The Curious Traveler's Guide to the Four Corners
Northeastern Utah
Introduction to the Region
This is one of the most desolate corners of the lower 48
once you move beyond the Flaming Gorge area.
The Gorge itself is a big draw for outdoors enthusiasts, but even with
all its benefits, it is seldom crowded given how far it is from any major
metropolitan area. Salt Lake city is several hours to the west.
What you need to know when you are here
Expect long driving stretches with few services, dirt and
gravel roads if you venture far from the main drag and beautiful, if stark,
scenery. Travel is fairly quick in this area because there is no traffic, and
roads travel through largely wide open spaces. The biggest towns in the area
are Vernal and Price, and they are good choices for a base camp.
Must Sees
Flaming
Gorge National Recreation Area: spans
the border of Northeastern Utah and Southwestern Wyoming, GPS 40.894 N, 109.561
W, elevation: 6040ft, 435-784-3445, email (linked), www.flaminggorgecountry.com, some fee areas
v
Description: Known for: views and water sports
Established
in 1968, the National Recreation Area covers over 200,000 acres of land and
water crossing the border between Wyoming and Utah. The Gorge holds the water
from the Green River, with a capacity of 3,788,900. The Flaming Gorge Dam , near Dutch John,
provides hydroelectricity. The Gorge, with 360 miles of shore line, is a water
recreation paradise with almost every water related activity available from
fishing to waterskiing, from parasailing to power boating. In the heat of
summer, the reservoir is a welcome and very cool respite.
v
Getting
Oriented:
The
largest spread of the Gorge is in Wyoming but the major part of the Gorge is in
Utah, just south of the Wyoming Border. US 191 is the main route in Utah to the
Gorge. It approaches the Gorge from the south and then branches off West to
Hwy. 44 and off East to US 191. The main towns that access the Gorge are Green
Lake and Manilla to the West and Dutch
John to the East. Because of their small size and dependency on Flaming Gorge
for most activities, Manilla and Green Lake are included in this section of Flaming
Gorge.
v
Practicalities: text
Ø
grocery
§
Groceries and gas are
found in the major towns of Manilla, Green Lake and Dutch John (see listings
below)
Ø
permits
§
Fishing license and
mussel stamps can be can be acquired at Lucerne Valley Store, 1 Lucerne
Valley Recreation Rd, Manila, 435-784-3483, www.flaminggorge.com
Ø
weather
§
Summers can be quite warm but elevations are
high and temperatures tend to stay under the 90's. In the shoulder season
expect moderate temps and minimum precipitation
Ø
road quality
§
Road quality varies
depending on where you are in the monument, but there are many substandard
roads and it's a good idea to call ahead if you might have concerns. See the Utah department of transportation.
Activities
v Visitor
Centers
Ø Red
Canyon Visitor Center, just north of Hwy. 44, Manila, 435-889-3713, 8-6
Memorial Day to Labor Day, recreation pass required, flush toilets, portable
water, picnic tables, interpretive programs for children
Visitor
center is perched on and overlooks the gorge for spectacular views. Inside, a
life size diorama portrays a mountain man with a bear and big horned sheep.
Access the red canyon rim trail from here.
Learn More
About It: Like it's sister canyon to the South, the Flaming Gorge is a wealth
of geologic history with almost 14 miles of rock spanning 3 million years. the
oldest rocks exposed are part of the Proterozoic Uinta Mountain Group which are
featured in Red Canyon. The exposed canyon in the south shows much older
geologic history then the north. The South end of the gorge makes up the north
side of the Colorado Plateau. Moving north from Red Canyon , the rock formations
get younger with the Madison and Lodore then the Weber and Morgan, and the Park
City Formation, visible at the Windy Point overlook. Next is the Chinle and
Moenkopi where you can find dinosaur tracks and ancient creatures fossils. The
Navajo formation also holds dinosaur footprints. The youngest formation exposed
is the Mancos formation which holds many sea creature fossils.
v Biking
Ø Dowd
Mountain Bike Trail, opposite the Dowd Spring Picnic Area, 14m S of Manila, 10m
loop, 8000ft elevation
Novice and intermediate bikers can use this woodlands
trail through ponderosa pines and overlooking the cliffs and reservoir 1700ft
below. The ride begins on singletrack that rises into the woods and climbs out
onto jeep roads. Beginning riders can ride the route in counter clockwise and
return after the overlook to avoid some of the rougher spots. Really incredible
views on this ride.
v Hiking
Ø
short, 1 mile or less
§
Bear Canyon Bootleg Trail, access trail just
beyond Flaming Gorge Resort on Hwy. 44,
3m RT
Overlook at the end of the trail looks out over Red
Canyon and the Flaming Gorge. Also for bikes and cross country skiing. An
interpretive sign is at the siteName, location,
distance of hike, elevation
Ø
Medium, 5 mile or less
§
Sheep Creek Nature Trail, Hwy. 44 at Sheep Creek
5m S of Manila, .5m loop
Trail is
great for birding but also includes a bridge for kokanee salmon viewing (Sept
and Oct)
v Water
Ø
Fishing, swimming,
water skiing and most water sports are available throughout the area. See
individual listings for details.
v Horseback
Riding
Ø
Red Canyon Lodge, 2450 W Red Canyon Lodge,
435-889-3759, www.redcanyonlodge.com, rates start at $20 per hour, private
lessons are $35 hour
Wide range of horseback riding activities.
v Fishing
Ø
Creative Fishing Adventures, 435-784-3301,
guided lake trout fishing
Ø
Monty's Trophy Trout Guide Fishing, 5570 E
Lucerene Valley Rd, 801-430-0232,
sites.google.com/site/montysfishingflamingogorge/
Guided fishing trips are offered including food and
transportation
v Rafting
Day trips of river rafting on the Green
River. Great for first timers with Class II rapids.
Multi-day trips in Colorado, Utah and
Wyoming.
Ø
Adrift Adventures, 9500 E 6000 S, Jensen,
800-824-0150,
www.adrift.com, daily at 9am, $96 adult, coupons online.
1 day trips near Dinosaur National Monument
feature geology and class III rapids.
rental
rafts with all equipment and shuttles to drop ins.
v Scenic
Drives and Byways
Ø Spirit
Lake Scenic Backway, spur off the Sheep Creek Geological Loop begins at the
junction of Sheep Creek and Forest Rd #221, 2.5m west of Hwy. 44, 17m, closed
in winter
The graded dirt road gradually climbs to Sprit Lake
at 10,000ft, passing pine and aspen forests and meadows. You might see moose up
here. Lodge (closed) and camping at the end of the route. Nature trail at the
intersection of Hwy. 44 and FR 218 with interpretive signs, provides a good
introduction to the fauna of the area. Several trailheads can be accessed from
this backway.
Ø Sheep
Creek Geological Loop, 5m S of Manila on Hwy. 44, 13 miles, picnic areas on
route
This mostly paved route travels through a
canyon where over a million years of history is visible. The Uinta Crest Fault
extends through the area which has uplifted 15,000ft of the earth's crust. Big
horn sheep are also often seen on this route. Interpretive signs run along the
side of the route, explaining the geology.
Ø Flaming
Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway (main road in this area), begins in Vernal
to Hwy 44 West to MP 14 to FR 218
(mostly paved) to Hwy. 191, 82m
Kiosks and signs provide interpretive
information along the route. The road pasts several state parks (Steinaker and
Red Fleet) and climbs through switchbacks to Windy Point. From Windy point
there are panoramic views of the Ashley Valley. Ahead are the Book Cliffs to
the south. You can take FR 221 to the Spirit Lake Scenic Backway. 4 nature
trails are accessible along the byway.
Did you know? Ashley Valley is named after
William Ashley an explorer, mountain man and trapper in the early 1800's.
Ø Red
Cloud Loop Rd, off Flaming Gorge Uintas national Byway, FR 018. From Maeser,
head N on 3500 West St to 15m fork, stay to the right for 10 miles to the Dry
Fork Overlook back to Hwy. 191, 73 miles, camping, picnic spots
The partially dirt road passes the turn off to the
Dry Fork Petroglyphs and 20 geology signs. In rainy conditions, the road can be
impassable
v
natural attractions
Ø Dowd
Mountain Picnic Area
Ø Ute
Mountain Fire Lookout Tower, from the Sheep Creek Geologic Loop, take the turn
off towards Spirit lake
The last standing fire tower with living quarters in
Utah. It was built in 1935 by the CCC. The views from the tower top provide a
panoramic, 360 degree perspective. The tower has been closed to visitors
because of instability but it is supposedly getting fixed soon.
Ø Red
Canyon Overlook, at the end of Red Canyon Rd off mp 3.5 of Hwy. 44, next door
to the Red Canyon Visitor Center.
Almost required stop for photos of the Flaming Gorge,
700 ft wide and 1400ft straight down.
Eating
v for
casual dining
Ø Lucerne
Lakeside Grill, 5570 E Lucerne Rd, 8m East of Manila, 435-784-3483, 7-7
Sat-Sun, 11-8 Tues-Fri, closed Mon,
beer, only outdoor seating overlooking the marina
What you might expect at a lakeside grill with
burgers, fish and chips and fries, but there are also a few fresh choices like
salads and wraps. Farr's Ice cream is scooped into cups, shakes or sundaes.
Ø Mustang
Travel Stop, Hwy. 4484 Hwy530 at the state line, 370-874-6066, liquor, gas,
convenient mart and restaurant/sports bar, 7:30am-9pm
Ø Slaugh's
Chevron, 25 Hwy. 43, Hwy 43 and Main, Manila, 435-784-3363
Yes, they have gas, but they also have quick burgers,
deli sandwiches and hot dogs with indoor seating.
Ø Brownings corner Cafe/Drive In, 18 East Hwy 43, 435-784-3088, www.fgmotel.com/4.html,
11-9pm, closed Sun. Indoor and outdoor seating
Fried chicken, pizza and burgers. Homemade onion
rings and Mexican dishes, soft serve ice cream and shakes. Meals are served in
plastic baskets
Ø The
Villa Bar and Grill, 244 E Hwy. 43, Manila, 435-784-3015, breakfast, lunch and
dinner
Lodging
v
Cabins
Ø Lake
View Cabin, Manila, 888-837-7074, 307-874-5033, www.lakeviewcabins.us/, sleeps
up to six, wifi, air conditioning
2 bedroom, one bath A-frame cabin with great views of
the Gorge area and all amenities including TV, BBQ on the deck, and modern
kitchen.
Ø R
Hideout, 243 East Hwy. 43, Manilla, 800-760-8474, rhideout.com, open year
round, $99-139, fridge, micro, wifi in some cabins
2-room cabin suite with lodgepole pine beds and
wildlife quilts. Several outdoor cabanas
for dining.
Ø Lucerne
Valley marina, 5570 E Lucerne Valley Rd,
Manilla, 435-784-3483, www.flamingogorge.com, campground and cabins
18 campgrounds around the lake and two bedroom
floating cabins with full kitchens but no tv.
Ø Rocky
Ridge Outpost, 750 W South Valley Rd, Manilla, 435-784-3600,
www.rockyridgeoutpost.com, air con, wifi, horseback riding, paddle boats,
$89-149
Hand Crafted lodge pole pine cabins with private
bathroom, kitchenette and covered porch.
v
Casual
Ø Steinakers
Motel, 74 East Hwy. 43, Manilla, 435-784-3104, www.steinakermotel.com, air con,
$50-60
Very small motel/trailer with covered deck.
Ø Browning's
Flaming Gorge Motel, Hwy. 43 and 44, 435-784-3088, fgmotel.com, $49-59, wifi,
fridge, micro, air con, restaurant on site
Ø The
Villa Inn, 434 W Hwy. 43, Manilla, 435-784-3015, www.villainnmanila.com,
$49-59, air con, wifi, picnic tables
Basic two queen size bed motel rooms.
Ø The
Vacation Inn at Flaming Gorge, 265 West Hwy. 43, Manilla, 435-784-3259, 800-662-4327, utahvacationinn.com, open March
15
Site does not seem to be updated. Very basic motel
rooms
v
Camping
Ø Carmel
Campground, 3m S of Manila on Hwy. 44, $10, vault toilet, no water, picnic
tables
Shaded campground with great views of red rock
cliffs.
Ø Canyon
Rim, 5570 E Lucerne Rd, 435-784-3483, May 12-May 18, vault toilets, water, picnic
tables, canoeing, fishing, hiking
Located on a grassy meadow with access to the Red
Canyon Rim Trail. Some shade. View of the Flaming Gorge area.
Ø Arch
Dam, Hwy. 43 and 44, 435-784-3445, May 20-Sept 5, vault toilets, drinking
water, picnic areas
High desert terrain with sagebrush and pines. Great
views out over the mountains.
Ø Antelope
Flat, Hwy. 34 and 44, 435-784-3445, 877-444-6777, May 12-Sept 18, flush
toilets, drinking water, boat ramp, picnic tables
Scenic views of the reservoir and some shade from olive
trees and cottonwoods. Terrain is mostly sagebrush.
Ø Flaming
Gorge KOA, 320 W. Hwy 43, 435-784-3184, koa.com/campgrounds/flaming-gorge,
wifi, pool, fishing, cabins, laundry, groceries
Full service campground in a beautiful setting along
the gorge.
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Media connection: Flaming
Gorge Adventure Guide
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