20110131221415/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,722719,00.html
Bison Safety: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/bison-safety/
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: https://wildlife.utah.gov/gslep/wildlife/bison.html
National Parts Service ‘Wallowing’: https://www.nps.gov/articles/bison-bellow-1-28-16.htm
National Parks Service ‘Rutting’: https://www.nps.gov/articles/bison-bellows-7-27-16.htm
