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Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a 91-mile-long lake divided almost equally between eastern Utah and southern Wyoming. Every year more than 1 million tourists visit Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, but in the past generally only a few thousand hardy fishermen visited the area in the dead of winter.
Flaming Gorge is one of Utah's top year-round tourist spots.
Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News |
Rangers with the Ashley National Forest, however, have done much over the past few years to change Flaming Gorge into a year-round recreation area. To enhance winter fun, they've mapped out several new cross-country ski and snowmobile trails. Two facilities, called yurts, are also available for rent to skiers and snowmobilers during the winter for overnight stays. The tentlike dwellings are located four to seven miles from the reservoir.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir will always be popular during the winter for fishermen hoping to hook a lunker fish. The lake's monster German brown, mackinaw and rainbow trout come up from the depths during colder weather to find warmer water. Lake trout exceeding 50 pounds have been caught in Flaming Gorge, and the man-made lake once was the site of the German brown world record — 33 pounds and 10 ounces.
The Green River below the dam is one of the nation's most popular blue ribbon trout streams, with good fishing year-round. Outfitters and lodges in the area offer boat and equipment rental.
Non-fishermen, or anglers with some extra time, can also check out the visitors center during the winter and take one of the Bureau of Reclamation's self-guided tours of Flaming Gorge Dam. Construction of the Flaming Gorge dam began in 1958. The 502-foot dam impounds the waters of the Green River, to form Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Forest Service hosts are available to provide information and show movies about the area, as well as offer maps, postcards and books on nature and history.
The Lucerne, Greendale and Dripping Springs campgrounds also remain during the winter months.
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