Exploring the Area

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

41 miles N of Vernal, 210 miles E of Salt Lake City

Tucked away in the far northeast corner of Utah and stretching up into Wyoming is Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, one of the region's most scenic areas and a wonderful place for outdoor recreation. A dam was built on the Green River for flood control, water storage, and the generation of electricity, but a wonderful side effect was the creation of a huge and gorgeous lake -- some 91 miles long, with more than 300 miles of shoreline -- that has become one of the prime fishing and boating destinations of the region.

Here you'll find some of the best fishing in the West, well over 100 miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails, and hundreds of camp and picnic sites. It's a boater's paradise where you'll see everything from kayaks and canoes to ski and fishing boats to pontoons to gigantic houseboats with everything on board (including the kitchen sink).

Named by Major John Wesley Powell during his exploration of the Green and Colorado rivers in 1869, Flaming Gorge has a rugged, wild beauty that comes alive when the rising or setting sun paints the red rocks surrounding the lake with a fiery, brilliant palette. It's a land of clear blue water, colorful rocks, tall cliffs, dark forests, hot summer sun, and cold winter wind. It'll take more than a dam to tame Flaming Gorge.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area lies in the northeast corner of Utah, crossing into the southwest corner of Wyoming. The dam and main visitor center, in the southeast section of the national recreation area, are 41 miles north of Vernal (210 miles east of Salt Lake City via U.S. 40).

Getting There -- From Vernal and other points south, take U.S. 191 north to its intersection with Utah 44 at the southern edge of the reservoir. U.S. 191 goes up the east side of the reservoir, leading to the dam and the community of Dutch John; Utah 44 goes around the reservoir on the west side, eventually ending at the village of Manila. Both of these towns offer accommodations, restaurants, fuel, and other services.

From I-80 in Wyoming, follow U.S. 191 south around the reservoir's east side to the dam; or Wyo. 530 and Utah highways 43 and 44 to Manila and the west and south sides of the reservoir.

Information/Visitor Center -- The recreation area is administered by the Ashley National Forest. For information, contact the District Ranger, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, USDA Forest Service, Box 279, Manila, UT 84046 (tel. 435/784-3445; fax 435/781-5295; www.fs.fed.us/r4/ashley). The Intermountain Natural History Association, 1291 E. U.S. 40, Vernal, UT 84078 (tel. 800/845-3466; www.inhaweb.com), sells maps, books, and other publications.

The Flaming Gorge Dam Visitor Center (tel. 435/885-3135), along U.S. 191 on the east side of the recreation area, is open 8am to 6pm in summer, 9am to 5pm spring and fall, and is closed November through March. Here you'll find information on the geology, history, flora, and fauna of the area; the construction of the dam; and facilities and recreation possibilities.

Fees & Regulations -- Entry to the recreation area is $2 for 1 day or $5 for up to 16 days. Administered by the U.S. Forest Service, regulations here are based mostly on common sense, and are aimed at preserving water quality and protecting the forest and historic sites. Utah and Wyoming fishing and boating regulations apply in those states' sections of the recreation area, and the appropriate fishing licenses are required. Dogs are allowed on hiking trails but are not permitted in buildings and should be leashed at all times.

Seasons/Avoiding the Crowds -- As one would expect, summer is the busy season at this major boating destination, when both the air and water are at their warmest. This is the best time to come for watersports, and with elevations from 5,600 to over 8,000 feet, it never gets as hot here as it does in many other parts of Utah. Although summer is the busiest time of year, this remains a relatively undiscovered destination, and you will likely have no trouble finding campsites, lodging, or boat rentals. Hikers will enjoy the area in fall. During the cold, snowy winter, this is a popular snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and ice-fishing destination.

Exploring by Car

Numerous viewpoints are situated along U.S. 191 and Utah 44 in the Utah section of Flaming Gorge; especially dramatic is the Red Canyon Overlook on the southern edge, where a rainbow of colors adorns 1,000-foot-tall cliffs. Another great overlook is Dowd Mountain. In Wyoming, highways are farther from the lake, offering few opportunities to see the river and its canyons.

Sheep Creek Canyon, south of Manila on the western side, has been designated a special geological area by the Forest Service because of its dramatically twisted and upturned rocks. A mostly paved 11-mile loop road cuts off from Utah 44, offering a half-hour tour of this beautiful, narrow canyon, with its lavish display of rocks that have eroded into intricate patterns, a process that began with the uplifting of the Uinta Mountains millions of years ago. This loop may be closed in winter; check at the visitor center before heading out.

Outdoor Pursuits

Biking -- A number of mountain-biking trails provide splendid views of the recreation area's scenery, especially in the Utah section. Bikes are permitted in most of Flaming Gorge and adjacent Ashley National Forest, except in the High Uintas Wilderness, where all wheeled vehicles are prohibited. Bikes are also restricted, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, on a section of the Little Hole National Recreation Trail along the Green River below the dam, due to very heavy use by anglers and hikers. Keep in mind that mountain bikers here often share trails with hikers, horses, and four-wheelers. A free mountain-biking brochure is available at visitor centers.

For a scenic and fairly easy ride, try the 5-mile one-way Red Canyon Rim Trail. This single track follows the south rim of the canyon, providing terrific views of the lake 1,700 feet below. Deer and elk are frequently seen in the forested areas. Watch also for interpretive signs on area wildlife and the ecosystem. Trail heads and parking are located at Red Canyon Visitor Center, Red Canyon Lodge, and Greendale Overlook.

Death Valley Trail, a moderately difficult 15-mile round-trip ride, offers good views of the Uinta Mountains and ends with a fine view of the lake from the top of Sheep Creek Hill. The trail head is located along Utah 44, south of Manila, at milepost 16.5.

Rentals of full-suspension mountain bikes are available at Red Canyon Lodge (tel. 435/889-3759) at rates of $10 for 1 hour, $20 for a half-day, and $35 for a full day. The lodge also sponsors a mountain-bike festival each year in early August.

Boating & Houseboating -- Boaters get to enjoy a unique perspective of some memorable scenery, with magnificent fiery red canyons surrounding the lake in the Utah section, and the wide-open Wyoming badlands farther north.

Three marinas on Lake Flaming Gorge provide boat rentals, fuel, launching ramps, and boating and fishing supplies. Cedar Springs Marina (tel. 435/889-3795; www.cedarspringsmarina.com) is located 2 miles west of Flaming Gorge Dam; Lucerne Valley Marina (tel. 435/784-3483; www.flaminggorge.com) is on the west side of the lake, 7 miles east of Manila; and Buckboard Marina (tel. 307/875-6927) is also on the west side of the lake, off Wyo. 530, 22 miles north of Manila.

Nine boat ramps serve those who bring their own craft; boat and water-ski rentals are available at all three marinas. Although types of boats and costs vary, a 14-foot fishing boat with a small outboard motor usually costs about $100 per day, an 18-foot ski boat with a powerful outboard motor costs about $200 to $250 per day, and a 24-foot pontoon boat with a 50-horsepower outboard motor will cost about $200 per day. Partial day rentals are also available. At Lucerne Valley Marina, a 36-foot houseboat costs about $800 for 3 nights during the summer, with discounts in spring and fall. For all boat rentals, life jackets are included but fuel is extra.

Nonmotorized boating is permitted on a 20-acre private lake at Red Canyon Lodge, where you can rent canoes, rowboats, and paddle boats. Rates are $8 for 1 hour, $15 for a half-day, and $25 for a full day.

Dinosaur River Expeditions (tel. 800/345-7238 or 435/781-0717; www.dinoadv.com) offers a 1-day raft trip for $65 for adults, $48 for kids 7 to 12, and free for kids under 7.

Fishing -- You might want to bring along a muscular friend if you plan to fish Lake Flaming Gorge, which is becoming famous as a place to catch record-breaking trout, such as the 51-pound, 8-ounce lake (Mackinaw) trout caught in 1988; the 26-pound, 2-ounce rainbow caught in 1979; and the 33-pound, 10-ounce German brown caught in 1977. You'll see other cold-water species such as smallmouth bass and kokanee salmon. Fishing is popular year-round, although ice-fishermen are warned to make sure the ice is strong enough to hold them.

Cedar Springs and Lucerne Valley marinas offer a variety of fishing guide services. Typical rates for one or two people in a guided trip aboard a sportfishing boat are $350 for a day, including fishing gear but not fishing licenses. Also providing guided fishing trips on the lake, in a 28-foot sportfishing boat, with state-of-the-art fish-finding and GPS equipment, is Bruce Parker of Conquest Expeditions, P.O. Box 487, Manila, UT 84046 (tel. 435/784-3370; www.conquestexpeditions.com). His rates for a 4-hour fishing trip, with all equipment (but not fishing licenses), are $250 for one or two people and $350 for three or four people. Rates for an 8-hour fishing trip are $425 for one or two people, $525 for three or four.

Trout fishing on the Green River below the dam is also outstanding. Flaming Gorge Recreation Services, based in Dutch John (tel. 435/885-3191; www.fglodge.com), offers guided fishing trips for one or two people, with rates of about $260 for a half-day float trip, $375 for a full day. A complete list of guides is available at the Flaming Gorge Dam Visitor Center.

You'll also find two private stocked lakes at Red Canyon Lodge, one with a fully accessible fishing pier, and both open to catch-and-release fishing only. No state fishing license is needed, but a Red Canyon Lodge permit is required (free for guests, $5 for nonguests). There is also a free kids' fishing pond in front of the lodge's restaurant.

Wildlife in Abundance--Flaming Gorge is one of the best places in Utah to see a wide variety of wildlife. Boaters should watch for osprey, peregrine falcons, swifts, and swallows along the cliffs. Bighorn sheep are sometimes spotted clambering on the rocky cliffs on the north side of the lake in spring and early summer. On land, be on the lookout for pronghorn antelope year-round along the west side of the lake, particularly in Lucerne Valley and in the campground. Hikers on the Little Hole National Recreation Trail should keep their eyes peeled for a variety of birds, including bald eagles in winter.

Hiking -- Many of the trails here offer spectacular, scenic views of the reservoir and its colorful canyons. Remember, though, that in most cases you'll be sharing the trail with mountain bikers, and in some cases horses and four-wheel-drive vehicles as well.

The Red Canyon Rim Trail runs 5 miles (one-way) from the Red Canyon Visitor Center to the Greendale Rest Area, accessible from either of those points or at Green's Lake or Canyon Rim campgrounds. The trail wanders through a forest of Douglas fir and pine, with stops along the canyon rim providing outstanding views of the lake far below.

For an easy 3-mile round-trip hike to an overlook offering a fine view of the lake, try the Bootleg Trail, which starts just off U.S. 191 opposite Firefighters Memorial Campground, 3 miles south of the dam.

One trail popular with hikers is the Little Hole National Recreation Trail, which runs about 7 miles from the dam spillway downstream to Little Hole, where you'll find fishing platforms and picnic areas. The trail is easy to moderate and offers splendid vistas of the Green River, which appears to be a mere ribbon of emerald when seen from the cliffs above. This is a good trail for birders, who may spot osprey in summer and bald eagles in winter.

Hikers can also use the mountain-biking trails listed above. A free hiking-trails brochure is available at the visitor centers.

Horseback Riding -- Many of the more than 100 miles of trails in Flaming Gorge are open to riders. Guided rides are available from Red Canyon Stables at Red Canyon Lodge, with prices starting at $15 for a 1-hour ride and $55 for a half-day. Rates for children under 12 are about 15% less; children must be at least 6 years old to go on rides of 1 or more hours. Children of any age can take stable rides for $9.95, which includes a souvenir photo. Overnight backcountry trips are also offered, starting at $150 per person per day.

Swimming -- Sometimes you've just got to dive right in, even though the water is pretty cold. Lake Flaming Gorge has two designated swimming areas: Sunny Cove, just north of the dam, and Lucerne Beach, a mile west of Lucerne Campground. Neither has a lifeguard.

Winter Sports -- Ice-fishing is popular, but check with rangers first for ice conditions. Also popular from mid-January until the snow melts are cross-country skiing, snowshoeing (an excellent way to see wildlife), and snowmobiling. At Red Canyon Lodge, you can rent snowshoes for $5 per hour, $10 per half-day, or $15 per day. Flaming Gorge Lodge rents complete cross-country ski packages for $5 per day and snowmobiles starting at $120 per day.

Man-Made Attractions

Flaming Gorge dam & Power Plant--Completed in 1963 at a cost of $50 million for the dam and another $65 million for the power plant, Flaming Gorge is part of the Colorado River Storage Project, which also includes Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River along the Arizona-Utah border, Navajo Dam on the San Juan River in New Mexico, and a series of three dams on the Gunnison River in Colorado. At full capacity, the lake is 91 miles long and holds almost 4 million acre-feet of water. The dam, constructed in an arch shape for strength, is 1,285 feet long and stands some 450 feet tall; its three turbine generators can produce 152,000 kilowatts of electricity, enough to take care of the needs of 210,000 people.

The dam and power plant are open for free guided tours daily from April to early November. The total round-trip walking distance is just under half a mile. Check at the visitor center for the hours and times of the hour-long guided tours. You'll walk along the crest of the dam, then take an elevator ride to the power plant below, where you'll see the inner workings of the hydroelectric plant, with its huge transformers, generators, and turbines.

Swett Ranch Historic Site--This homestead, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed by Oscar Swett starting in 1909, and contains two cabins, a five-room house, a meat house, a root cellar, sheds, a granary, and a barn, built and improved upon over a period of 58 years. Swett and his wife, Emma, raised nine children here, running the 397-acre ranch using only horse and human muscle power, before selling the property in 1968. From Utah 44, take U.S. 191 north for a half-mile and turn west (left) onto Forest Road 158, which you follow 1 1/2 miles to the ranch. The unpaved Forest Road is muddy when wet, and not recommended for large RVs or trailers at any time. The ranch is open for guided tours only, Thursday through Monday from Memorial Day to Labor Day only (check with the visitor center for hours). Admission is free. Allow about an hour.

Camping

U.S. Forest Service campgrounds are located throughout Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, and they range from primitive sites to modern facilities with showers (open in summer only) and flush toilets, but no RV hookups. Some are open year-round, others in summer only. Most sites cost $14 to $17. The more developed (and expensive) sites, including our favorite campground here, Deer Run, include use of the showers (those camping in the cheap spots get to pay $3 for a shower). Campsite reservations are available through the National Recreation Reservation Service (tel. 877/444-6777 or 518/885-3639; TDD 877/833-6777; www.reserveusa.com). Dispersed forest camping (with no facilities) is free; check with forest service personnel for suggested locations. RV dump stations are located in several locations in the recreation area (check at the visitor center).

Commercial campgrounds with full RV hookups are located in Vernal. In Manila, you'll find a KOA campground (tel. 800/562-3254 or 435/784-3184), open from mid-April through mid-October, that charges about $20 for tent sites and $25 to $30 for RV sites. It also has cabins at $35 to $45 per night.