Flaming Gorge – A Vivid Lesson in Geology

Red Canyon at Flaming Gorge Utah

The Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area is known for its outdoor activities. The reservoir is on the Green River in Utah a few miles from the Wyoming border. Fishing, boating, camping, and backpacking are all major attractions. For me, however, the Red Canyon with its colorful rock walls is a photographer’s dream.

Upriver view of the canyon

Regular readers know of my penchant for creating panoramic views via Lightroom’s toolbox. You’ll find a few of them here and in my Flickr album. The majority of the images in this post were captured at the Red Canyon not too far from the Red Canyon (Flaming Gorge) Visitor Center.

The Green River winds its way through the steep canyon walls

For those who like to Google search information, note that there is another Red Canyon Visitor Center in Utah, near Bryce Canyon in the Dixie National Forest. The Red Canyon Visitor Center at Flaming Gorge is on the southern rim of the Red Canyon on the Green River. The view from the top of the 1631-foot (497 m) cliffs provides a commanding view of the Green River.

The landscape is large so watch where you are walking.

The national recreation area stretches into the southwest corner of Wyoming on the dam’s east side (downriver) side. We approached the area from Vernal Utah and at a Y in the road, you can head toward the reservoir’s western side and views shown above.

Reservoir just upriver from the dam.

Or, veer to the east and stop at the visitor center at the dam. Continue on that road and in a few moments, you’ll be in Wyoming. In an upcoming post, stay tuned and follow us as we travel the scenic byway from Wyoming, through Manila and Dutch John, Utah, small communities near the reservoir, and then through the Uintas Mountains on our way to Green River, Wyoming.

View from Flaming Gorge Byway roadside stop in Wyoming.

There are over forty campgrounds and hundreds of group and individual campsites to choose from. There are even river camps for those who would like to travel the river for more than a single day. To view any of these images in 2K HD, click on it. Or click here to visit the album on my Flickr gallery where you will find a few extra images captured that day.

John Steiner

20 comments

  1. This looks amazing John! Hopefully next spring and summer we can make our way East to visit these wonders. When I saw “vivid’ in your post’s title, I smiled because “vivid” is the theme for Sunday Stills next week 🙂 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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