On a road trip last summer, my family and I stumbled upon Flaming Gorge. Tucked up in northeastern Utah, it was an area I had heard little about and soon realized it was a hidden jewel with very few visitors. Not as popular as its counterpart in southern Utah, Lake Powell, I wanted to return this summer to kayak the area. My 15-year-old son was up for it, so off we went.
Flaming Gorge is a reservoir surrounded by flaming red rocks in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah with around 360 miles of shoreline. For our kayaking trip, we stayed within Utah. We parked our car at Sheep Creek Bay outside Manila on Highway 44. The price to park is $5 a day or $15 for a week payable by envelope at the parking lot. The closest location to buy supplies was in Manila, seven miles down the road. Our route was to paddle around Kingfisher Island, then head down past Hideout Canyon and on to Red Canyon for a two-night kayaking trip.
Packing all our supplies into two kayaks, the first night we paddled out three miles to near the designated campground on Kingfisher Island. This rustic campground has a dock and picnic tables, but no toilet facilities. However, if we were to do it again, we would have camped on the other side of the water under the red rock cliffs, as we saw other boaters do after we had set up camp. Our plan was to set up for one night and then camp at another location the next. If we were to return, we would establish a base camp. The reason being is that once a kayaker enters into Red Canyon there are no places to pitch a tent as the rock cliffs slope down to the water. As this was an adventure, we did find one spot in the canyon but would not recommend this approach to others. There are many spots to set up a camp before entering Red Canyon. If your goal is to paddle further down the reservoir, spend the night outside the canyon and then set your sights for a campground on the other side. (Be careful when picking a designated campground that it is at water level and not at the top of the cliffs as it is difficult to discern on one-dimensional maps.)
Flaming Gorge is a reservoir surrounded by flaming red rocks in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah with around 360 miles of shoreline. For our kayaking trip, we stayed within Utah. We parked our car at Sheep Creek Bay outside Manila on Highway 44. The price to park is $5 a day or $15 for a week payable by envelope at the parking lot. The closest location to buy supplies was in Manila, seven miles down the road. Our route was to paddle around Kingfisher Island, then head down past Hideout Canyon and on to Red Canyon for a two-night kayaking trip.
Packing all our supplies into two kayaks, the first night we paddled out three miles to near the designated campground on Kingfisher Island. This rustic campground has a dock and picnic tables, but no toilet facilities. However, if we were to do it again, we would have camped on the other side of the water under the red rock cliffs, as we saw other boaters do after we had set up camp. Our plan was to set up for one night and then camp at another location the next. If we were to return, we would establish a base camp. The reason being is that once a kayaker enters into Red Canyon there are no places to pitch a tent as the rock cliffs slope down to the water. As this was an adventure, we did find one spot in the canyon but would not recommend this approach to others. There are many spots to set up a camp before entering Red Canyon. If your goal is to paddle further down the reservoir, spend the night outside the canyon and then set your sights for a campground on the other side. (Be careful when picking a designated campground that it is at water level and not at the top of the cliffs as it is difficult to discern on one-dimensional maps.)
We arrived the Sunday following the Fourth of July, which had been on a Friday. It was not crowded. By Tuesday, we almost had the place to ourselves. We were the only kayakers, and most of the recreational boaters had returned to their jobs. During the first three hours of paddling on our last day we did not see another person. We did see, however, many osprey nests perched high on the rocks.
The night temperature in July was comfortable, and we slept well in 40-degree bags. We brought a 5-gallon collapsible water carrier and did not use all the water while paddling three days. However, it is always best to be on the safe side and have excess water rather than not enough. For food we brought protein bars, fruit cups, and freeze-dried meals among other treats. As we were eating a $10 freeze-dried pasta dish, my son thought it would have been smarter to have packed a pre-made noodle side dish, such as the kind Knorr sells for considerably less, as it tasted the same. I agreed. As there was not room in our kayaks for firewood, we brought along a small, portable camp stove heated by fuel packets that worked very well (see slideshow).
In addition to paddling, there is great swimming and rock cliff jumping, similar to Lake Powell but without the crowds. The scenery is spectacular, and every turn seemed to have brought us to another geological period as the rock formations changed. I enjoyed bonding with my son and would recommend the experience to others.
After your trip be sure to stop at the Red Canyon Visitor Center to see the view of the canyon from above. After we stopped at the center, we treated ourselves to a meal at the Red Canyon Lodge, which was on the road back to the highway.
The night temperature in July was comfortable, and we slept well in 40-degree bags. We brought a 5-gallon collapsible water carrier and did not use all the water while paddling three days. However, it is always best to be on the safe side and have excess water rather than not enough. For food we brought protein bars, fruit cups, and freeze-dried meals among other treats. As we were eating a $10 freeze-dried pasta dish, my son thought it would have been smarter to have packed a pre-made noodle side dish, such as the kind Knorr sells for considerably less, as it tasted the same. I agreed. As there was not room in our kayaks for firewood, we brought along a small, portable camp stove heated by fuel packets that worked very well (see slideshow).
In addition to paddling, there is great swimming and rock cliff jumping, similar to Lake Powell but without the crowds. The scenery is spectacular, and every turn seemed to have brought us to another geological period as the rock formations changed. I enjoyed bonding with my son and would recommend the experience to others.
After your trip be sure to stop at the Red Canyon Visitor Center to see the view of the canyon from above. After we stopped at the center, we treated ourselves to a meal at the Red Canyon Lodge, which was on the road back to the highway.
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