The problem with visiting the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is that there are almost too many interesting outdoor recreational possibilities, only one of which is fishing in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, where anglers tell stories abut catching and releasing 30-pound lake trout. Below the Flaming Gorge Dam, fly fishermen cast nymphs, streamers, and dry flies to catch beautiful trout on the Green River, as rafters float down the gentle rapids on lazy summer afternoons.

Boaters travel to remote campgrounds on the reservoir shore for a quiet evening under the stars and away from the sound of automobiles. As water-skiers zigzag on the reservoir beneath 1,500-foot red-rock cliffs, swimmers bask in the sun on sandy beaches at Antelope Flat and Mustang Ridge.

Away from the water’s edge, hikers climb to the top of Bear Top Mountain for views across the canyons and close encounters with bighorn sheep. Children lead their parents on self-guided torus of the Flaming Gorge Dam.