Eastern Utah Outdoor Recreation

Dinosaur National Monument - Dinosaur fossils, camping, rafting, hiking, wildlife, and interesting archeology.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area - With over 300 miles of shoreline, boat ramps, full service lodges and marinas, Lake Flaming Gorge is an aquatic paradise.

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail - Departing from Nauvoo, Illinois, in February 1846, thousands of Mormons crossed into Iowa seeking refuge from religious persecution. They spent the next winter in the Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska area. Early in 1847, Brigham Young led an advanced party west, generally paralleling the Oregon Trail, to Fort Bridger, Wyoming, where they turned southwest and eventually came to the Great Salt Lake.

 

National Forests

Ashley National Forest - Located in the northeastern portion of Utah and southwestern portion of Wyoming, the Ashley National Forest comprises 1.3 million acres.  Visitors can enjoy boating, fishing, climbing, hiking, hunting, lodging, picnicking and other water recreational activities.

Uinta National Forest - The Uinta scenic beauty offers unlimited recreational opportunities any season of the year. Whether you are a hiker, skier, camper, or horseback rider, the Forest can provide the recreational experience you are seeking. There are 500 miles of trails criss-crossing the Forest.

Wasatch-Cache National Forest - The forest encompasses three major areas: 1) the northern and western slopes of the Uinta Mountains, 2) the Wasatch Front from Lone Peak north to the Idaho border including the Wasatch, Monte Cristo, and Bear River Ranges, and 3) the Stansbury Range, in the Great Basin. The Forest boundary encompasses approximately 2 million acres.

 

Other Outdoor Recreation

Book Cliffs Recreation Management Area - This area contains 455,000 acres of diverse ecosystems in a very remote setting, and maintains a “frontier mystique.” There is an abundance of wildlife species for viewing, including deer, elk, black bear, blue and sage grouse, numerous hawks, antelope, mountain lion, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Flaming Gorge Dam -  Flaming Gorge  dam is a concrete thin arch structure with a maximum height of 502 feet and a crest length of 1,285 feet.  Free guided tours of the dam and power plant are conducted year-round by the Flaming Gorge Natural History Association.

Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway - Designated as the state's first National Forest scenic byway in 1988, this route known as `The Drive Through the Ages` travels through the Ashley National Forest and east of Uinta Mountains, one of the few east-west ranges in the country. 

Joes Valley Reservoir -  Joes Valley Reservoir is an earth fill dam 1,290,000 cubic yards in volume, 192 feet above streambed, and 750 feet long at the crest.

Meeks Cabin Reservoir - located in Uinta County, about 2 miles north of the Utah-Wyoming State line and 22 miles southwest of Fort Bridger, is a rolled earth and rock fill structure 185 feet above streambed with a crest 3,162 feet long.

Moon Lake Reservoir - The Moon Lake Project is in northeastern Utah on the north side of the Duchesne River about 140 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah. Moon Lake Dam and reservoir, high in the Uinta Mountains in the Ashley National Forest, is probably one of the most picturesque of Utah's manmade lakes.

Ourray National Wildlife Refuge - The Ouray NWR is located in northeastern Utah in Uintah County along the Green River. Over 200 species of birds are found on the refuge.

Upper Stillwater Reservoir - Situated northwest of Mountain Home, Utah, in a timber setting with an 8,170-foot elevation and a surface area of 330 acres. Managed recreation season is June through September.

Goblin Valley State Park - Scores of intricately eroded creatures greet visitors to Goblin Valley.

Green River State Park - Green River State Park is an oasis on the bank of the Green River where tall cottonwood trees shade well-manicured lawns.

Huntington State Park - This beautifully landscaped state park is 237 acres of boating, swimming and fishing fun.

Millsite State Park - A secluded 435-acre lake at the mouth of scenic Ferron Canyon awaits visitors who love water-oriented activities.

Red Fleet State Park -  Red Fleet Reservoir offers excellent boating and year-round fishing.

Scofield State Park - Scofield is both a summer and winter recreation delight. It is situated 7,600 feet above sea level in the Manti-LaSal Mountains of the Wasatch Plateau. The 2,800-acre lake offers excellent boating and year-round fishing.

Starvation State Park - Starvation Reservoir offers 3,500 acres of year-round fishing and boating fun four miles northwest of Duchesne.

Steinaker State Park - Sandy beaches, swimming, boating and water-skiing top the list of activities at Steinaker.

Utah Field House of Natural History - Step back in time as you walk through the dinosaur garden.  The park features seventeen life-size prehistoric animal replicas.

Brown's Park/Green River - Step back into the wild west as you stroll through the John Jarvie Ranch or float the Green River. You can explore the dugout where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once hid out or visit the ranch's museum, where you'll discover relics from the frontier days.

Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry - The quarry is one of the world's foremost dinosaur fossil sources. More than 30 complete skeletons, 12,000 individual bones and several dinosaur eggs have come from this prolific fossil bed.

Desolation/Gray Canyon - The 84 miles of the Green River that run through Desolation and Gray Canyons provide a premiere wilderness river trip through Utah’s deepest canyons.  In addition to river-running, there are wonderful opportunities for camping, archaeological and geologic interpretation, wildlife watching, hiking, and exploring.

Drive Though the Ages - Drive through time with a series of 20 interpretive signs as your guide. On your travels, you'll pass 19 geological formations, some over 80 million years old. This beautiful drive takes you from the small town of Vernal through several dramatic scenery changes, finally reaching the pines and cool air near Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

Dry Fork Canyon - This canyon offers a beautiful shady picnic area for relaxation as well as an opportunity of viewing Native American Petroglyphs.

John Jarvie Historic Site -  John Jarvie Ranch is a small mountain valley in the remote northeast corner of Utah.  The ranch was originally used by mountain men and trappers for shelter in the early 19th century.  The ranch also served as a common stopping place for travelers as well as an outlaw hideout frequented by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Matt Warner, Isom Dart, and Ann Bassett, Queen of the Rustlers.

Labyrinth Canyon - Float through the waters of this 68-mile section of the Green River. Framed by purple and red sandstone cliffs, this area is virtually unchanged since the famed river explorer J.W. Powell saw it in 1869.

Nine Mile Canyon - Drive the Backcountry Byway through scenic Nine Mile Canyon. This journey back in time features remnants of two past cultures: Native Americans and early settlers. The spectacular Fremont Indian rock art etched into the canyon walls frames the twisting dirt road that stage and freight coaches traveled in the 1800s.

Pariette Wetlands -  Surrounded by miles of harsh, arid desert, the Pariette Wetlands provide a green, marshy home for wildlife trying to survive in a difficult environment. This is a prime spot for watching wildlife, with chances to see raptors, waterfowl, and more.

Price Canyon Recreation Area - This relaxing spot in the woods gives visitors a chance to enjoy cool clean air and wonderful canyon overlooks. You can camp or picnic under the shade of ponderosa pines. Hikers can follow a self-guided nature walk through oak, pines, and mountain mahogany to the ridgetop.

San Rafael Swell - The scenic sandstone formations, streams, and deep canyons of the San Rafael Swell are an incredible example of the earth's force. Erosion has exposed strips of colors in the huge plates of stone, set on edge almost 65 million years ago. You can hike the canyons themselves or get a great view of the Swell at the Cedar Mountain overlook and picnic area.

White River - The White River is a relaxing run on one of Utah's best canoe-camping and kayaking rivers. Groves of cottonwoods make pleasant places to camp.  A variety of wildlife abound including birds, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer, bighorn sheep and black bears.