Explorers of the Green
Had Lives of Rugged Adventure
Legends of Indians hunting, explorers braving the
unknown, mountain men trapping and trading, and
outlaws and ranchers competing for living space give the
Flaming Gorge area a colorful history.
Fur-trader William H. Ashley was the first to attempt to
float the Green River to the Gulf of Mexico. He passed
through Red Canyon on May 3, 1825, and was
followed by William Manley, on a gold-seeking venture
to California in 1849.
It was Major John Wesley Powell that gave us the
names Flaming Gorge and Red Canyon in 1869, while
exploring the rough water and unknown territory of the
Green and Colorado Rivers.
After years of gunfights and land battles, the area
became the Ashley National Forest, part of the
National Forest System, signed into effect by
Theodore Roosevelt on July 1, 1908.
Don't miss the rest of our virtual tour of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in 1127 images.