LOCATION: Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is located in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah.

FLAMING GORGE DAM: Completed in 1964, Flaming Gorge Dam was built to provide water storage and hydroelectricity. It rises 502 feet above the Green River and is open most days for guided and self-guided tours.

FLAMING GORGE RESERVOIR: The lake is 91-miles long and has over 350 miles of shoreline. The Utah portion fills narrow, colorful canyons; the Wyoming section is wider and surrounded by high sagebrush deserts. Anglers try for trophy-size lake and rainbow trout, kokanee salmon, and smallmouth bass. Three marinas are located on the lake.

GREEN RIVER: Anglers fish for trophy rainbow and brown trout while rafters enjoy the relatively easy whitewater between the Dam and Little Hole. Hikers look for wildlife along the seven-mile Little Hole Trail connecting both trailheads.

VISITOR CENTERS: Flaming Gorge Dam visitor center is open year round; tours of Flaming Gorge dam are offered. Red Canyon visitor center is located just north of UT44; it is open seasonally. Red Canyon viewpoints are always open and provide spectacular views of Flaming Gorge Reservoir 1400 feet below. Green River visitor center on the south side of Green River, Wyoming is open year-round. The NRA headquarters in Manila, Utah, is open most business days.

ACTIVITIES: Fishing, rafting, boating, water sports, hiking, wildlife viewing, birding, camping, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and hunting. See recreational opportunities for more information.

SCENIC DRIVES: A Wildlife Through the Ages@ scenic byway is along US191 and UT44 between Vernal and Manila, UT. Sheep Creek Geological Loop (pictured above) is off UT44 just south of Manila, UT and is open during the summer.

FLORA AND FAUNA: Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope are easily seen. Near the water you can look for otters, watch for bald eagles in winter, and osprey and their nests in summer. Marmots are frequent in grassy areas in summer, and numerous species of birds are common year- round.

Vegetation ranges from lower elevation grasslands and sagebrush deserts in Wyoming, through pinon pine and juniper woodlands surrounding the river and Utah portion of the lake, up to ponderosa pine parklands and lodgepole pine forests on the Uinta Mountains. Aspen groves and spruce and fir forests cover the upper elevations just below the alpine meadows of the highest peaks.

HISTORIC SITES: Swett Ranch, located near Flaming Gorge Lodge, represents historic Western homesteading. Ute Fire Lookout Tower, located just off the Sheep Creek Geological Loop, was the first and is the last operating fire tower in the state of Utah. Both are open seasonally and are accessed by short dirt roads suitable for most vehicles. John Jarvie Historic Site in nearby Browns Park is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is approximately an hour's drive from Flaming Gorge Dam on a combination of paved and dirt roads.

WEATHER: Flaming Gorge area weather is unpredictable and may change rapidly. Summers are usually warm with occasional thunderstorms and strong winds. Spring and fall bring cooler temperatures with chances of rain, snow, and wind. Winters are cool to cold with snow common at higher elevations. Portions of the lake may freeze between January and March.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visitor centers (above), local businesses, and seasonal recreational facilities are good sources of information. Forest Service information is available by calling 435- 784-3445.

Or call:
Dinosaurland Travel Board
1-800-477-5558
www.dinoland.com