Fremont Island open to the public, with protections in place
Aug 1, 2023, 6:00 AM

Two people with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands hike on Fremont Island while giving journalists a tour on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (Spenser Heaps/Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — After years of attempted development and recreation, Fremont Island will officially remain wild and untouched without any opportunity for future building or expansion.
Fremont Island is nearly 3,000 acres of brush, rocks, and sand on the North-East side of the Great Salt Lake. It’s the lake’s third-largest island.
After over a century of private ownership, the island is accessible to the public as a staple of natural beauty.
It’s now owned by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, which said it’ll maintain the island’s natural integrity and not allow for any future development.
Fremont Island will have no campgrounds, causeways, trails, restrooms, or roads and visitors will have to explore the landscape by bike or on foot.
The department said its primary goal is to preserve the island as it is, accessing the known conditions of the ecosystem and discovering other geological resources.