Category: Park/Wilderness/Nature
City: Green River

In 1869, Major John Wesley Powell, on expedition down the Green River, looked in awe at this magnificent country and named it Flaming Gorge. Today the brilliant red cliffs are scenic attractions for thousands of visitors annually. Managed by the Ashley National Forest Service including the section of the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam, this rugged wildland stretches from Wyoming high deserts, where herds of antelope play along the lakeshore, to the forested slopes of Utah's Uinta Mountains. A diverse land of scenic beauty, Flaming Gorge lends itself to many memorable outdoor adventures. The Utah section of the lake winds through colorful, narrow canyons; the Wyoming portion is wider and surrounded by high sagebrush deserts. The heart of the National Recreation Area is a 91-mile-long reservoir, created by the Flaming Gorge Dam with more than 300 miles of shoreline, boat ramps, full-service lodges and marinas.
Located in Northeastern Utah and Wyoming, it encompasses 1,384,132 acres of National Forest - 1,287,909 in Utah and 96,223 in Wyoming – with elevations ranging from 6,000 to over 13,500 feet. Remarkable features include Kings Peak (highest peak in Utah), Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway and The Green River Corridor (a world-class blue-ribbon fishery). Topographical diversity and intensive land management has served to protect the visual quality of the forest. The existing vegetation patterns and the geological formations further add to the aesthetic value. The forest boundaries include places such as the Sheep Creek Geological Area, the High Uinta Wilderness area, the Green River and the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Over 2.5 million visitors come to the forest each year to participate in outdoor recreation activities such as, boating, fishing, camping, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.