Green River
"Green River is the West, pure and simple — wide open, untapped, solitary and mystical. "
Local Highlights
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Crystal Geyser
This cold-water geyser is one of only fifteen of its kind in the world. The mineral-rich water that erupts and froths from the well creates brilliant orange travertine terraces at it flows into the Green River. Visit at sunset to see the watery travertine glow.
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John Wesley Powell Museum
For a glimpse at the early exploration of the Green River by men who lived to tell the tale, be sure and visit the John Wesley Powell Museum, filled with creative displays about these early explorers and their exploits.
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Melon Days
An annual tradition since 1906, Melon Days attracts thousands of people from all around to celebrate all things melon in September. The parade includes a giant melon float, and the park is full of booths and activities like watermelon eating and seed-spitting contests — fun for the whole family.
John Wesley Powell Museum
Outdoor Adventure
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Green River State Park
Rest under a canopy of cottonwood trees or accept the challenge of a nine-hole golf course on the banks of the Green River. Green River State Park is also a starting point for boaters adventuring through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons.
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River Running
River running opportunities near Green River abound and provide a way to experience the thrill and beauty of Utah’s wild desert rivers. Both Colorado River and Trail Expeditions and Holiday River Expeditions launch river running trips that start in Green River. Learn more about rafting the Green River.
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Swasey’s Beach
North of Green River, this white sand beach spans a long bend in the river shaded by cottonwood trees along the edge of the Book Cliffs. Shallow water gives children plenty of opportunity to frolic in the river, and bighorn sheep frequent the water’s edge. Rapids upstream from the campground site provide a kayaking playground.
Base Camp Green River
It’s time to leave the city and the suburbs behind and drive through the mountains and canyons into the Utah desert. True, Green River is barely an hour away from Arches and Canyonlands national parks, so those are options to extend your 3-day trip. But for this itinerary, we’re focusing on the local secrets: the hidden labyrinth of slot canyons and whimsical hoodoos of the San Rafael Swell and the dining and heritage that are part of the unique fabric of Green River.
Highlights
- Western Mining and Railroad Museum
- San Rafael Swell
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Swasey's Beach
What's Nearby
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Arches National Park
Arches National Park is one of the top national parks in America: it’s a 73,234-acre wonderland of eroded sandstone fins, towers, ribs, gargoyles, hoodoos, balanced rocks, and, of course, arches northwest of Moab.
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Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is home to many different types of travel experiences, from sublime solitude in the more remote stretches of the park to moderate hikes through the Needles district to the opportunity to create your own version of one of the West's most photographed landforms, Mesa Arch.
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Capitol Reef National Park
Even considering Utah’s many impressive national parks and monuments, it is difficult to rival Capitol Reef National Park’s sense of expansiveness, of broad, sweeping vistas, of a tortured, twisted, seemingly endless landscape, or of limitless sky and desert rock.
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Goblin Valley State Park
Goblin Valley State Park could almost be mistaken for a martian landscape with intricate and bizarre geologic formations. Bring the family and experience this amazing place by hiking, camping, mountain biking and exploring the surrounding canyons.
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Green River State Park
Green River State Park is a great place to begin your adventure on the Green River. If you make the journey you’ll be rewarded with easy access to the river, sheltered campgrounds and picnic areas, a nine-hole golf course, and a new eighteen-basket disc golf course.
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San Rafael Swell
San Rafael hikes and bike rides offer unique terrain and jaw-dropping scenery. Learn about the area’s trails and start planning your trip!
Read the Stories
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A Family Drive Through Utah’s Quiet Places
A vacation where reservoirs and rocks, sagebrush and fossils provide wisdom along the way.
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A Grand Tour of the San Rafael Swell
This grand tour goes into the heart of Utah's Swell from north to south, connecting the uplift’s spectacular views with playful slot-canyon hikes, bike excursions, rock art, dinosaur bones, and soft-serve cones in town.
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A Guide to the Many Faces of Utah's Green River
The mighty Green River carves a path through a dramatic and varied landscape of mountains, canyons and desert for 730 miles across Utah. Whether you have a few hours or a few weeks, experience the diversity of this river yourself by getting on the water.
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Ancient Pictographs, Petroglyphs and Timeless Mysteries
Exploring Horseshoe Canyon isn’t for everyone. First of all, the effort to get there is an adventure in itself, but those efforts make the reward — namely, the chance to see up close some of the most significant pictograph panels in North America — even more noteworthy.
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Bikepacking through Time in the San Rafael Swell
We're miles away from civilization here in southeastern Utah’s San Rafael Swell, and we carry everything we need on our bikes. This is the type of adventure I've longed for, a trip that reminds us of our self-worth, resilience, and how little we actually need to survive.
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Chasing John Wesley Powell: Six Places to Explore Utah's Green and Colorado Rivers
One hundred and fifty years ago a one-armed Civil War veteran set off with nine mountain men on a scientific expedition to map one of the last blank spaces left on the U.S. map: The Green and Colorado rivers. Much of the river remains wild today. Follow Powell's journey here.
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Dog-Friendly Utah: The Road to Mighty
Want to bring your furry friend on your next vacation? Utah is home to several great dog-friendly national parks and other fun destinations. Check it out and plan your trip!
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Eat Your Way Through Utah
Utah is filled with festivals that highlight the state’s agricultural products, local brewers, winemakers and other creators of delicious dishes. You’ll find festivals and events featuring all kinds of agricultural products all over Utah, but here are 10 of the best to sample what the state has to offer.
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Filmed in Utah: 7 Itineraries Through Hollywood's Most Iconic Settings
Whether hitting the Sundance Film Festival in Park City and Salt Lake City in January or visiting Utah throughout the year, you’ll find yourself near some Utah’s most iconic and most filmed places.
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Fly Fishing Guide to The Green River Less Traveled
If you are in the Flaming Gorge area and fish, even just a little bit, you shouldn’t leave without spending at least one day in your waders throwing a line across the blue-ribbon waters of the Green River.
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Green River Scene: Tamarisk Restaurant, Green River Coffee Company
Tamarisk Restaurant in Green River near Moab offers river-side views and great food.
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Lost and Found in Desolation Canyon
Fully unplug on a return trip down the Green River through the remote Desolation Canyon. Along the way, read as the author navigates a few friends through tricky rapids and pauses on stillwater and at night to appreciate the beauty, stillness and solitude of desert wilderness. It's a 100-mile journey for dedicated adventurers, but it comes with real healing power.
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Ray's Tavern
Ray’s is the way to hamburger bliss after a weekend of concurring and communing with Mother Nature at her most brazen — namely, Moab and the surrounding Southern Utah recreational areas.
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San Rafael Swell Throughout the Seasons: 4 Reasons to Visit
From narrow slot canyons to grand sweeping vistas, sandstone plateaus to meandering rivers, San Rafael Country and the San Rafael Swell are home to some of the most spectacular scenery in Utah.
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The 7 Best Trails in the Carbon Corridor Trail System
Take in the amazing scenery at locations only accessible with four-wheel drive.
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The Underrated Trails Within the San Rafael Swell
Utah's San Rafael Swell features a vast landscape of winding gorges carved deep by rivers, and you'll find multi-colored sandstone mountains and mysterious slot canyons. Here's a quick guide to some of the best trails to explore the region.
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The Undiscovered San Rafael Swell
Circle back to the San Rafael Swell, a gem of public lands in Central Utah you may have missed on your last visit through some of Southern Utah's Mighty 5® national parks. The Little Grand Canyon of the San Rafael Swell is a stunning panorama from above, and an incredible adventure within.
