Flaming Gorge Recreation Area ~ Wyoming Scenic Byway 235

The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is a unique place to be during the warm weather seasons. For those who seek a place way out in the wide open spaces to get away from it all, the Wyoming side of this big park offers the best opportunity! The Flaming Gorge Reservoir Lake straddles the Utah-Wyoming border and most of this property is within the northernmost state. The terrain on the Wyoming side of the line is far different than the heavily forested area in the Utah end near Red Canyon and the main body of water. Grassy rolling hills, mountains and towering buttes is what the Wyoming Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is like and the wide open spaces literally stretch out forever! 

When planning an excursion way out in the wide open spaces, achieving solitude is nearly always a matter of importance. Driving 10 miles down a rough dirt road just to find a dozen RV campers and loud music is not exactly a fitting reward for a long grueling trip. All too often finding a peaceful cozy spot in a National Recreation Areas can be a roll of the dice, but not in this particular neck of the woods. The Wyoming side of Flaming Gorge is a very remote location, so this acts as a limiting factor. Relatively few people are willing to do the long drive to Flaming Gorge and even fewer are willing to traverse the long dirt roads that go all the way to the water. For this reason, peaceful solitude can easily be found in the Wyoming side of this big National Recreation Area.

The Flaming Gorge Recreation Area is surrounded by BLM and National Forest Public Lands. Highway 191 parallels the east side of the Green River, but this paved road is several extra miles away from the water, so following the dirt roads to the river on the east side will likely be an all day affair. On the west side of the recreation area, Wyoming State Road 530 also parallels the river and the distance is much closer to the paved road. The dirt road access points are well marked and there are several to choose from along SR 530. Since the average distance to the water is less than five miles, touring State Road 530 on the west side definitely gets the nod.

Toward the north end of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, State Road 530 runs closer to the Green River and there are plenty of wetlands in this area. There are a couple of waterside parks on the hills that are perfect for a picnic and a marina is located nearby. The north end of the recreation area is a great place for birdwatching and wildlife photography, so be sure top bring a good camera along for the ride!

As the last of the features of the reservoir lake disappear when heading north on state Road 530, the road follows the river to the old historic town of Green River, Wyoming. This town is a cultural center of its own and modern accommodations can be found here. Just like the town name suggests, Green River is the best place to find watercraft rentals and river rafting excursion companies. Tackle shops and outdoor outfitters can be found downtown too, so the town of Green River truly is an outdoorsman's paradise! 

The Wyoming Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is well worth checking out if solitude in a very remote riverside wilderness is what you seek. This is the land of wide open spaces and the Green River fishing is good enough to put a meal on the table. Wildlife photographers love Flaming Gorge because everything from Pronghorn Antelope to Bighorn Sheep can be spotted heading back and forth to the water. Flaming Gorge sure is an ideal place to enjoy some peace and quiet, especially on the Wyoming side of the line!