Going into Antelope Island we had the voices of the critics in our minds: sand is too hot, it is too smelly, the brine flies etc; we were pleasantly surprised. I do believe that the circumstances can change, like the lake level, on a daily basis.

Badger bay is a no amenity, basic campground with a commanding view of the salt lake. There are vault toilets and shaded picnic tables. All of the sites accommodate small RVs, some of the sites may not provide a level tent pad. 2 was terrific! The sites are pretty roomy too.

We loved going for a dip in the lake. We went early on a late June morning before the sand became too hot, and walked the distance barefoot. We only noticed the wet dog smell as we entered the park—but that could change. The brine flies were actually pretty cool. They only hang out on the shoreline for a small distance. They don’t bite and they left our path in droves as though they were enacting the parting of the sea. Honestly, I find houseflies buzzing around my head to be more irritating. The water was smooth and partial buoyancy is cool. Swimmers would be advised to keep cuts out of the water. The brine shrimp don’t bother anyone and float around like typical lake debris.

There are showers at the swimming beach close to the campground. There are basic no-soap cold water rinse showers outside and private pay showers too; bring quarters.