Flaming Gorge is one of our favorite summer destinations. Located in the northeast Utah, not only is the area beautiful with high red cliffs around the blue reservoir, it has plenty to experience and see. Flaming Gorge has something fun for everyone in the family. We put together a list of our five favorite activities to do when visiting Flaming Gorge. Melody came along with us this year, but didn’t get to participate in too many activities because most of them involved water or rain (gotta protect those sensitive eyes). She still had fun exploring the Red Canyon area, she even found a bighorn sheep and an eagle!
1. Float the Green River
Rafting down the Green River is number one on our list of things to do for a reason. The river is mellow enough that anyone can enjoy floating down on a raft, but just rapid-y enough that it will give everyone a little thrill (especially if you struggle like us to communicate and find yourself bumping into boulders). Most of the river is fairly calm and peaceful with lovely scenery, anglers can be found up and down the river trying to catch trout. We often let the kids out to swim while holding onto a rope in the mellow areas. Raft rentals and shuttles are available at a couple of nearby resorts for around $100, depending on size of raft and whether you need the shuttle. We’ve rented from both Flaming Gorge Resort and Dutch John Resort, while we prefer Flaming Gorge Resort, our experience at Dutch John Resort was good as well.
2. Kayaking
Of course at a reservoir, you have to participate in water activities. Kayaking and boating are favorites. The kiddos love paddling around the reservoir, this year grandma and grandpa joined in the fun too. We played a fun game of splash tag on the kayaks (get splashed and you’re it!). There are several marina areas where you can kayak as well as a few that rent kayaks. In the Red Canyon Area there are a few small lakes where you can kayak as well. Mustang Ridge and Cedar Springs are popular marinas, we’ve enjoyed kayaking in Sheep Creek Bay where there is a large no wake area where boats rarely go making it a great option for kiddos that need steady water and might not pay attention to the boats coming and going.
3. Camping
Flaming Gorge is a beautiful place to camp and offers both reserved camping (plan well in advance, especially for weekend camping) and first come-first serve camping. Storms tend to develop every afternoon in the summer, so we’re always prepared for rain. Often it can be a short sprinkle that comes and goes and does not tend to last too long. We’ve found ourselves picnicking and kayaking through the rain. This year it rained on us both nights, one night the storm put on quite the show with loud thunder and lightening. The beauty of camping in Flaming Gorge is also getting to enjoy the dark night skies.
4. Explore the Red Canyon Area
The beautiful Red Canyon area of Flaming Gorge gives you views of the reservoir from atop 1200 foot cliffs. Um yeah, if you are afraid of heights, don’t look down. There is a visitor center with a beautiful overlook as well as a walking path along the cliffs. Nearby Red Canyon Lodge offers activities like horseback riding, mountain bike rentals, and kayaking as well as lodging. You do not have to be a guest of the lodge to access their activities. If you have a boat with you, you can also view the canyon areas from down below, another impressive sight.
5. Tour the Flaming Gorge Dam
In non-COVID years (please let those come back soon), free tours are offered of the dam where you can go down into the actual dam to see how it works. It is truly impressive. Part of the tour takes you into an elevator down to the bottom of the dam to look up at the 500 foot wall above you to admire the amount of water being held up. We love going on the dam tour (dad joke intended). If the tour is not being offered when you are there, you can still walk across the foot bridge to look over the dam and drive to the view point to get a good view of the entire dam. Be sure to look up as you are driving across the white arch bridge to catch a view of an eagle’s nest and maybe even spot an eagle inside.
Have you visited Flaming Gorge before? What activities do you enjoy there?
Sunshine and Hairbows 