Flaming Gorge, Utah - The perfect weekend destination

Boating, swimming, cliff jumping, camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing (some of the best trout fishing in the world), and ATV trails. Flaming Gorge seems to have everything an outdoor enthusiast could ask for in one destination. The Flaming Gorge reservoir stretches across the Utah/Wyoming border in Ashley National Forest in the Uintah Mountain Range and has a multitude of places for RV and primitive camping. We stayed at the Greens Lake campground on the southeastern part of the reservoir near the dam. The campground is 7400' above sea level and is surrounded by ponderosa pines and sits on one of the Greens Lakes. Non-motorized watercraft and catch and release fishing are allowed on the lakes. Use of the lakes is free. There is also a stocked fishing pond for kids under 12 years old. If you are in the area, you should also visit the Red Canyon Visitor Center. There is a glass walled overlook that is perched on the lip of the canyon 1700' feet above the reservoir. The interpretive trail by the visitor center offers breathtaking vistas of the canyon. We also spent a day out on the reservoir in Sunny Cove near Dutch John. This is designated as a swimming area, so you don't need to worry about any boats or waves from their wakes. Non-motorized watercraft are allowed, so we took our kayaks out around the cove. We opted to paddle over to some of the cliffs for cliff jumping. The water was cool, but felt great on a hot summer day. If you are in the mood for a hike, we recommend making the drive to the south of Ashley National Forest. Off an unmarked dirt road just north of Steinaker State Park there is a short trail to the Moonshine Arch. To get to the trailhead, follow the signs on the dirt roads, not the hiking apps. This area is made up of what looks like the Petrified Dunes in Arches National Park, but are a lot less busy. The hike is around one mile each direction. The trail is made up of loose sand like you would find on the beach and will make it more tiring than walking on packed dirt. The trail is exposed the entire way, so it is recommended that you go earlier in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the summer sun. The arch is hidden until you are almost right under it. You can also climb up on the alcove and cave that sit right next to it. Before you head back home, you should definitely take one of the free dam tours that are available throughout the day. It is amazing to see the scale of the structure. The amount of energy passing through the dam is hard to comprehend until you are on it. You can feel the vibration of spinning turbines at the base of the dam from all the way at the top. We were treated to a spectacular show of an over capacity dam that required the bypass tubes to be opened at the bottom. This is was our first time visiting Flaming Gorge, but quickly became our favorite camping spot and will definitely show up on our adventures again.
 Activity rating: 0-10
 Kid fun: 10 
Difficulty: 3 
Cost: $20/night at Greens Lake Campground http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ashley/recreation/recarea/?recid=72179&actid=29 Free Flaming Gorge Tour http://www.flaminggorgecountry.com/Flaming-Gorge-Dam-Visitor-Center