How to Visit Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Construction of a concrete dam on the Green River helped create the Flaming Gorge reservoir, a popular recreational destination for southwest Wyoming and northeast Utah. Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area offers great fishing and boating, camping and hiking. It stretches from just south of Green River, Wyoming to the foothills of the Uinta Mountains. Because the river flows through the high desert terrain, the reservoir resembles a smaller version of Lake Mead in Nevada.
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Instructions
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Plan to visit during the summer. Winter conditions can continue well into May and begin again in September.
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Make camping reservations through the site listed below. Since many local outdoor enthusiasts own a boat, reservations tend to fill fast during summer weekends.
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Fly into Salt Lake International Airport and, using a Wyoming map as a guide, take I-80 east to Green River. Follow the brown directional signs south out of Green River on State Highway 530.
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Continue on 530 past McKinnon Junction and turn left at the Buckboard Crossing directional sign. Buckboard is probably the best campground at Flaming Gorge. A full-service marina with a cleaning station, it also has a store and boat rentals. With the exception of the dam area, Buckboard is located where the lake is at its most expansive, inviting jet and water skiing.
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Opt instead for Squaw Hollow Campground, which is more remote and less crowded then Buckboard. There are fewer campsites here, but the landscape is more impressive, especially at sunrise. Explore inlets and grottoes by kayak or canoe.
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Drive into Manila, Utah, and follow directional signs eastward to the dam. Park at the visitor center and pay the nominal fee for a tour inside the dam. An elevator takes the visitor down to the massive turbines.
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Fish in the stream below the dam by following directional signs to the bottom of the gorge. Fishing gear is available for rent.
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Camp in the Uinta foothills above the dam. The scenery changes from high desert to forest almost at state line. There are also cabins to rent. Reservations can be made through Ashley National Forest in Utah.
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Continue to the eastern side of Flaming Gorge, back into Wyoming on U.S. Highway 191. Accessing campgrounds here requires leaving the highway. Follow directional signs to the Marsh Creek/Firehole Loop, traveling through sage and cacti, and past multiple antelope herds. Marsh Creek campground is similar to Squaw Hollow, but Firehole, further north, offers much better amenities. Though there's no marina, there is a boat ramp, a beach and showers.
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Return to I-80, west of Rock Springs, and on to Salt Lake City.
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Tips & Warnings
Before the excursion, stop at Expedition Island in Green River and see where John Wesley Powell began his famous float trip down the Green and Colorado rivers.
Resources
- Photo Credit James Barnett
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