Great Drives - Utah

The red gorge is one of the most spectacular chasms in the American West, set in a large national recreation area, with camping, hiking, boating, and many geological wonders to see. This route moves from Utah to Wyoming, through the south edge of the High Uinta Range. Nearby places include Vernal Utah and Green River and Rock Springs Wyoming

Although this drive is a short one, it is one of the most impressive drives in the West and stands out in my memory with the great national park experiences. There are no high mountains on this route and what we see is the core of the Uinta range, instead of the peaks. What we gain from a day or more spent in the Flaming Gorge area is an understanding of how our earth developed -- the magnificence of a billion years of nature's work.

The Flaming Gorge Drive

It's 46 miles from Vernal to the village of Manila, a northward route which takes us past the Red Canyon of the Green River -- the "Flaming Gorge". Running north from Vernal, on U.S. Highway 191, this drive passes through striking geologic formations including the "Red Fleet" buttes, and then climbs through the Uinta foothills to reach the plateau from which you can gaze down into the stratified gorge which is filled with the rich red color of the rock of the area.

Vernal, at the southern end of the drive, is a city with a full range of visitor services. Dinosaur National Monument is located a few miles east of town, just inside the Colorado border. An early visit to the Ashley National Forest ranger station in the city will aid in your appreciation of what is to follow on the drive

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