flaming gorge national recreation area

We drove in from the north. The desert section was pretty barren but when we reached the gorge and river areas it was breathtaking at times. Make sure to visit the main visitor center and take in the view from the interior observation area.

Even though everything we saw was beautiful, there were many places closed for the Winter. We will be sure to come back in the Spring or Fall to see more of the Recreation Area. Be sure to come prepared for lots of snow and the possibility that the pass will be closed. We were able to get from Manila to Vernal with very little problem and were glad the snowplows were on duty.

The lake is wonderful but if you have time and the inclination, take a drift down the Green river below the dam. The Green snakes through some of the most picturesque canyon lands you can imagine. And, if you ever thought about drifting a river in search of the wily trout, this is really the place to be. Of course, if you ARE a fly fisherman, you probably already know all that. Brown trout the shape of footballs and rainbows that jump two feet out of the water are the rule. This drift belongs on every fly fisher's bucket list.

We've driven the highway out of Utah toward Green River several times, always passing up the east side of Flaming Gorge. This trip, we decided to drive the west side and check out the small fishing towns near the reservoir. But on our way we saw a turnoff to the Sheep Creek Loop, and couldn't resist this narrow back road. So glad we did this. The road went through some spectacular scenery, big groves of aspens, small hunting cabins nestled in the trees with old split rail fences, antelope grazing in fields, and everywhere the tall rocky cliffs. The road eventually makes its way down into a deep unspoiled canyon with amazing rock formations; stop at the picnic area there to read about a flash flood that devastated the former campground there. The last section of the loop road actually runs along the canyon floor; rains the night before washed sand and gravel out onto the road. It was definitely worth the hour spent exploring here, and the photographer in me wanted to spend even more time. The light was amazing. (catching up on reviews from a September 2014 road trip)

Green river gorge is worth the side trip to visit and camp for a few days. Went in July 2014, great roads to the park. Very scenic and water was great. Did some rafting below dam and camped on rim as well as on water. Both great experiences. Hosts and locals are very friendly. Everyone should visit this American jewel.

Good road, well signed. We had several opportunities to see and photograph pronghorn antelope quite close to the road, including one very handsome male with a full set of pronged horns.

There are four key attractions my wife and I saw during our wonderful visit. We recommend all four...1) Flaming Gorge is best accessed by boat or by air. If you are driving, the next best option is to focus on the south end, which is known as Red Canyon, and which is much more accessible to drivers. The views from the Visitor Center area are spectacular, and vary tremendously with the time of day and associated light angle. The Visitor Center itself was closed for the season in early September, but there was a good-sized crowd there taking photos from the overlooks. There was a small herd of bighorn sheep up the road; they were fun to see and not spooked by the car.2) The Flaming Gorge Dam is impressive in a different way, and free tours of the dam were given every half hour during our visit. Security is similar to an airport. The area surrounding the dam also offers many scenic viewpoints on both directions from the Dam.Equally appealing are two other attractions which are from off Route 44 toward Manila. 3) To the west is Sheep Creek Loop, which is a circular drive offering spectacular perspectives. It is worth an hour or more to drive the circuit with frequent stops; die-hard photographers would want to drive the circle in morning and again in the afternoon to capture the varying effects of the changing light direction. Don't miss Sheep Creek Bay, on the east side of Hiway 44 near the north entrance to the loop. You can go right down to the boat launch area and out on a nice dock for a fantastic eastward view of the bay, with the majestic red cliff overlooking the water for what seems like miles.4) is Dowd Mountain Overlook. The turnoff is near the 14 mile marker south of Manila. A well groomed dirt road meanders eastward through a high, grassy plateau with significant coverage of medium and large pines. The overlook provides a 200-plus degree panorama, which may require a brief walk to see in total. You can look NW to NE to see the southern end of Flaming Gorge, with its blue water, red, white and tan rock, and blue skies. To the east and SE are Red Canyon and all its glory. It's like being on top of the world.The roads north from Manila and Dutch John didn't have too much to offer as near as we could tell, but locals might tell you something different.We found Septermber to be a great time to visit, with small crowds and nice weather. Oddly the frequent thunderstorms which rolled through didn't wet us much, but added a few marvelous black thunderclouds to contrast with the white cumulus, colorful rocks, deep blue waters, and intensely green trees. Great photos...

Hwy 191 is a scenic trip and the Flaming Gorge---at the Red Canyon Visitor Center there is a wonderful trail along the rim with a lake that lies beneath steep cliffs that turn red at sunset.

We drove here on a recommendation from a friend and I have to say, it was one of the highlights on our trip! Make sure you visit the visitor's center, where the views are beautiful and you can take some easy hikes around the area. We saw long horn sheep and mule deer just walking along the road. The sheep didn't seem at all bothered by a carload of women oohing and ahhing and clicking pictures of them. The views of the Green River from here are absolutely stunning! Down by the river we saw pronghorn antelope wandering around. The water itself is beautiful and there are many trails and water related activities to do. We drove the entire loop from Green River, WY and that took quite a few hours with all the stopping at every visitor center. Plan to spend the whole day doing this if you are driving the loop.

We headed north from Vernal on Hwy 191, a beautiful scenic route, then stopped at the Flaming Gorge Dam visitor center. We found the staff very helpful. Huge map of the area helps you get oriented. Leaving the visitor center, make sure you do the scenic drive (to the left) before you leave. It's easy to miss but it was one of the highlights of our driving trip. Takes about an hour and it's amazing. Get a free brochure/map at the visitor center. Several well marked pull offs offer great photo opportunities, you can get right up to 1000+ year old petroglyphs. We then backtracked to Hwy 44 to do the Sheep Creek Geological Loop which is stunning. We then took the scenic drive to Green River up the west side of the gorge. A really pretty drive.

Its was incredibly beautiful, enjoyed seeing the dam also. Lots of lakes, camping and hiking areas. Wild life, eagles, big horn sheep, deer and elk in abundance.

What a beautiful drive. We spent the day exploring the area...truly a mecca for sightseeing. The Gorge is spectacular with colors...a photographer's paradise. The visitor's center is fantastic and offers breath-taking vistas. A large herd of Bighorn sheep including ewes roam the area and are tolerant of visitors who stay in their vehicles. We had rafted the Green River during a prior visit and loved it! Lunch at the Red Canyon Lodge is delightful.

We rented a raft from the Flaming Gorge inn for less than $100 and rafted from Dutch John to Little hole. It took us about 3.5 hours and the kids had a great time. It was definitely floating not whitewater rafting but with little kids it was ideal. The water is always cold from the dam.

We drove up from Vernal to see the dam. You must take the free tour to go out onto the dam. The staff seemed very unfriendly and almost bothered. The tour was quick and easy, and was full of awesome views of the dam. The kids especially loved feeding the fish in the river to the back of the dam. Not sure that I would go back to see the dam, but this is a beautiful area. If you are an outdoor lover, take the time to visit!

I recommend camping at Carmel Campground. It's off the main road, which means you don't have to worry about noise from cars driving by. The campground is located in Sheep Creek Canyon, with the creek running right next to the tent pads (I love falling asleep to the sound of rushing water). The Sheep Creek Geological Loop is a beautiful drive and very interesting. For amazing views, I recommend: Red Canyon (where the visitor center is), Sheep Creek Overlook, and Dowd Mountain Overlook. There is also a fire lookout tower with views of the Uinta mountains. I didn't have time to do any hiking when I visited, but there are also many hiking trails.