First Day Hikes 2017

Antelope Island State Park

Utah State Parks is kicking off the official 60th Anniversary Celebrations on New Years Day with three First Day Hikes on Antelope Island State Park. There will also be First Day Hikes offered at Dead Horse Point State Park and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

Participants should check temperature and weather conditions before they come and gear up accordingly. If weather is severe, participants should check individual park websites and Facebook pages for notice of cancellation before heading out. Remember to wear appropriate shoes, and bring plenty of water and snacks!

Antelope Island State Park

Option 1: Frary Gravesite Interpretive Trail Hike-This is a Beginner, easy 1 mile loop with mild elevation gain. Hikers will learn the story of Frary Family who homesteaded on Antelope Island for a decade in the 1890s. Mother and wife Alice Frary died on the Island and her grave is commemorated on site. Dogs on leash welcome. Hot drinks will be provided at the end of the hike.

Antelope Island State Park

Meet at the Frary Gravesite Interpretive Trail dirt parking lot no later than 12:45 p.m. The parking lot is about 7 miles down the East Side Road heading towards Fielding Garr Ranch. It will take at least 20 minutes to drive to the parking lot after you have passed the park entrance booth.

Option 2: Mulberry Grove Trail Hike-This hike is a moderate strain level four mile round trip hike. This hike gains almost no elevation. The Mulberry Grove is an area is not open to the public during the year, so this is a rare chance to see the historic Mulberry Orchard that supported early Island inhabitant’s silk production efforts. Dogs on leash welcome. Hot drinks will be provided at the end of the hike.

Meet up for this hike will also be at the Frary Gravesite Interpretive Trail dirt parking lot. Please be at the parking lot no later than 12:45 p.m. The parking lot is about 7 miles down the East Side Road heading towards Fielding Garr Ranch. It will take at least 20 minutes to drive to the parking lot after you have passed the park entrance booth.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Option 3: North Side of Buffalo Point Trail–This is a moderate to strenuous, two mile loop hike with 350 feet of elevation gain in the first half mile. This hike loops around a high point on the Island and provides stunning vistas of the Great Salt Lake and distant mountain ranges. Bison are often on this trail. Hiking boots with good tread and traction are needed for this hike because it may be icy! Dogs on leash welcome. Hot drinks will be provided at the end of the hike.

Meet up at the Bridger Bay Campground at Site #14 no later than 12:45 p.m. It is at least a 15 minute drive from the park entrance booth to the site.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Ponderosa GPS History Hike–This is a moderate, one and a half mile round trip hike over beautiful burnished sandscapes (and possibly snow) out to a grove of ancient ponderosa trees. Participants will learn what was going on in the world when each chosen tree was a seedling.

Proper gear for this hike will depend on weather conditions. If the day is relatively warm, sand will be loose and harder to walk through. If the weather is cold and wet, sand surface may be frozen and easier to walk on.

Dead Horse Point State Park

It is also possible that there will be snow on top of the sand. Check conditions and prepare accordingly. Dogs on leash welcome.

Meet up at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Visitor Center no later than 10:45 a.m.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Bighorn Overlook Trail–This is a moderate, three mile round trip overlooking the striking red sandstone vistas that Dead Horse Point State Park is famous for.

Hiking boots with good tread and traction are needed for this hike because it may be icy! Dogs on leash welcome.

Meet up at the Dead Horse Point State Park Visitor Center no later than 12:45 p.m.