Saucer Basin Slick Rock
Backcountry Discovery Routes
The Utah Backcountry Discovery Route, or UTBDR, is a scenic driving route across the state of Utah, from Arizona to Idaho, for dual-sport adventure motorcycles and 4×4 vehicles. This 871 mile long south-north route uses mostly un-paved backroads and will pass through a number of iconic locations including Moab, Valley of the Gods, the Abajo and La Sal Mountain Ranges, Nine Mile Canyon, and the northern Wasatch Mountains.
The Utah Backcountry Discovery Route was produced and released by Curbsyde Productions with major support from Touratech-USA, KLiM Technical Riding Gear, Butler Motorcycle Maps, NEMO Tents, WARN Winches, Sidi Boots, and Noren Films. Additional support provided by Canyon Lands Jeep Rental, BMW Motorcycles of Utah and The Edge Powersports KTM.
Green River: Geoff Gulevich
Nefertiti
This rock formation is called Nefertiti do to the resemblance to the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. Many one-day rafters put in at Nefertiti Rapids, travel down the Green River and then take out at Swasey’s Beach.
For a fun day in the sun, take a trip down the Green River!
Wedge Overlook, San Rafael Swell
Goblin Valley
Goblin Valley State Park footage starts at 1:51.
BTS Shoot for REV’IT! Sports International in Utah from Ron Risman on Vimeo.
Crystal Geyser
Emery County ATV
Green River Melon Days
Mountain Biking the San Rafael Swell
Emery Cycling
Monument Hill
In his 89th year Herbert Steiner of Seattle, Washington, felt to commission international land artist Andrew Rogers of Australia to create land art on his property near Green River, Utah. Herbert came to love Green River, Utah and the Book Cliffs area after he retired from teaching school and traveled the country on Amtrak. He spent many pleasant days in Green River enjoying the spectacular scenery, walking the railroad tracks and enjoying the company of many good people of the town. Eventually he purchased 75 acres of land between the Interstate and the railroad tracks where Ratio would one day be built.
When contacted to consider the project,, Andrew Rogers was immediately interested and mentioned he even had a fossil from Green River on the wall of his home in Australia. Though he had never been to Green River, he studied photos of Herbert’s property and soon designed and sent plans for a spectacular creation called “Ratio” to be built as a permanent land-art project on the hill of Mr. Steiner’s property. Later he came to Green River and designated the exact site and orientation of the project.
Andrew Rogers is one of Australia’s most distinguished and internationally recognized contemporary artists. He exhibits globally and his critically acclaimed sculptures are in numerous private and prominent public collections in Australia, South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the USA. He has received many international commissions and created “Rhythms of Life”, the largest contemporary land-art undertaking in the world, forming a chain of 47 massive stone sculptures, or Geoglyphs, around the globe. The project has involved over 6,700 people in 13 countries across seven continents.
Ratio is designed based on the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical concept of universal significance similar to the Golden Ratio of science and mathematics. The Fibonacci sequence is found in numerous patterns in nature such as leaf arrangements in plants, the spiral structure of the nautilus snail, the florets of a flower and the arrangements of branches along the stems of plants, as well as the growth patterns in other living organisms. The sequence is regarded by many as representing a universal law of harmony in nature and art. The Green River Ratio Fibonacci sequence can be observed as the number of blocks in each succeeding column is the sum of the previous two columns, establishing the ratios of the sequence.
The project was constructed during the fall of 2010 and assembled on the hill on December 13 and 14, 2010. The contractors built Ratio using white cement powder imported from Kansas. The project consists of a solid foundation of black dyed concrete on which are assembled 53 concrete blocks, each weighing 4 1/2 tons. Each block is 39 x 39 x 68 inches and is stabilized by hidden tongue and groove construction with two-inch rebar through the centers of the blocks. The center column consists of 13 blocks reaching 42 feet high with a gold-leafed block capping the column.
Other links to
Green River: A History of Booms & Busts
Green River has traditionally been known as a way-station, a crossing-point, a pit-stop, but this unique village is more than just a place to pause. Like most towns, it has been shaped by many events that have dramatically impacted the shape of the city and its residents. Green River has a rich past full of booms and busts.
The history of Green River begins before the settlement era since it was the most accessible crossing point on the Green River south of the Uinta Basin. The Old Spanish Trail forded the river about three miles upstream from the present town, as did the 1853 railroad survey under the direction of Captain John W. Gunnison. The site’s accessibility also made it a natural staging and supply point for travel on the river. the City of Green River started as a river crossing for the U.S. Mail. Settlement began in the late 1870’s in the form of Blake Station on the overland mail route between Salina, Utah, and Ouray, Colorado. The first permanent settlers of European stock were the families of Thomas Farrer and Matthew Hartman. The Farrers played a leading role in the community for several decades, operating a general store, a bank, and a ferry service.
The railroad has played a major role in Green River’s history. In 1880 this small town of three families boomed into a tent-and-dugout town with workers coming to build the bridge and the road bed for the railroad. The completion of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway in 1883 made Green River a shipping point for livestock and mining equipment and supplies. Green River became a fueling and watering stop for the railroad with switching yards and engine sheds. Since there were no dining cars in those days a hotel (called the Palmer House) was built, and it became the scheduled meal stop for trains from both directions for many years. The influx of railroad workers gave the town 375 residents by 1890, in addition to a fluctuating population of cowboys, sheepherders, and prospectors from the Book Cliffs and the San Rafael Desert. The town’s location on the “outlaw trail” between Robbers Roost and Browns Park also contributed to its “wild west” reputation during that period. Green River enjoyed the railroad boom until 1892 when the railroad transferred most of its operations to Helper, Utah, cutting the population in half. Today, only the Amtrak passenger train stops in Green River, Utah.
An oil boom in 1901 brought a rush to locate claims and some drilling activity but no commercial production. In 1906 a land developer named E.T. Merritt began promoting Green River as a fruit-growing area comparable to the Grand Valley of Colorado. Several hundred acres of peach trees were planted on both sides of the river, but problems with the irrigation system and harsh winter temperatures killed most of the trees before they could come into production
In the late 1940’s through the 1960’s (when the uranium boom ended followed by a brief recovery in the 1970’s) uranium dominated the economy of Green River. Several trucking companies based in Green River hauled the ore from the mines in the Four-Corners Mining District, the San Rafael Swell, the Henry Mountains, and near Lake Powell.
The U. S. Air Force built the Green River Launch Complex (the new Area 51?), just outside of Green River, in 1964. It was an annex of the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range. From 1964-73 the U. S. Air Force launched 141 Athena and Pershing Missiles from the Green River launching area, near the Crystal Geyser. From those firings research was done to improve nuclear missiles. The Launch Complex brought the town’s population to a high point of almost 2,000 before the closing of the complex in the 1970s led to yet another economic downturn.
Each of these boom cycles had some lasting impact upon the community. The “Farrer Subdivision” that makes up the southeastern portion of the town was a product of the railroad era. The “upper town” to the north and west was developed during the peach boom, a period that also saw the incorporation of the town in 1906 and the building of a high school in 1910. The Community Presbyterian Church was also established during this period. A Latter-Day Saint ward was organized in 1904, disbanded in 1915, and reestablished in 1923. During the uranium boom, Jim Hurst developed an innovative flying service to carry workers and supplies to remote mining locations. The successors to Hurst’s operation now carry on an active business flying river running parties. The “missile base” era brought new schools and civic services and saw the Community Church become the Green River Bible Church. Catholic and Baptist worship services were also instituted during this period. Unfortunately, these booms and busts have put the city into the mindset that it has to wait for something to come along in order for things to change. So, what will the next boom be… the nuclear power plant?
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Information taken from: Emery County Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Castle Valley: A History of Emery County (1949); Emery County Historical Society, Emery County, 1880-1980 (1981) and the City of Green River website.
The Outlaw Trail
The Outlaw Trail was a large section of nearly two hundred miles. The Trail includes the area of Robbers Roost, Brown’s Hole and Hole-in-the-Wall. It was the refuge and hideout for Butch Cassidy’s gang from the 1880’s until the early 1900’s.
It was easy to hide there because of the many canyons and draws to hide in, and getting lost for someone not familiar with the area was easy. Another person familiar with Robbers Roost was Matt Warner. Warner would steal cattle and hideout in Robbers Roost. Others who knew and used the Robbers Roost were the McCarty (McCarthy) gang.
The Wild Bunch headed there after a Colorado bank robbery in 1889. Cassidy used it again in 1897, when he and another man, probably Elzy Lay held up the Pleasant Valley Coal Company payroll. Attempts were made to catch Butch and the gang but authorities could never enter Robbers Roost. Over the years Robbers Roost gained a reputation for not being able to be entered. Stories were told how men, a system of tunnels, fortifications and land mines guarded the Roost. It was also claimed that the Roost had a storehouse of supplies and ammunition making it impossible to enter. Lawmen seemed to believe some of these stories, some had no desire to try and get and outlaw out of there.
Robbers Roost was mostly abandoned at the time that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid left for South America. Many outlaws passed through there not only because of the Robbers Roost but because Green River was so remote and local friendships. Stories awe told of Butch and the youngsters of Hanksville playing jacks with 20 dollar gold pieces.
Maps
Super 8
1248 E. Main St
435-564-8888
Hours: 24/7
www.super8.com
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Sleepy Hollow
Shady Acres Campground
690 E. Main
800-537-8674
9am-8pm
www.shadyacresrv.com
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River Terrace
Ramada Limited
2125 E. Main St.
435-564-8441
Hours: 24/7
www.ramada.com
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KOA
Knights Inn
1015 E. Main St.
425-564-3421
Hours: 24/7
www.knightsinn.com
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Comfort Inn
1975 E. Main St.
435-564-3300
Hours: 24/7
ComfortInn.com
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Budget Inn
Book Cliff Lodge
AOK RV Park
Desert Flavors
Burger King
Arby’s
La Veracruzana
Subway
Melon Vine Deli
Chow Hound
Blimpie’s
West Winds Restaurant
Mines
Rockhounding
The area surrounding Green River and in Emery County boasts a large variety of fossils including plants, ammonites, and oysters. Agates are also quite abundant in certain rock units as well as a variety of interesting minerals.
There are many different laws in place regarding the collection of rocks and minerals from public areas, so it is advisable to read up on local laws before prospecting. Rock and mineral collecting is prohibited in most if not all national parks in the United States.
View Rock Hounding in a larger map
Magazine Articles of the Area
Tamarisk Restaurant
1710 E Main Street, Green River Utah
Green River, UT 84525
(435) 564-8109
Website: http://www.tamariskrestaurant.
Hours: 7:30am-10pm
Types of Food: American/Mexican
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Green River Holiday Inn
Green River Coffee Company
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
States: Colorado and Utah
Length: 480.0 mi / 772.5 km
Time to Allow: Take ten hours to drive or ten days to enjoy the byway.
The Dinosaur Diamond runs through the best land in the world to learn about dinosaurs. Numerous sites are available to the public where bones and tracks are still visible in the ground. Many museums along the way add to the opportunities to see and learn about dinosaurs. Continue reading “Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway”
Native American Rock Art
As far back as 7000-9000 B.C., Paleo-Indians hunted large mammals such as Mastodons and Mammoths across southwest Utah. Later inhabitants included the Desert Archaic culture, the Fremont culture, and Ancestral Pueblo People.
Due to rich Native American history and culture in the area there are plenty of places to find and to be found that include pictographs and petroglyphs. Continue reading “Native American Rock Art”
Green River Missile Launch Complex
The U. S. Air Force, built the Green River Launch Complex, just outside of Green River, Utah, 1964. It was an annex of the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range. From 1964 to 1973 the U. S. Air Force launched 141 Athena Missiles from the Green River launching area, near the Crystal Geyser as part of research to improve nuclear missiles. The site has since been decommissioned. Pershing and Athena rockets were fired from here to White Sands, NM, some 400 miles away.
Continue reading “Green River Missile Launch Complex”
Motel 6
Welcome to Motel 6 Green River in Green River, Utah
Welcome to Motel 6 Green River, Utah conveniently located off the I-70 business loop. Features include outdoor seasonal pool, guest laundry facility, and micro fridge units in select rooms. WIFI in all rooms for an nominal fee.
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1860 East Main Street
I-70 at Business Loop 70
Green River, UT, 84525
Phone: (435) 564-3436
FAX: (435) 564-8272
Green River Stable
A Riding School, Rental Stable & Horse Hotel
There is no better way yo see this country than from the back of a good horse!
- Trail Rides
- Lessons
- Boarding
Green River Stables provides friendly, knowledgeable trail guides, quality riding lessons, safe school horses and excellent stabling facilities. Over the past 30 years, we have helped hundreds of horses, kids, adults and teens gain a better life!
Hydration
Hydration is key whether in the desert hiking or even on the river rafting.
Slipper Arch
Mountainbike Freerider
Brandon Semenuk is a professional mountainbike freerider and he found the Book Cliffs in Green River, Utah to ride on. The Youtube video below is of Brandon riding the Book Cliffs.