Why this ride
Open upland riding with long sight lines and varied gradients. It also links naturally to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Flaming Gorge-Green River Scenic Byway
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 101 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 23
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Access context
Check seasonal gates, park access and state 511 notices before publication. Specific flag: wind.
Seasonal context
May-Oct
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Rock Springs
Rock Springs is a coal town that ended up on the world's busiest east-west railroad, and it has the odd mix of origins you would expect. The Union Pacific arrived in the late 1860s, the mines dug into the surrounding desert, and workers came from dozens of countries, which is why the town's old tales mention such a long list of nationalities. It also has a darker chapter: in 1885 white miners attacked their Chinese coworkers in a massacre that is remembered in local history, and the place does not hide from it.
Read the complete Rock Springs write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Rock Springs sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Green River.
2. Green River
The river that gives this town its name is also the reason the town matters. John Wesley Powell, the one-armed Civil War veteran, launched his two famous expeditions down the Green and Colorado Rivers from here in 1869 and 1871, and a small island in the middle of town, Expedition Island, marks the spot where his boats slid into the current. It is worth a short walk across a footbridge, because the sight of this wide, green water in the middle of the high desert is a small shock.
Read the complete Green River write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Green River comes up 44 km in. Next is Manila.
3. Manila
Manila is a very small town at a very big view. It sits on the Utah side of the state line, only a few hundred metres south of the Wyoming border, on the western rim of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, and if you blink on the highway you might miss it. A few hundred people live here, a handful of motels and cafés serve the visitors, and the real attraction lies just beyond the last building, where the land drops into a long blue arm of water between red cliffs.
Read the complete Manila write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
101 km in you reach Manila.
Recorded source links
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Flaming Gorge Uintas Scenic Byway · 127 km