Native American Guided Backpack Tour – Great Salt Lake Wilderness

This guided backcountry experience takes place on the remote west side of Antelope Island, part of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and accessible via a causeway from Salt Lake City. A Native American guide leads the journey through the island’s wilderness, sharing intimate knowledge of indigenous history, native plant uses, and the cultural significance of this land to First Nations peoples.

The landscape is home to a remarkable variety of wildlife, including a free-roaming herd of approximately 600 American bison, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyote, porcupine, and bighorn sheep. Depending on the season, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds rest on and around the Great Salt Lake, creating one of the most spectacular wildlife spectacles in North America. The sense of wilderness here — just 60 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City — is extraordinary.

Walking through this landscape with a guide whose cultural and ancestral roots are woven into the land itself provides a depth of experience that no conventional tour can replicate. The backcountry terrain requires physical readiness; guests should expect rugged ground, open sun exposure, and a substantial time commitment to this immersive journey.