flaming gorge-green river basin scenic byway update2. a plan to encourage the accommodation of...

Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic BywayCorridor Management Plan Update

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Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Update

Corridor Management Plan Updatefor the

Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway

Prepared for: Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway Steering Committee

Prepared by:Dennis Adams, Scenic Byway Consultant

Wanda Maloney, Corridor Solutions

April 2020

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Routes of theFlaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway

andFlaming Gorge-Green RiverScenic Byway

FLAMING GORGE DAMFLAMING GORGE DAM

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Table of ContentsFlaming Gorge Scenic Byway MapFederal RequirementsChapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Intrinsic Qualities • Route Description • Corridor Boundary • Natural Intrinsic Quality • Recreation Intrinsic Quality • Protection Strategies • Public and Private LandsChapter 3: Visitor Experience • Visitor Experience • Driving Experience • Wyoming Visitor Site and Facility Analysis • Interpretation • MarketingChapter 4: Existing Roadway ConditionsChapter 5: StewardshipChapter 6: Action PlanAppendix A

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List of MapsFlaming Gorge Scenic Byway

Corridor Boundary

Public and Private Lands

Intrinsic Qualities

Potential Interpretive Sites - Clay Basin

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FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. A map identifying the corridor boundaries and the location of intrinsic qualities and different land uses within the corridor.

2. An assessment of such intrinsic qualities and of their context.

3. A strategy for maintaining and enhancing those intrinsic qualities. The level of protection for different parts of a National Scenic Byway or All-American Road can vary, with the highest level of protection afforded those parts which most reflect their intrinsic values. All nationally recognized scenic byways should, however, be maintained with particularly high standards, not only for trav-elers’ safety and comfort, but also for preserving the highest levels of visual integrity and attractiveness.

4. A schedule and a listing of all agency, group, and individual responsibilities in the implementation of the corridor management plan, and a description of enforcement and review mechanisms, including a schedule for the continuing review of how well those responsibilities are being met.

5. A strategy describing how existing development might be enhanced and new development might be accommodated while still preserving the intrinsic qualities of the corridor. This can be done through design review, and such land management techniques as zoning, easements, and economic incentives.

6. A plan to assure on-going public participation in the implementation of corridor management objectives.

7. A general review of the road’s or highway’s safety and accident record to identify any correctable faults in highway design, mainte-nance, or operation.

8. A plan to accommodate commerce while maintaining a safe and efficient level of highway service, including convenient user facili-ties.

9. A demonstration that intrusions on the visitor experience have been minimized to the extent feasible, and a plan for making im-provements to enhance that experience

10. A demonstration of compliance with all existing local, State, and Federal laws on the control of outdoor advertising.

11. A signage plan that demonstrates how the State will insure and make the number and placement of signs more supportive of the visitor experience.

12. A narrative describing how the National Scenic Byway will be positioned for marketing

13. A discussion of design standards relating to any proposed modification of the roadway. This discussion should include an evalua-tion of how the proposed changes may affect on the intrinsic qualities of the byway corridor.

14. A description of plans to interpret the significant resources of the scenic byway.

As a cross-reference, the table below identifies the fourteen requirements of the corridor management plan and the corresponding pages that address those requirements.

Page i, Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Chapter 5

Chapter 2

Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 2

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 3

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In addition to the information identified in Paragraph 9a, corridor management plans for All-American Roads must include:

1. A narrative on how the All-American Road would be promoted, interpreted, and marketed in order to attract travelers, especially those from other countries. The agencies responsible for these activities should be identified.

2. A plan to encourage the accommodation of increased tourism, if this is projected. Some demonstration that the roadway, lodging and dining facilities, roadside rest areas, and other tourist necessities will be adequate for the number of visitors induced by the byway’s designation as an All-American Road.

3. A plan for addressing multi-lingual information needs.

4. Further, there must be a demonstration of the extent to which enforcement mechanisms are being implemented in accordance with the corridor management plan.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Chapter 2 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

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Chapter 1 - IntroductionThis corridor management plan (CMP) update for the Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway is intended to guide the ongoing management of the byway and facilitate the designation of the two -state Flaming Gorge All-American Road loop between Utah and Wyoming, with the centerpiece and anchor experience being the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. The All-American Road will consist of two existing designated byways: Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway in southwest Wyoming, and the Flaming Gorge - Uintas National Scenic Byway in northeast Utah. A CMP update is being simulta-neously developed for the Utah section of the byway.

Imagine a drive on parallel roads that rest lightly on the landscape as they roll, dip and twist across a dry, spartan, impossibly big sky and windswept land divided by the incredibly blue water of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, a splendid recreational resource. When driving the Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway on either WY 530 or US 191 beginning in the north, views stretch east or west for at least 50 miles across the unique landscape of the Wyo-ming Basin Physiographic Landscape Region, a specific region defined by the National Park Service and geographers to organize the country’s landscape as influenced by geography, water sheds and landforms. This basin is distinct from the Basin and Range region in Utah and Nevada or the Rocky Mountains. Wyoming 530 and US 191 perfectly present the virtues of this landscape for travelers. As drivers leave Interstate 80 in their rear-view mirrors, they are treated to views unlike most other byway routes in the west owing to the sheer expanse of the landscape.

The corridor’s diversity of wildlife ranging from the fossilized remains of prehistoric animals to today’s herds of antelope and wild horses is reflected in the byway’s theme of “Wildlife Through the Ages.” The corridor offers outstanding nature-based recreational resources, showcases spectacular geology and presents the traveler with incredible vistas of the Flaming Gorge, High Desert, and Uinta Mountains.

The corridor is located on a popular north-south tourism route between Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks. It is hoped that in the future a more expansive system of scenic byways can be developed by partnering with the nearby Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway in Utah and Colorado.

The lion’s share of the corridor consists of federally managed lands, and major stakeholders include the Ashley National Forest and the Bureau of Land Man-agement. Local communities with interests in the corridor are the cities of Vernal, Utah, Green River and Rock Springs, Wyoming, the towns of Manila and Dutch John, Utah.

The Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway was designated as a Wyoming State Scenic Byway by the Secretary of the Wyoming Department of Transportation in 2005.

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Project Considerations and Key FindingsByway leaders in Utah and Wyoming began working in cooperation in 2009, and in May 2010, a strategic planning workshop was conducted for byway lead-ers by the America’s Byways Resource Center. A joint request for proposals was subsequently developed for the update of the 1997 Utah CMP, and 2005 Wyoming CMP. The CMP updates were completed in the fall of 2011. During the update, byway leaders in Utah and Wyoming communicated clear expecta-tions that the updated corridor management plans would provide the information needed to seek a future two-state All-American Road (AAR) nomination from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Byway leaders had been advised that their best hope of achieving this type of designation was if Utah and Wyoming applied together, based on the assumption that the best argument for national significance would occur when resources in both states were included.

The next opportunity to apply for AAR designation did not occur, however, until the spring of 2020, at which time byway leaders in both states once again committed to updating their corridor management plans to facilitate AAR designation. Utah byway leaders soon discovered, however, that nomination of the Flaming Gorge - Uintas National Scenic Byway to All-American Road status would require approval by the state legislature which could not be achieved by the 2020 deadline for nominations. Nonetheless, CMP updates were prepared for the route in both states in 2020.

The design and production of this CMP update for the Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway was guided by the goal of obtaining All-American Road designation even though the Utah byway will remain (for now) a National Scenic Byway. These labels are arbitrary for byway visitors whose travel patterns and preferences clearly indicate that the visitor experience is of the combined route, which is a destination unto itself and whose natural and recre-ational resources are of national significance.

This 2020 CMP update utilizes the consultants’ extensive understanding of the FHWA Interim Policy for the National Scenic Byways Program published in the Federal Register in May of 1995. This policy provides all program guidance, definitions and requirements concerning designation of National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads. The focus of this corridor management plan is to describe and document the resources and facilities that make the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway a destination unto itself, in addition to capturing some of the current planning goals of byway leaders in Wyoming. This CMP maintains the el-ements of the 2005 and 2011 corridor management plans that remain current, relevant, or provide context. It is important to note that the period between the most recent CMP updates (2011 – 2019) is one in which support for byways declined significantly, precipitated by the loss of federal grants and funding for the administration of the National Scenic Byways Program.

To assist byway leaders and stakeholders in identifying, prioritizing, and understanding the relationships between critical needs, each chapter of this docu-ment is structured as follows:

• List of requirements addressed from FHWA’s Interim Policy related to the All-American Road criteria• Important Considerations - the most critical findings and needs identified for each topic area• Narrative• Recommendations which are based on:

-Client goals -Consultant knowledge of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway -Consultant experience and knowledge of methods and strategies successful for other byways -The current and anticipated capacity of the joint byway organization (Joint Committee)

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The Action Plan in Chapter 6 is a compilation of actions recommended throughout the document. These recommendations were informed by previous ac-complishments of byway leaders, as well as research and data collected by the consultant team. The plan also contains a Stewardship chapter that focuses on building a strong, sustainable joint byway organization that is positioned well to compete in an era with limited support for byways. The overall consul-tant goal has been to produce a document that not only meets FHWA standards and requirements, but also serves as a practical guide to accomplishing the goals of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway.

Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway

Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway

Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway

Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway Partnership (Partnership)

Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway Steering Committee (Steering Committee)

Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Joint Committee (Joint Committee)

Utah byway

Wyoming byway

Combined corridor

Utah byway organization

Wyoming byway organization

Combined byway organization

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Chapter 2 - Intrinsic QualitiesFlaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway Route DescriptionIn Wyoming, the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway includes two roads that parallel the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir from the cities of Green River and Rock Springs, south to the Utah state line.

In Rock Springs, the eastern route begins at the intersection of I-80 and US 191 and extends south approximately 51 miles to the Wyoming-Utah state line.

In Green River, the western leg of the byway begins at the intersection of I-80 and Wyoming 530 and travels south approximately 44 miles to the point where Wyoming 530 becomes Utah SR 43 at the Wyoming-Utah state line.

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Corridor BoundaryThe corridor boundary is defined as the viewshed of the roadways making up the byway and the interior of the loop formed by the byway and the Wyoming and Utah state lines. The dominant landform on the northern edge of the byway is White Mountain with Interstate 80 at its base forming the northern boundary of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Corridor.

A very large majority of the corridor is made up of publically owned and managed lands. The lands south of the cities of Green River and Rock Springs are largely undeveloped. The northern portion of the corridor contains developed pri-vate properties.

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From the “Smithsonian Guides to Natural America,”…these roads are nothing short of splendid. No one who drives either road (espe-cially Route 191 on the east side) on a calm July evening should ever again think that dry, empty spaces must be bleak.

Natural Intrinsic Quality

FHWA Interim Policy addressedIn order to be designated as an All-American Road, the road or highway must meet the cri-teria for at least two of the intrinsic qualities. The road or highway must also be considered a destination unto itself. To be recognized as such, it must provide an exceptional traveling experience that is so recognized by travelers that they would make a drive along the high-way a primary reason for their trip. The characteristics associated with the intrinsic qualities are those which best represent the nation and which may contain one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere. The significance of the features contributing to the distinctive characteristics of the corridor’s intrinsic quality are recognized nationally.

7.b) Natural Quality applies to those features in the visual environment that are in a rela-tively undisturbed state. These features predate the arrival of human populations and may include geological formations, fossils, landform, water bodies, vegetation, and wildlife. There may be evidence of human activity, but the natural features reveal minimal distur-bances.

Natural QualitiesContext of Natural Resources and the Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway Corridor

In Wyoming, the byway begins in the high desert, and as the byway traveler gazes across the landscape, colors appear in subdued pastels – gray to light green mostly – supplied by a hardy, stunted, widely-spaced plant life. The landscape is characterized by broad, rolling expanses of the high desert that rise and fall in elevation. Also visible are the fanciful chimneys and buttes carved by wind and water from the canyon walls. The relatively soft sandstones and shales in this ancient lake basin are weathered to deep clays and silts. The only natural element more expansive than the land is the endless blue sky. The scale of the high desert here is massive - distances of up to 100 miles can be seen from some vantage points. According to one byway traveler, “…the vistas are so huge you think your lungs are going to bust trying to take it all in (www.byways.org).” For much of Highways 191 and 530, the road is the only devel-opment that disrupts the expansive natural views.

Winter introduces a new hue to the high desert landscape palette.

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Another factor distinctly characteristic of this byway is the sequence of landscapes experienced by the traveler within a relatively close geographic area. The route travels from high desert to snow-capped mountains, and reveals to the byway traveler not only spectacular natural scenery, but wildlife and plants that live across several altitude zones and a variety of habitats.

The interpretive theme of the byway is “Wildlife Through the Ages,” and the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin area has some of the finest examples of watchable wildlife in the western United States. Roughly 390 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphib-ians, and fish can be found in the Green River Basin and surrounding mountains. The integrity and quality of the landscape feature and habitat adjacent to the byway con-tributes to the plentiful wildlife. Because quality habitat is found on either side of the road, wildlife sightings are common and of great interest to visitors from places where wildlife is not common.

Natural Quality Summary Visitors are always fascinated to see wildlife in their natural habitats, and the byway is famous for its abun-dance and variety of wildlife. Large mammals, rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects are evident in the desert. Deer and elk from the Little Mountain area make their winter range along the east shore of the reservoir. Pronghorn antelope are perhaps the most visible big game species on the dry lands. Antelope are not actually

bold, but they do have a strong inquisitive streak. Herds roam most of the corridor. These graceful animals are frequent visitors in the campgrounds, where they are excellent camera subjects. Coyotes, foxes, badgers, rabbits, weasels, ground squirrels, bats, and shrews are permanent desert residents. Burrowing animals such as the whitetail prairie dog aerate and enrich the soil.

Birds seen in the corridor include the northern bald eagle, golden eagle, American peregrine falcon, prairie falcon, great horned owl, American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, turkey vulture, Sage Grouse, crow, raven, osprey, magpie, and Chucker Partridge.

A large herd of wild horses lives near and can be seen from the byway. Some are de-scendants of those brought by the Spanish in the 1500s.

The land adjacent to the byway is habitat for hundreds of animal species. Wildlife sightings are common and a delight for byway travelers.

The only natural element more expansive than the landscape is the endless blue sky.

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The rich paleontological record has produced an exceptional collection of dinosaur fossils. Due to the sensitivity and significance of these sites, most are not open to the public. For public access and education, the Western Wyoming Community College display is the largest life-sized collection on the I-80 corridor between Chicago and San Francisco.

The RiverThe Green River flows south from the Wind River Mountains and pushes across south-western Wyoming, where it slows and grows as it drains the whole region, augmented at different times and places by the Big Sandy, Black’s Fork, and Henry’s Fork rivers. Near the town of Green River, Wyoming, its railroad-town namesake, the river flows sedately through cottonwood bottoms and later through stone castles and cliffs. Then the country opens up for many miles with alternate sage-grass benches and rolling hills and bluffs. Flaming Gorge itself is a flamboyant portal to the mountains. The colorful, winding canyons lead south and east to the dam.

This is not the same river that Ashley and Powell ven-tured upon when they sought the Grand Canyon. The old river used to rise up riotously in the spring from the snowmelt and sink back in its banks in the fall. It was frequently no more green than the Danube is blue. The mountain men, emigrants, and cattlemen all had misgivings about the river, water highway or not. Home-steaders dug in stoically here and there along its banks in Brown’s Park and across from Little Hole and up on Mann’s Bench. A few Uinta Basin citizens poked around in the southern canyons. The folks in Lucerne Valley looked upon the river as a downright nuisance, a barrier to cross and re-cross.

The construction of the Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge dams has changed that. The new Green River has taken on sparkle and verve, and hundreds of thousands of recreationists visit each year to enjoy the reservoir, the rapids, and the canyons.

Some of the most spectacular scenery along the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway can be found at Fire Hole Basin. Wind sculpted rock and beautiful spires make for breathtaking hikes.

Castle Rock, Green River, Wyo-ming’s famous landmark, as viewed from Expedition Island where John Wesley Powell and his party began their historic explora-tion of the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1869.

This 15 foot cast of Xiphactinus Audax can be viewed at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

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GeologyThe Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic By-way takes the traveler through a panorama of geo-logic history. Evidence of advancing and retreating seas, swamps, barren deserts, dry uplands, wander-ing streams, lakes, and rising mountains can be seen today in the layers of limestone, sandstone, mud stone, and shale along the highway. The geology of this gorge is of international quality. The geologi-cal formations and the geological record provide a prominent and featured teaching location for some of the nation’s top geology programs, including the University of Michigan and the University of Wyo-ming. Geologists come from all over the world to study this area’s rocks and landforms.

Interstate 80 between Rock Springs and Green River traverses the steep eastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift and the western margin of Green River Basin proper. Within five miles west of Rock Springs is the upper Cretaceous Mesa Verde geological group of brown to white soft sandstones, gray shale, and coal.

West of the intersection with US 191 and adjacent to Interstate 80 are the greenish-brown sandstones and brown oil shale belonging to the flat-lying Eocene Green River formation. At the town of Green River, twin tunnels are cut through this formation. The Green River for-mation also forms the Palisades, which are spectacular cliffs on the north side of Interstate 80. They also form the prominent Castle Rock.

Eons ago, one might have seen and heard the waters of a great inland lake surging and sub-siding here against the craggy highlands. When the turbulent waters drained away during the Tertiary period, 40 or 50 million years ago, the mixed sediments remained, forming a stratum known as the Green River Formation, valuable today for oil shale and trona depos-its, and for wonderfully detailed fish fossils and the imprints of leaves, fruits, flowers, and insects preserved in the muddy lake bottom. As the lake slowly dried, soft mudstones and sandstones mixed with volcanic ash were laid down. This is the Bridger Formation, seen in remarkable mammal and reptile fossils.

The uplift of the Green River tilted the whole basin toward the west. Wind and water carved fanciful chimneys and buttes from the canyon walls of the Firehole region.

Herds of Pronghorn Antelope roam the byway corridor and are perhaps the most visible big game species.

The backside of Big Fire Hole Overlook. This area is home to protected species such as the faded midget rattlesnake and pygmy rabbit.

The high desert traversed by the byway provides habitat for the threatened Sage Grouse.

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The dam at the Flaming Gorge is 502 feet high and created a lake 91 miles long, impounding 42,020 surface acres of water within a shoreline perimeter of 360 miles. The storage capacity of the reservoir is nearly 4 million acre-feet of water, and, when full, the high-water line is at 6,040 feet above sea level. Water collected from the Wyoming desert is limited to intermittent and seasonal flows from streams, but the mountain area provides broad, forested watersheds and overflowing streams and springs. The Green River is estimated to supply about 45% of the water volume of the Colorado River when the two water bodies merge in southeastern Utah.

Selected Examples of Natural Resources Related to the Scenic Byway

• The byway viewshed is a vast natural landscape that remains virtually untouched. The expansive panorama of land and sky is awe inspiring.

• The Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin area has some of the finest examples of watchable wildlife in the western United States. The integrity and quality of the landscape feature and habitat adjacent to the byway contribute to the plentiful wildlife.

• The geology of this gorge is of international quality. Billions of years of geologic time are exposed in the formations visible from the byway.

• The paleontological record has produced wonderfully detailed fish fossils and the imprints of leaves, fruits, flowers, and insects, and also remarkable mammal and dinosaur fossils.

• The Green River is a key component of the landscape. Near the town of its name-sake, the river flows sedately through cottonwood bottoms, but later through stone castles and cliffs.

World-class trout fishing on the Green River.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir has a shoreline perimeter of 360 miles. Camping, picnicking, boating, sailing, water skiing, canoeing, are activities visitors enjoy during the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

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RECREATIONFHWA Interim Policy addressed:

In order to be designated as an All-American Road, the road or highway must meet the criteria for at least two of the intrinsic qualities. The road or highway must also be considered a destination unto itself. To be recog-nized as such, it must provide an exceptional traveling experience that is so recognized by travelers that they would make a drive along the highway a primary reason for their trip. The characteristics associated with the intrinsic qualities are those which best represent the nation and which may contain one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere. The significance of the features contributing to the distinctive characteristics of the cor-ridor’s intrinsic quality are recognized nationally.

7. f) Recreational Quality involves outdoor recreational activities directly association with and dependent upon the natural and cultural elements of the corridor’s landscape. The recreational activities provide opportunities for active and passive recreational experiences. They include, but are not limited to, downhill skiing, rafting, boating, fishing, and hiking. Driving the road itself may qualify as a pleasurable recreational experience. The recreational activities may be seasonal, but the quality and importance of the recreational activities as season-al operations must be well recognized.

Recreation Qualities

Context of Recreation and the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway CorridorThe natural byway landscape is vast with diverse habitat largely unaffected by hu-man actions which makes the recreation experience especially pleasurable. The byway includes two significant recreation opportunities for travelers. They are the simple experience of the drive through a varied landscape and the experiences on and around the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The irregular topography of the Green River Valley contributes to both the complexity of the recreational experiences, and changing views to the water and the striking landscape features visible from a vehicle moving along the byway. Abundant wildlife thrives in five distinctive life zones contributing to high-quality wildlife viewing from a vehicle.

For byway travelers seeking infor-mation about byway recreation sites, the Flaming Gorge Country brochure is available at all visitor centers.

This version of the standard regional map is on a tear off pad used by local hotels.

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View of Green River access point in the town of Green River and with the Tollgate rock formation in background.

View upstream from Expedition Island on the Green River.

The definition of the Recreation Intrinsic Quality from the Interim Policy states “Driving the road itself may qualify as a pleasurable recreational experience.” The following section supports the position that “driving for pleasure” is the byway’s primary recreation quality. The descriptions in this plan can be used to make the argument that the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway possesses nationally significant recreation attributes directly associated with the byway road including a driving for pleasure experience that is one of a kind.

The driving experience, built on the diverse landscape features, natural qualities, roadway alignment and the corresponding views offered, as well as the access to features found at roadside sites are nationally significant when the Utah and Wyoming routes are combined. Other important recreation resources exist in the byway corridor, but their connection to the designated byway is indirect. Driving for pleasure allows the visitor to experience a unique combination of natural and recreational qualities distributed along roads that pass from high desert through sculpted rock formations possessing world-class paleontology sites, near water-based recreation and hiking, and that culminate in the pass over the High Uintas Mountains - one of few east-west aligned mountain ranges in the United States. No other byway provides travelers the opportunity to view these attributes.

The design of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plans in Utah and Wyoming uses photos to illustrate the text descriptions of the driving experience. The goal is to evoke an emotional response that re-flects the experience of driving. The descriptions move sequentially from the community hubs, with the Greendale Junction portal site in Utah as the central common point.

The Driving Experience summaries in Chapter 3 capture the driving impressions of new travel-ers. They provide a layperson’s impression of this unique combination of road characteristics, landscapes, and views. The descriptions can be used to support a future AAR nomination where the applicant must prove the claims of national significance and that the road is a “des-tination unto itself.”

Within the descriptions of recreation in this chapter, there is an attempt to include landscape features named on existing maps, at interpretive sites, or in the Field Guide. As an example, “Hole In the Wall Canyon” is the physical feature adjacent to the phosphate mine that high-way 191 follows as it emerges into the forested meadow area just below the Red Cloud Road intersection. These types of descriptive terms are used in the narrative to reflect the emotional response of travelers as they experience the diverse and well-distributed resources along the road as opposed to scientifically accurate statements of fact.

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Terms Used in the DescriptionsTerms used to describe or define the types of traveler sites along the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway include: overlooks, geology signs, nature trails, interpretive sites, portal, and visitor centers. However, from a traveler’s perspective, simpler is better. The following descriptions of the byway’s Recre-ational Intrinsic Quality reflect the thinking on Effective Wayshowing for Byways as discussed in Chapter 3, and incorporate the following terms for the sake of consis-tency to describe sites in Utah as well as what is planned for Wyoming.

Gateway – Typically a set of interpretive sign structures at a site that is gener-ally located at a critical decision point for travelers. These sites include a “you are here” orientation byway map, interpretive signs, possibly a rest room and parking for different types of vehicles and in some cases a staffed information counter. Ide-ally a Gateway is located at the entrance to a byway.

Pullout – Any site that provides off-road parking and information or services a traveler needs to learn the byway story or orient themselves to byway sites or features on their route of travel. In addition to parking, a pullout could have interpretive signs, views across the landscape, nature trails, picnic facilities, water, restrooms, or specialized facilities such as boat launches or fishing docks or observation decks.

Roadside Geology Signs – These are large scale signs installed along the roadway at specific locations associ-ated with geologic layers or data about a rock formation. These signs are often supported with additional information available in maps or the Field Guide.

View looking west of recently de-veloping sand dunes at the Black’s Fork crossing on Highway 530.

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One of the west side marinas, note distant mountain and high desert vegetation. In Wyoming there are many sites where travelers can reach the water’s edge.

Recreation Opportunity Summary The landscape provides a spectrum of distant mountain views, unique geo-logical formations, and a large body of water. When the Wyoming and Utah sections of this route are combined, they offer one of the most spectacular landscapes in America, stretching from the high desert to the alpine alti-tudes of the High Uintas Mountains.

There are at least eight separate water access sites distributed around the reservoir with a number of other places where a traveler can get to the water. The bridge crossing of highway 530 at the Black’s Fork lets visitors see floodplain water features and to the west, a newly developing sand dune feature is emerging. The wayside development at Henry’s Fork near the state boarder lets travelers access a floodplain on a trail system with interpreta-tion signs. The even distribution of access points around the reservoir pro-vides continuity for byway travelers interested in experiencing the contrast of water with the high desert.

The land adjacent to Wyoming 530 and US 191 is over 90% publicly owned. These lands have diverse and healthy vegetation that provides undisturbed natural habitat for more than 390 species of animals. Rock formations, fossils and fauna are features that contribute to making the road enjoyable as a recreational drive. Mammals are prominent now and this same high desert Wyoming landscape is an excellent place to find evi-dence of prehistoric mammals. Large herds of wild horses live in Sweetwater County along and near the byway.

The northern end of the byway is characterized by the broad, rolling expanses of the high desert. As one drives along the byway, it rises and falls in elevation and, from the higher points, long distances can be seen up to 50 or 60 miles. To the south, the snow-capped Uintas are clearly evident along most of the drive. When the road drops in elevation, it is usually for the streams and creeks that feed Flam-ing Gorge. Short drives down to the water from the main byway route offer the visitor a wide assortment of geological formations and then the broad expanses and beauty of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir itself.

One of at least eight boat launches dispersed around the reservoir.

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The landscape along the byway is classic high desert, with a variety of low-growing vegetation and abundant wildlife, with long vistas to mountains and bluffs. When the byway reaches its southernmost end, the vegetation begins to change and shift as the amount of water available in the ecosystem increases. Ranches and the low-lying valleys around the gorge become more evident and the amount of greenery increases.

The diversity of landscape features found when driving Highways 530 and 191 offer Wyoming byway leaders a unique opportunity to promote the expe-rience of driving the byway for pleasure as they build the reputation of the drive to new visitors.

Selected Examples of Recreation Opportunities• Fishing in the Green River and especially in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a major activity for many visitors. They benefit from the diversity of boat

launch facilities. The ecosystem of the reservoir is an internationally renowned fishery.• While driving the byway, travelers experience numerous impressive vistas, especially on US 191 where the topography along the road is variable with

deep valleys and rugged climbs to ridges, so that travelers can stop, look, listen and become absorbed in all that is visible near and far.• One of the newest and most adventurous mountain biking trails in Sweetwater County is the Cherokee Trail/Currant Creek Ranch Loop. The mountain

biking route is twenty miles long, starting and ending at the Currant Creek Ranch. The route is marked and a detailed map of the route, including GPS coordinates and an elevation chart is available.

• Highway 530 has eight-foot shoulders suitable for road biking between Green River and the state line.• Recreational boating is a major activity on the reservoir where the views of multi-colored landforms set against the changing colors of the water offer

stunning scenery.• The combination of landforms, water surfaces, bright sky and diverse, undisturbed vegetation make the byway corridor an excellent location for pho-

tography.

Description of the Recreational Driving ExperienceThe driving experience on both sides of the reservoir provides a pleasant experience largely due to the varied topography, undisturbed natural resourc-es and the distant views. In particular, the Palisades to the east of the reservoir offer very beautiful and dramatic vistas down into valleys and the Gorge itself. Points such as Clay Basin and Little Mountain offer views to the rolling hills and valleys to the east of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Views of Little Firehole Canyon and Big Firehole Canyon can also be found from the overlooks on both US 191 and WY 530. A more detailed description of the road features and driving experience is found in Chapter 3: Visitor Experience beginning on page 35.

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View of rock walls viewed from the water.

View of the Lucerne Valley with Linwood Bay in the foreground, irrigated fields with the Uintas in the clouds in the distance.

This example of recreation facility signing provided at the Lucerne Marina on Linwood Bay is typical within the National Recreation Area.Campground in the Firehole area with rock formations

common to travelers down by the Green River.

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Wild horses are found along the byway, especially along highway 191.

View of Highway 191 in the rugged area near the Clay Basin with frequent views to the southwest across the basins and ridges found here.

View of the Firehole area from the water.

Deer are plentiful throughout the entire Flaming Gorge region. A proud and happy young visitor

capturing a lifetime memory.

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Views like this one are frequent along the Highway 191 corridor.

Osprey are found around the reservoir.

View from the Art Gal-lery of Time overlook on Highway 191. This is the view west toward the reservoir and Fire-hole area.

The reservoir offers recreation oppor-tunities all year.

Mountain biking is especially popular in the area of the Currant Creek Ranch where a 20-mile marked trail is available.

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Protection StrategiesProtection and management of the intrinsic qualities found within the corridor of the Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway is largely, though not entirely, under the purview of the federal government. The great majority of the lands through which this byway runs is in federal ownership and managed by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.

Ashley National Forest Management PlanThe Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area constitutes a large portion of the byway corridor. The Recreation Area is managed by the Ashley National Forest through the Forest’s Management Plan, but was established under legislation separate from the Ashley National Forest. The National Recreation Area has the goals of providing for public outdoor recreation as well as conservation of scenic, scientific, historic, and other values contributing to public enjoyment, and the management and use of resources in such a manner to promote and be compatible with, and not significantly impair, the purpose for which the recreation area is established. These goals set this area apart from the surrounding forest lands in that the prime objective of these lands is the provision of recreation benefits rather than the more common primary purpose of managing natural resources.

The Supplemental Direction portion of the plan specifies that grazing, hunting, fishing, forestry, development of private facilities, use of rights-of-way, mining, and off-road vehicle travel may be allowed at some level. Again, this establishes the area as being one where a wide variety of recreation uses will be welcomed.

The management decisions laid out in this document are highly compatible with the byway. The various policy categories of climate, air, soils, vegeta-tion, wildlife and fish, minerals, outdoor recreation, aesthetics, timber, forage, interpretation, land uses, mineral use, water use, and finally population and economy and public cooperation are all supportive of and complimentary to the establishment of the byway. Provisions within this section that deal with the management of timbering or development or mining can all work to the advantage of the byway if appropriate interpretation is provided.

Provisions regarding management of the aesthetics and scenic quality, as well as outdoor recreation management, are all critical to both maintaining the quality of the byway experience as well as providing good recreation support for visitors. Some of the directives are specifically in line with the recom-mendations of this report, for example, providing new scenic viewpoints along forest highways.

As noted in The Flaming Gorge – Uintas Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (1997, Updated 2011), the Forest Service prepared a final compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. It conducted biological evaluations and assessments to analyze the potential for impact from the byway. The determination reached declared no effect from the proposed development of interpretive sites along the byway, based on the information provided in the NEPA report.

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Bureau of Land Management – Management PlanThe guidance document for the Rock Springs field office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the Record of Decision and Green River Resource Management Plan, published in October 1997. The Rock Springs field office area consists of over 3.6 million acres of land managed by the BLM in southwestern Wyoming. The area extends northward from the Utah border, at the southern-most end of the byway, to encompass most of Sweetwater County as well as portions of other counties. The distance north to south is approximately 120 miles. Thus, the byway corridor makes up just a portion of the overall BLM Rock Springs field office area.

As one travels on the byway south along either US 191 or WY 530, BLM lands are interspersed with private lands in a checkerboard pattern for the first 20-25 miles along each of these routes. To the east of US 191, the land is largely BLM managed, especially past the 25-mile mark. To the west of US 191, the lands along the entire length of this leg of the byway are in BLM ownership. Along WY 530, after the first 25 miles, the eastern side of WY 530 is predominantly in U.S. Forest Service/National Recreation Area management. The lands to the west are BLM-managed.

There are two types of BLM-managed land along the byway’s corridor. The first category consists of lands that are under standard management by BLM; these lie along the first 20-25 miles of each leg of the route. The other category consists of specially managed areas such as Areas of Critical Environ-mental Concern (ACEC) which are lands that receive special research attention and regulatory control due to their sensitive environments or resources. These areas include the Sage Creek ACEC, the Currant Creek ACEC, the Greater Red Creek and Red Creek ACEC, and finally the Sugar Loaf Basin Special Recreation Management Area. Each of these areas is substantial in size, ranging from almost 10,000 acres to over 130,000 acres in size. Generally speak-ing, the areas are each focused on the maintenance or improvement of the natural habitats within these critical areas, with a special emphasis placed on the management of water resources and the restoration of the Colorado Cutthroat Trout populations and habitats.

The BLM also uses a visual resource management system to clarify the degree to which man-made structures or landscape changes can modify the visual landscape. The visual resource management classifications of these areas are Class Two and Class Three. These designations require that any changes in landscape must either be highly minimal, or allowed alterations to the landscape must partially retain the existing character of the landscape with major landscape elements (i.e., form, line, color, and texture) and be managed in a way that alterations are not jarring or highly distinctive. In both cases, when buildings are constructed, distinctive architectural motifs or styles are required. In other words, the BLM will ensure that any future land-scape changes will mesh with the overall character of the area and not destroy scenic quality.

There are two designated BLM recreation areas within the byway corridor. The first is the Little Mountain Recreation Use Area, which is located within Sage Creek and Greater Red Creek ACECs. The other recreation area, somewhat to the east of the byway, is the Pine Mountain Recreation Use Area. In both cases, recreation management policy encourages rustic outdoor experiences with a minimum amount of additional development.

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The Overland Trail runs approximately parallel to Interstate 80 and thus intersects each northernmost leg of this byway. This Trail is classified in the BLM management plan for general cultural resource management, including a no-disturbance zone within a quarter-mile to each side of the Trail.

The other major cultural resource lying within the byway corridor is the Pine Spring ACEC to the west of WY 530. This area is noted in the plan for the need to prepare a cultural resource management plan with interpretation and visitor services identified.

The BLM has identified the roads that run from US 191 down to Big Firehole Canyon and to Little Firehole Canyon, as well as the BLM access road that connects those two areas, as potential BLM Backcountry Byways. Designation would require approval by the Wyoming State Scenic Byway Program.

Overall, the BLM plan indicates that the agency is committed to managing its resources on all of its lands that lie around the Flaming Gorge area, both with restrictions on the types of uses that can occur as well as through the use of regulations relative to visual resource management. The designation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern provides another layer of protection to these sensitive areas, especially in regard to water quality and habitat quality.

In regards to this byway, the management plan clearly expresses the BLM’s mission statement, one that meshes well with the objectives of the Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway. The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the balanced management of the public lands and resources and their various values so that they are considered in a combination that will best serve the needs of the American people. Management is based upon the principles of multiple use and sustained yield; a combination of uses that take into account the long term needs of future generations for renewable and timber, minerals, watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness and natural, scenic, scientific and cultural values.

Local GovernmentsThe City of Green River and Sweetwater County currently have jurisdiction over lands included within the corridor. Sweetwater County has several ordi-nances relating to preservation strategies. Section 13 of the Sweetwater County Zoning Resolution establishes a set of Highway Frontage Overlay Regu-lations. “The purposes of these Highway Frontage Overlay Regulations are to create inviting Entryways into the cities and communities of the County; to attract business investment to the County; to reduce trash, clutter and the nuisances created by them; and to improve the appearance of the areas adjacent to major roadways in the County for the benefit of its citizens.” “These regulations apply to all lands, other than those zoned for residential purposes, within 1000 (one thousand) feet of the centerline of the nearest traveled way of all state and federal highways and County road 4-45 within the Growth Management Area and outside city boundaries.” This overly district includes U.S. 191 and Wyoming State Road 530 outside of the cities of Green River and Rock Springs.

There has been a boom in recent years in the construction of wind farms for electricity generation in Wyoming. In 2006 the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners approved resolution 06-07-PZ-01 which established wind farm regulations. Regulations concerning visual impacts, noise lev-els, and impacts on natural and biological resources are included.

DRAFT 23

Flaming Gorge-Green River Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Update

Public and Private LandsG.I.S. data from the Wyoming GeoLibrary was used to identify pub-lic and private lands within the Flaming Gorge – Green River Scenic Byway corridor. The data shows that the majority of the lands fronting the Flaming Gorge – Green River Scenic Byway and within the corridor are publicly owned and managed.

From U.S. 191 milepost 500 to U.S. 191 milepost 522, the Byway crosses a checkerboard of alternating sections of private and Bu-reau of Land Management (BLM) lands. This checker board pattern of land ownership is a legacy of the Union Pacific Railroad land grants of the 1860s. The Union Pacific was granted every other sec-tion for twenty miles on each side of the railroad right of way. Each section is 640 acres, or one square mile. The BLM manages nearly all of the lands from U.S. 191 milepost 522 south to the Wyoming and Utah state line.

With the exception of the lands within and near the city of Green River, the same pattern is evident on the Wyoming State Road 530 segment of the Byway. The private and public lands checkerboard runs from Green River to SR 530 milepost 24. The BLM manages nearly all of the lands from milepost 24 to the Wyoming and Utah state line.

DRAFT 24

Flaming Gorge-Green River Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Update

Intrinsic Quality Maps

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Flaming Gorge-Green River Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Update DRAFT 26


Chapter 3 - Visitor ExperienceImportant Visitor Experience Section Considerations•Visitortravelpatternsandpreferencesclearlyindicatethatthe“FlamingGorgeScenicByway”visitorex-perienceisofthecombinedWyomingandUtahroutes.TestimonialsindicatethatalooproutestartinginRockSprings,Wyoming,drivingsouthonUS191totheFlamingGorgeDaminUtah,andreturningtoGreenRiver,Wyoming(andInterstate80),viathewesternlegofthecombinedroute(UT44andUT43andWyo-ming530)isverycommon.

•TheJointCommittee(UTandWY)hasadopted“FlamingGorgeScenicByway”asthebywaynameformarketinganddevelopedasharedlogo.Organizationsinbothstateswillusethisnameandthenewlogotocreateauniformidentityforpotentialtravelers.

•InUtah,thename“FlamingGorgeUintasNationalScenicByway”willcontinuetoexistonasecondlogo,butinWyomingthenameassociatedwiththelogowillbethe“FlamingGorgeScenicByway.”

•Wyomingwillcontinuetodevelopbywayspecificmapsandguidescomplementarytotheinterpretivein-formationfoundinUtah.TheFlamingGorgeAdventureGuidewasrecentlyrevisedtoincludeWyomingandUtahimagesandcontent,andthiseffortisanongoingregionalpartnership.

•Visitorcenterstaffthroughouttheregionprovidehighqualitycustomerserviceusingavocabularythatinspirestravelerstovisitthearea.Bywayleaderswillworkwithfrontlinevisitorcenterstaffthroughouttheregiontocompileideasandinsightsontravelerinterestsandthewaysinwhichtheyeffectivelydescribethebywayexperiencetofirst mevisitors.

•Asnewgatewayfacilitiesandorientationstopsaredeveloped,bywayleadersrecognizetheneedtocontin-uetofocusonprovidingeffectivewayshowinganddownloadabletravelmapstoguidevisitorstoplannedstopsandlocationswheretheycometoappreciatethebywaystory.

TheprimarybywaytravelermapisfromtheFlamingGorgeNationalRecreationAreaguide.

ThisregionalmapfromtheFlam-ingGorgeCountrybrochureshowstheregionalmarketareastretch-ingfromYellowstonetotheGrandCanyonandincludestheroadnetworktravelerscanusetoavoidtheI15corridor.

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Understanding a Visitor ExperienceThe“visitorexperience”ofaplaceinvolvesbothtangibleelementslikescenicviewsandhistoricbuildings,andintangibleelementslikeauthenticityandhospitalityallworkingtogethertomeettravelers’needsandexpectations.Agoodscenicbywayaccommodatestheseneedsandintereststocreatearewardingexperience.Therearethreestagesofthebywayvisitorexperience:

FHWA Interim Policy addressed:

9.)Ademonstrationthatintrusionsonthevisitorexperiencehavebeenminimizedtotheextentfeasible,andaplanformakingimprovementstoenhancethatexperience.

14.)Adescriptionofplanstointerpretthesignificantresourcesofthescenicbyway.b1)AnarrativeonhowtheAllAmericanRoadwouldbepromoted,interpreted,andmarketedinordertoattracttravelers,especiallythosefrom

othercountries.Theagenciesresponsiblefortheseactivitiesshouldbeidentified.

©CorridorSolutions

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Additional map and travel resources that cover the entire region are included in both of these maps.

The cover of the 42-page Flaming Gorge booklet sold at out-lets throughout the region and covering the entire region.

The Field Guide to the Flaming Gorge-Uintas NSB thor-oughly covers Utah interpretive sites and includes a mile-by-mile road log of the Utah byway route. Very little of the information helps travelers in Wyoming understand the landscape or resources.

Stage 1: Trip Planning

Stage 1 begins as soon as a traveler decides to visit a byway and ends when they arrive some-where along the route. Their decision to visit might be influenced by word of mouth, the byway website, a brochure, or an advertisement, but a traveler’s decision is also highly motivated by their personal interests. Research indicates that people are more drawn to having an experience related to something they “sort of know already” versus learning something new. What this means for byways is that it is important to create materials that communicate themes of experi-ences to capture interests. A complete visitor experience is achieved when a traveler can make advance plans that inform what and where they want to travel before they reach the Flaming Gorge region.

Stage 2: Traveling and Experiencing

Stage 2 of the visitor experience begins when a traveler arrives on the byway. Once a traveler arrives, they look for tools such as maps, guidebooks and signs that help them find their way to sites and experiences they selected before they started the trip. While driving, visitors must be able to navigate the route safely and have consistent reassurance that they are still on the byway. Getting lost creates strong negative emotions that can become the lasting memories of a trip. Navigation of most byways will be provided by road signs, but could also be assisted by audio tours, maps (printed or mobile), or a comprehensive wayshowing system.

Wayshowing is the job of the Byway Organization and includes preparing travel information, designing maps and travel bro-chures, planning or installing signs, or providing other navigation-al help in person or by electronic means. This includes providing visitors access to traveler services for comfort (food, lodging, restrooms) and additional trip-planning tools.

Wayfinding is the job of travelers. They look for clues to reas-sure them they are where they planned to be, and they look for information and amenities to make their experience pleasant and enjoyable.

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Stage 3: Remembering and Sharing

Stage3beginswhenthetravelerleavesthebyway.Visitorswillleavewithmemoriesoftheirexperiences,andoftenphotographs,mementosandsouve-nirs.Whatvisitorsrememberandforhowlongislinkedtomanyfactorsinclud-ingthetendencyforvisitorstotalkabouttheirexperiencesonsocialmedia,amongthoseintheirtravelparty,andlaterwithfriends,familyandcoworkers.

InJuneof2008,thistravelerdrovethebywayandhadsuchanexceptionalexperiencethattheytooktimetorecordtheirimpressionsonwww.byways.orgforalltosee.Notethetravelerdidnotdistinguishwhatjurisdictiontheywerein,onlythattheexperiencewaspositive.

ReviewslikethisonepostedonTripAdvisorarecommonfortheFlamingGorgeScenicByway.

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Sample of Existing Traveler Resources

•AseriesofdaytripitinerariesavailablefromtheDinosaurlandTravelBoardathttps://www.dinoland.com/play/includeseveralbywaysitesinUtah.

•TheAshleyNationalForestproducesaVisitorGuidethatincludesthebywayandseveralbackwaysaswellaslist-ingsofrecreationalsitesofinteresttobywaytravelers.

•TheBureauofReclamationFlamingGorgeDamandReservoirbrochureincludesamapcoveringmuchofthebywayinWyomingandUtahincludinganotationwithyellowdotstoshowthebywayinUtah.Italsohasrecreationsiteinformation.Thismapincludesarenderingtechniquethateffectivelycapturesthedramaofthelandscape.

•SweetwaterCountyWyomingproducesatravelguideinprint,downloadable,andinteractiveonlineformats.This50+pageguidedescribesthePilotButteWildHorsesloopinatwopagespreadandincludesFlamingGorgeGreenRiverBasinScenicBywaywithinthetwopagedescriptionforFlamingGorgeCountryandLakeFlamingGorge.

•TheFlamingGorgeCountryAdventureGuideisperhapsthemostcompleterepresentationofthebywayregion.Allbywaysegmentsareincludedwithcolorcodingaswellasasummaryofrecreationsites.Thisisthetoolmostcommonlyusedbyvisitorcenterstafftoexplainthebywaytravelexperiencetovisitors.

•The1998versionoftheAshleyNFFlamingGorgeandVernalRangerDistrictOfficemapshowsthebywayandlooprouteswithacoloredline,andthereisanindexofrecreationsiteswithinthemappedareaandlistoffacilitiesforeachforestser-vicesite.

RenderedtopomapdesignfromtheBureauofReclamation.

MoredetailedFlamingGorgeRouteGuidecoveringtheUtahportionofbyway

Exampleofcurrentlyavailableprintedmaterialsthattellpeopleaboutvisitorsitesandsomeofthestopsonthemapatleft

FlamingGorgeUintasNationalScenicBywaylurebrochurecoveringtheUtahportionofthebyway

DRAFT 33


•Themostcomprehensiveguidefortheentirebywayregionwasinitiallypublishedin1981andrevisedin2002.The42page“FlamingGorge”booklettellsthestoryoftheregioninthreesections(TheDesert,TheMountainsandTheRiver).Itincludesafoldoutmap,scenicanddetailedpictures,linedrawingsandtextincludingthehistoryofthearea.ThisbookispublishedbythelntermountainNaturalHistoryAssociationandissoldatvariousoutletsthroughouttheregionandonline.

•NationalGeographic’sMap#704,FlamingGorgeNationalRecreationAreaUtah/Wyoming,coverstheentireareaofthebywayfromaboutfivemilesnorthofVernaltojustsouthofRockSpringsWY.Thismapatascaleof1inchto1.2milesidentifiesthebywayinUtahusingtheAmerica’sBywayslogoandtheUtahStateBywaylogo.Thismapwithcontourlinesandrenderedtopographyisperhapsthemostcompletetravelresourceintermsoflandscapedetailsandfacilities.

•TheWyomingDepartmentofTransportationproducesadownloadableguidetothestate’sbywaysandbackways.

ThecollectionofprintedmaterialssummarizedaboveandavailabletobywaytravelerswhentheyreachVernal,UT,RockSpringsorGreenRiver,WY,willhelpplanatripalongthebyway.Thedrivingexperiencedescriptionsthatfollowwereinformedbyreviewingthismaterialwhichwascollectedinadvanceofthedrive.

TheWyomingDepartmentofTransporta-tionproducesadownloadableguidetothestate’sscenicbywayandbackways.Thecommonlytraveled“looproute”mapincludesaportionoftheUtahroute.

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Driving Experience

Summary of Byway Driving Experience:

The roads included in the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway provide travelers with a variety of landscape experiences. In Utah and Wyoming, the ends of the byway are marked by dry, open landscapes. In Utah, the roadway climbs from Vernal to the summit past a plethora of geologic sites and strata as well as recreational sites and a working and well-managed open pit mine. In Wyoming, travelers cross the high desert with views of water and broad vistas as the road climbs to high country. For travelers starting at either end, the reward is reaching a high mountain plateau marked by mixed pine species and with many broad vistas of water-filled canyons as well as a world-class fishing and boating destination.

A statement in The Smithsonian Guide to Natural America summarizes the feel-ing of driving along the Wyoming byway roadways this way “... these roads are nothing short of splendid. No one who drives either road (especially Route 191 on the east side) on a calm July evening should ever again think that dry, empty spaces must be bleak.”

The travel patterns and preferences of byway travelers clearly indicate that the “Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway” visitor experience is of the combined Wyoming and Utah route. Testimonials indicate that a loop route starting in Rock Springs, Wyoming, driving south on US 191 to the Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah near Greendale Junction, and returning to Green River, Wyoming (and Interstate 80) via the western leg of the combined route (UT 44 and UT 43 and Wyoming 530) is very common. The following pages describe the driving experience of the combined route in three segments, each followed by several pages of photos of the segment:

• Rock Springs, WY to Greendale Junction, UT• Green River, WY to Greendale Junction, UT• Vernal, Ut to Greendale Junction, UT

Rock Springs to Greendale Junction

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Beginning in Rock Springs Wyoming, the travelers experience includes:

• To the north of Interstate 80 as you drive between Rock Springs and Green River; travelers see massive White Mountain, a prominent landform that creates a physical landscape feature anchoring the northern edge of the byway corridor. Driving north on highway 191 or Wyoming 530, White Moun-tain is visible for quite a distance as travelers approach Green River or Rock Springs.

• To appreciate the area landscape, travelers should be encouraged to travel Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour because it provides a good intro-duction to the vastness of the high desert landscape as it winds along the very edge of White Mountain. Travelers can begin their travel on this road in either Green River or north of Rock Springs and more information is available at https://www.blm.gov/visit/pilot-butte-wild-horse-scenic-tour. Travelers are also likely to encounter wild horses here, a special natural feature of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway and area.

• As travelers begin their drive south on highway 191 from Rock Springs, they encounter broad landscape features as the road rises and rolls over the undulating landscape. Watch for several pullouts providing opportunities to stop and look west across the wide Green River valley. Art Gallery of Time and Little Fire Hole are two such pullouts. Take County Road 33 west and descend to the collection of recreational facilities at Firehole Canyon on the Green River. This road descends at least a thousand feet from highway 191 and it provides an intimate chance to be among the multicolored peaks and valleys formed by erosion in the Green River valley.

• Continuing south, the road offers spectacular views both west toward the river and east to the many buttes and erosion-formed valleys.• About midway from Rock Springs to Dutch John, Utah, the road crests a broad ridge which immediately provides views east to the Clay Basin with its

multihued landforms and features. One traveler was so impressed with this area that he contributed his impressions of the drive and views to the National Scenic Byway Program’s website (see page 32).

• The drive continues south, generally dropping toward the elevation of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir which is occasionally visible to the west. A promi-nent landscape feature, Minnies Gap, is an indication you are reaching the state line with Utah. Just before the road passes through the gap, County Road 70, a gravel road heads east to the historic Browns Park region in Utah and Colorado.

• Between the state line and Dutch John, Utah, travelers will see evidence of forest fires which are slowly disappearing as new vegetation covers the landscape. Near the road west to Antelope Flats, there is a gateway pullout site that introduces travelers to the Utah portion of the byway.

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• Just as you reach the Town of Dutch John, watch for a road east that will be signed for access to the Little Hole recreational site on the Green River below the Flaming Gorge Dam. The drive to this site is marked by more areas slowly recovering from forest fires. Stop at the overlook site high above the Green River before dropping down to a fully developed recreational site on the river. This is a site where rafting trips begin or end, where hikers can access the Little Hole National Recreational Trail or simply to fish the Green Ri ver.

• Returning to Dutch John and south along highway 191, byway travelers have several pullout sites to choose from. Stopping on the west side of the road offers views of the reservoir. Turning left down a steep road brings travelers to a rafting put in point below the dam.

• At the dam, there is an information center with interpretive displays describing construction of the dam and providing information about water resource management. The visitor center includes a large relief model that provides visitors with a three-dimensional understanding of the Flaming Gorge region landscape. Tours of the dam are also available here. The US Forest Service will develop an additional interpretive area adjacent to the dam parking lot that will provide travelers with direct access to the water just beyond the edge of the dam marker buoys.

• Leaving the dam on highway 191, travelers climb the side of the Green River valley and have multiple opportunities to stop at designated pullouts to view the Cart Creek Bridge, a graceful arch suspension bridge over a bay. At the Cedar Springs marina, there is an interpretive panel telling the story of the world record Brown trout caught in the reservoir.

• One pullout site interprets the death of firefighters during a forest fire in 1977.• Just before reaching the junction of highway 191 and Utah 44 at Greendale Junction, visitors can take a road to the right that leads to the Swett Ranch

National Historic Site. During the summer season, costumed interpreters tell the story of life in this region when the ranch was first settled in 1909.• Greendale Junction provides a byway Gateway at the key byway intersection as well as restrooms, picnicking and a scenic overlook.

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Route map for the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop atop White Mountain above Rock Springs, Interstate 80 and Green River.

This view from Rock Springs, WY includes the massive White Mountain, the landmass anchor-ing the northern boundary of the byway cor-ridor.

Visitors to the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour will find wild horses grazing along the road.

The view west from highway 191 into the Green River valley includes the spur road winding through the rug-ged landscape as it drops over 1,000 feet to a series of recreation sites on the river at the very north end of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

These travelers walk out on a long promontory to see the deep blue or green waters of the reservoir depending on the lighting.

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The byway hugs the undulating landscape as you continue driving south on Highway 191 from Rock Springs.

These young byway travelers see all 502 feet of the Flaming Gorge Dam which was dedicated on August 17, 1964

When travelers turn off the byway to the spur road, County 75, they encounter this overlook and parking lot directly above the Little Hole recreation area which features excellent fishing, access for river rafting and to the Little Hole National Recreational Trail, not to men-tion being treated to a spectacular view.

Continuing from Dutch John, travelers have several pullouts to choose from and each offers wonderful views of the reservoir, the upper side of the Flaming Gorge Dam, Cart Creek Bridge and the high Uintas Mountains in the background.

Highway 191, the byway, hugs the rock cliffs as it approaches the top of the dam.

A steep public access road descends the canyon wall to reach the free flowing Green River as it flows out of the dam.

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Rafters use the public access below the dam to launch their trips down the Green River – how far will they float?

Within the dam visitor center, travelers see displays on the construction of the dam, the geology and hydrology of the Green River area as well as byway information. This relief model shows the entire landscape surrounding the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The dam is at the lower right of the picture.

Dinosaur display at the Western Wyoming Community College in the byway gateway city of Rock Springs, Wyoming.

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Beginning in Green River, Wyoming, sites include:•TheGreenRiverChamberofCommerceoperatesavisitorcenterjustoffexit89onInterstate80.Anewlyexpandedsiteprovidesfullservicevisitorinformationandregionaltourismattractiondisplays.Fromthissite,visitorscanalsoseeCastleRock,animportantlandmarkoriginallydescribedduringconstructionoftheTranscontinentalRailroad.

•ThebywaypassesthroughthehistoricdowntowncommunityofGreenRiverontheoriginalLincolnHighway.

•AspurroutetoExpeditionIslandontheGreenRiverisfoundbyturningwestonEast4thStreetSouth.ThisislandisthelocationwhereJohnWesleyPowellandhisgroupbegantheirexpeditiononMay24,1869.TheyneededtotakesuppliesforathreemonthtripdowntheGreenRiverandondowntheColoradoRiverandintotheGrandCanyon.

•DrivingsouthonWY530,travelerswillfindwideshouldersidealforbiketravelandseveralpavedpulloutareasallowingvisitorstoseedistantvistastotheHighUintaMountainswhichbecomemorepronouncedagainsttheskyastravelersdrivesouthfromGreenRiver.Tothewest,travelerswillseeseveralmountainrangesbeyondbroad,rollingvistas.Totheleftoreast,theFlamingGorgeReservoirbecomesmoreevident,itswatertakingonmanycolorsdependingonthelight.OnesiteidentifiedasBigFireholepullout,providesviewsacrossthereservoirandofthelandscapearoundtheFireholeCanyonarea.

•About15milessouthofGreenRiverastravelerscrosstheBlackForkBridge,visitorslookingwesttotheedgeoftherivercanyonwillseeanemergingsanddunecomplex.Thedunelandformsareexpandingeachyear.

•OnceacrosstheBlackForkvalley,southboundtravelersshouldlookeastforaseriesofroadsleadingtowaterbasedrecreationareas.TheseaccesssitesincludeBuckboardCrossingMarinaandcampground,HolmesCrossingboatlaunch,AnvilDrawboatlaunchandLucerneValleycampgroundandmarina.Eachrecreationsiteprovidesvisitorswithaccesstothereservoiranditsworldclassfishery.

•ContinuingsouthandjustbeforetheUtahborder,travelersfindtheentrancetoHenry’sForkWetlandsattheintersectionofHighway530and146.Thisarecentlydevelopedsitewithatrail,constructedwetlands,ponds,picnictables,andoverlook,andinterpretationoftheplants,waterfowl,andwildlifeinthearea.

GreenRivertoGreendaleJunction

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• Continuing east on highway 146 leads to the Lucerne Valley recreation complex which offers traveler and fishing services. In addition, there are several pullout sites that interpret the area before the dam was filled and provide views southwest to the broad Lucerne Valley and Manila, UT. The green irri-gated hay fields of Manila stand in contrast to the dry landscape of the high desert.

• As a southbound traveler leaves Manila on Utah highway 44, the landscape quickly becomes more rugged. As the road climbs and curves, different rock colors and landforms surround you. Driving around one last sweeping curve, your view explodes with the magnificent colors of the Sheep Creek Valley. Here a traveler will find one of just a few National Geological Areas in the country. In a document published by the Utah Geological Society in 2000, the canyon is described this way:

The U.S. Forest Service designated nearly 3,600 acres of land as the Sheep Creek Canyon Geological Area on May 13, 1962, to preserve the spectacular geology of the canyon for future generations. This remarkable area is located along part of the Sheep Creek drainage west of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (figure 1). Sheep Creek Canyon is an excellent place to learn about the Earth’s geologic history.

• At the mouth of the canyon, travelers will want to stop at the Sheep Creek Canyon Nature Trail pullout site. In addition to restrooms, there are several interpretive signs covering the canyon, the spawning cycle of Kokanee salmon and other features found on a short walk downstream among the trees growing on the valley floor.

• The drive into the canyon is on a gravel road passable in good weather by passenger vehicles. This is a steep canyon and each turn of the head provides another spectacular view of twisted multi-colored rock formations that soar above the canyon floor. The loop road returns to Utah 44 near the Dowd Mountain pullout. Midway along the Sheep Creek Canyon drive, travelers can take a side road to Spirit Lake scenic backway further up into the moun-tains.

• When travelers leave the Sheep Creek Canyon Nature Trail pullout and return to the byway, the road begins a sharp climb up the canyon wall. After a series of switchbacks, travelers sweep around a curve at the end of a long outcrop and find another pullout. This stop competes with the classic view of the Sheep Creek arm of the reservoir which includes a steep multi-hued cliff dropping into the water. At the Sheep Creek Overlook pullout, travelers learn about the geology of the area and enjoy views in many directions.

• Continuing south and east, the road rises and falls as canyons and creeks are crossed and the road climbs to the Uinta Mountains plateau. At the Moose Ponds pullout on the south side of the highway, travelers will find a fully accessible trail and fishing platforms, along with interpretative panels.

• Driving further east, travelers will see a ponderosa pine forest with grass and small shrubs under the tree canopy. This is a perfect place for spotting wild-life.

• The Red Canyon Visitor Center is a must-see stop along the byway. It offers a staffed information counter with sales of merchandise travelers want to col-lect. The center also includes interpretive displays on a variety of subjects as well as a life-sized “mountain man” model dressed in period clothing, and examples of bear and other local wildlife. However, the standout attraction by far is walking up to the glass wall that looks down into the expansive Flam-ing Gorge in all of its colorful glory.

• From the Red Canyon Visitor Center, it is just a short drive to Greendale Junction which provides a byway gateway at the key byway intersection as well as restrooms, picnicking and a scenic overlook.

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This is a pedestrian bridge over the Green River that connects visitors to a community trail system. Note Castle Rock in the distance.

Looking south on the Green River and for John Wesley Powell’s party, the start of a great 3 month adventure into the unknown in 1869.

This photo shows the U-Haul Compa-ny truck decal tied to an educational campaign the company developed to highlight historic events in states.

This photo is an example of the variations in wa-ter color due to varied lighting in this view looking east from WY 530 north of Buckboard Crossing Marina.

An example of a visual attribute of this high desert landscape.

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This interpretive panel cluster at Buckboard Crossing Marina closely matches the Flaming Gorge-Uintas NSB typical design in Utah and each panel provides recreation and safety information.

Example of the vast landscape along WY 530 with a faint outline of the High Uintas on the hori-zon, beckoning the traveler to imagine what experience lurks in the clouds.

View southwest from Linwood pullout looking up the Lucerne Valley with Manila and the green irrigated hay fields that sur-round the town. The Henry’s Fork interpretive site is in the foreground.

Looking east from the Linwood overlook to-ward the narrow canyon defined by Boars Tusk, a landform at the point where the reservoir enters a narrow canyon.

Boat-docking facilities at Buckboard Crossing Marina.

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This index map shows the wealth of stops along the loop road.

Panoramic view of part of Sheep Creek Canyon Geological Area from STOP 1. The southwest branch of the Uinta fault zone (white dashed line with barbs on up thrown side) placed deep red rocks of the Uinta Mountain Group (Yu) up next to the gray rocks of the Mis-sissippian Madison Limestone (Mm) during the Laramide orogeny about 70 to 40 million years ago. The Pennsylvanian Round Val-ley Formation (IPrv), Pennsylvanian Morgan Formation (IPm), and Pennsylvanian-Permian Weber Sandstone (PIPw) form the ridge on the right side of the photograph. The Madison Limestone cliff is lo-cally called The Palisades. View is to the north.

This photo by Carol Aldinger pro-vides a hint of what travelers will see ahead.

This small interpretive panel at the Linwood pull-out tells the story of the town of Linwood which was consumed by the waters of the reservoir when the dam was built.

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Travelers stopping at the Sheep Creek Canyon Nature Trail can cross the creek on this bridge or, if the Kokanee are swimming upstream to spawn, you’ll stand on the bridge to watch the red fish swim upstream.

This sign tells travelers about the Sheep Creek geologic loop drive as well as describing the nature walk under the trees in the valley bottom.

Travelers preparing to take their best trip photo at this special site off the edge of the highway. This view is especially breathtaking for travelers driving north toward Manila as it abruptly comes into view.

Looking north from one stop, travelers see this massive mountain.

Traveler reading a sign panel with the Sheep Creek Canyon just beyond in the distance.

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This interpretive sign panel, using the standard byway post support system, adds information about the geology you see before you. A difficult choice. Do you read or just look?

View from one of the fully accessible fishing platforms at the Moose Ponds pullout.

Interpretive panels along the edge of Moose Pond offer information and drawings that add value to the pleasant setting of this high moun-tain lake. Mule deer find food in a clearing among the

pines near the Red Canyon Visitor Center.

This display at the Red Canyon Visitor Center describes the recreational op-portunities available within the entire Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area which includes the byway.

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This model of a mountain man on an ex-pedition tells the story of a hard life for the people who first came to this region from the east.

Note the tentative lean forward of these visitors as they peer over the rim of Red Canyon.

One of the most dramatic fea-tures of the Red Canyon Visi-tor Center is the steep walled canyon with multiple colors and infinite variety of weather.

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Overview of Driving Experience: Vernal to Greendale Junction• Having reached Vernal by traveling a portion of the Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway which follows US 40 east and west of town, travelers

are encouraged to initially educate themselves about the unique geology and paleontology of this region by visiting the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal. The website for this facility, https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/utah-field-house/ says “Within an 80-mile radius of Vernal, evidence of the entire Earth’s history is visible. At its center is the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. The new mu-seum is located two blocks east of the old Field House, a 22,000-square foot structure to preserve and reveal the wealth of prehistory found within the Uinta Basin.”

• Visitors who stop at one of several visitor centers in Vernal can pick up several different byway brochures. The Field Guide to the Flaming Gorge-Uin-tas National Scenic Byway book is available for purchase at local sites in Vernal and at several other visitor centers along the byway. Visitors preparing for their visit from elsewhere can consult https://futuresite.inhaweb.com/ , a website for the In-termountain Natural History Association, which provides information and interpretive staff for some of the Federal Land Agency sites around the reservoir. The organization sells a variety of materials regarding recreational resources within the byway region.

• Travelers leaving Vernal on highway 191 encoun-ter at least eight specific byway pullouts where some part of the byway “Wildlife Through the Ages” story is told via multiple interpretive pan-els at each site. The landscape is one of scoured and multi-colored rock formations. The 26-mile drive, which climbs from 5,322 feet to the sum-mit at 8,428 feet, provides views of different rock layers exposed by erosion as drivers climb around curves and up steep grades. Drivers will see a series of geologic roadside marker signs labeling the different exposed rock layers.

Vernal to Greendale Junction

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• During one five to six-mile stretch, drivers encounter ten well-marked switchbacks which in part occur in the active phosphate mining area that is interpreted at two pullouts.

• Once the road exits Hole in the Wall Canyon, travelers emerge into the broad landscape of the Diamond Mountain Plateau where vistas are more dis-tant and the focus is on possible wildlife sightings, especially on the vegetative edges where grassland blends into aspen stands. To the west, travel-ers see the high peaks of the Uintas Mountain range, fringed with snow during many months of the year.

• Several pullout sites describe the relationship between wildlife and vegetation and remind travelers to look for the plentiful game, especially at dawn and dusk.

• At one site at the junction of Red Cloud Road and the byway, travelers also get information about the sites and activities available on the Red Cloud Road backway, a popular local travel destination.

• From the summit which occurs at the Uintah – Daggett County line, travelers alternately climb and descend through valleys and meadows over the broad shoulder of the mountains with evergreen and deciduous trees alternating according to exposure to sun, wind and water.

• Wildlife sightings are frequent along this stretch of road.• Greendale Junction provides a byway Gateway at the key byway intersection as well as restrooms, picnicking and a scenic overlook.

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A gateway pullout at Steinaker State Park includes a restroom, gateway interpretive panel, elevated board-walk and additional interpretive panels describing why the landscape is subject to occasional flooding.

The main lobby of the Utah Field House Museum of Natural History State Park features a collection of prehistoric skeletons set on a tile mosaic floor representing a regional map showing features to a distance of 80 miles around the museum.

A walk outside the Field House Museum provides full size ex-amples of the animals that once inhabited this region.

Within a few miles of Vernal, travelers encounter these large rock outcrops which are identified with roadside signs for labeling the major layers.

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This panel cluster reflects the standard byway design for the main interpretive sign panel treat-ment at byway pullouts. At the Steinaker site, the entrance to the board walk is on the right.

Typical location sign design at Gateway sites along the Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway.

As the road climbs in elevation, the landscape and vegetation change and the aspens give way to evergreens.

This photo shows the typical byway interpretive sign placement. This panel describes the geologic story of moun-tain building.

Broad meadows appear after the climb out of Hole in the Wall Canyon.

At Red Fleet State Park just east of the byway, visitors can compare their hand prints to the fossilized footprints of prehistoric animals.

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Nearing the summit, the vegetation becomes denser.

This late afternoon view of the area at the summit shows that large mead-ows with vegetative fringes exist all along the byway and it is these areas where wildlife are found, especially at dawn and dusk.

European tourist stopping at the Windy Point Overlook pullout to view the mining operation behind them as well as the broad view south toward Vernal.

Following min-ing operations, the landscape is restored to an undulating grass land. Restoration includes removal of invasive cedar trees.

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Wyoming Visitor Site and Facility AnalysisVisitor Site Overview:

Much opportunity remains for Wyoming to develop visitor sites that not only complement those in Utah, but more importantly celebrate the exceptional re-sources, features, and vistas found only on the Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway. This section of the CMP provides site development recom-mendations based on a consolidation of information received during the CMP update process and previous planning efforts. The site names used in this sec-tion may not be precise because of inconsistencies among existing materials. However, for the purposes of conceptual planning, the locations and functions of various sites will suffice. The next task for Wyoming byway leaders is to identify site development priorities and examine the pros and cons of each site.

1 2

• Located between Green River and Rock Springs on White Mountain

• Gravel road• BLM managed• Interpretive signs• Wild horse range and sightings

• Site is on the southwest quadrant of the Interstate interchange and provides services as well as open space for additional parking and interpretive facilities.

• This location is currently the last facility providing traveler services until reaching Dutch John almost 60 miles south in Utah.

• Integrate information on this loop with marketing information about Flaming Gorge

• Interpret the significance of the White Mountain landform as part of the Flaming Gorge viewshed and driving experience.

• Include interpretation of the mountain visible from the HDIC visitor center

• In 2013, the Wyoming DOT replaced 1-80 inter-change at US 191 at a cost of $5,193,000. There is an existing pullout just past the convenience store/gas station that WYDOT has agreed can be used for interpretive signage.

• Potential exists to develop a public/private partner-ship with the business owner to locate a Gateway in this critical area for travelers with a cluster of cov-ered signs including the “you are here” byway map.

• The Creole Nature Trail in Louisiana could serve as a model as byway leaders there have partnered with several convenience stores and commercial facilities to develop byway interpretive sites. These instal-lations utilize available parking and benefit both travelers and business owners.

• Interpretive themes could include: - Overland Stage Route - Transcontinental Railroad/ Railroad workers from around the world - European and American exploration - Settlement patterns - Miners from around the world/Multiculturalism

Wild Horse Loop Sweetwater County has worked with the Bureau of Land Management to create a driving route that passes through wild horse ranges. Interpretation for this effort will continue to focus on the history of the wild horse, its use by humans, its environmental impacts and the efforts made to sustain these herds.

Wild Horse Loop

Exit 99 Truck Stop / Conve-nience Store Pullout

REF SITE NAME EXISTING FACILITIES SUGGESTED DEVELOPMENT FEATURES DESCRIPTION

Highway 191

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• Existing gravel parking area• Interpretive sign• Several sites in close proximity to

Art Gallery of Time Pullout, Lower Bitter Creek Overlook and Little Firehole Overlook

• Site includes a variety of facilities including boat ramp, camping, fish-ing, mountain biking, picnic, public showers, rest rooms, snowmobil-ing, swimming, trailer sanitary sta-tion, viewing area, visitor info.

• Pullout Site looks west over Sage Creek to the Green River valley

• Site includes information on the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area including information on purchasing passes.

• There are two interpretive sites within a short driving distance here and a single site should be selected for future development.

• We recommend focusing development on the site closest to the Firehole Canyon Rd # 33 in part because it offers a chance to encourage travelers into making a trip to the Firehole Canyon complex on the Green River.

• The highway geometrics at the intersection are also well suited to a larger development.

• This site or the pullout overlooking Sage Creek are good candidates for a full service visitor facility with a restroom and interpretation.

• This site on a byway spur route presents travelers with a chance to experience the landscape viewed from the road or pullout.

• Important development goal is to educate travel-ers about the place to encourage them to make the side trip, both to experience the drive into the valley and then to be “in” the landscape they have been enjoying from the road.

• This site has good highway geometrics and sight distances for approaching motorists.

• It is an established location with paved parking and facilities.

Little Firehole Overlook Beginning the journey down the eastern side of the reservoir along US 191, the first interpretive site would be at the Little Firehole Overlook. This site provides a good opportunity to discuss the geology of the Green River Basin and the Flaming Gorge. As people look down on the spires of Little Firehole, as well as being able to see great distances to both the east and the west and to the south to the High Uintas, geology will be a strong interpretive topic for this site. Interpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Geology dynamic over time• Geology as shaper of wildlife• Redrock country• Badlands• Castle Rock above I-80• Palisades, west of Green River, was used as a refer-

ence point for trappers and traders in early 19th century

• Pilot Butte has been used as a landmark since the first people came to area

• Boar’s Tusk rock formation Firehole Basin To reach this site, visitors will need to drive down Firehole Road to the actual site of the spires. Once at this site, they will be able to learn about not only some details of the formation of the spires, but also the history of the Green River and information about the body of water itself. Interpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Flaming Gorge (formed with same natural event as Grand Canyon)

Little Firehole Pullout Firehole Canyon Complex Sage Creek Basin Pullout

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•ThispulloutislocatedonUS191approximatelytenmilessouthoftheSageCreekOverlook

•ThepreciselocationofthissiteisunclearalthoughLittleMountainisaprominentlandformabovethenorthrimofClayBasinandtheproposedPulloutsiteslistedbelow.

•ProposedpulloutandoneofthreesiteswhereselectiondependsonthegeometricanalysisofWyDOT

•Seetheaerialphotoidentifyingthreepotentialdevelopmentsites.(p.72)

RaptorViewingPullout

LittleMountainPulloutClayBasin

•Thisoverlookisaccessibleyearroundandpro-videsanopportunityforinterpretationfocusedonraptorsandotherbirdsfoundwithinthecorridorwhichincludethenorthernbaldeagle,goldeneagle,Americanperegrinefalcon,prairiefalcon,greathornedowl,Americankestrel,red-tailedhawk,turkeyvulture,SageGrouse,crow,raven,osprey,magpie,andChuckerPartridge.

•ThelandscapealongthisportionofthebywaydriveisspectacularandworthyofcelebrationbothwithaPulloutandwithmediathatalertstravelersabouttheareainadvanceofreachingit.

•Thislocationisthemostdramaticandphotogenicattractionfortravelersandisanextremelydesir-ablepulloutdevelopmentsitethatwouldallowtravelerstostopandappreciatetheviewsseenfirstfromtheirvehicles.

•ThesesitesarealllocatedonaroadsectiondescendingintotheClayBasinfromnorthtosouthandtheroadgeometricswillpresentdesignconcerns.Providingadequatesightdistanceforturningvehiclesisanimportantconsiderationinselectingthefinalsite.

•Theroadwaygeometricsateachofthesesitesarecomplex,especiallyforsouthboundtravelerscrossingoncomingtraffictoreachaparkinglotandvehicleturningmovementswithtrafficclimb-ingthegrade.Turnlanescouldbecomplicatedtoincludeatsomesitesgiventheroadcrosssectionandavailablerightofway.

Visitorscanlookoutoveran800-footverticaldropwherethenaturalthermalsandwindsgiveraptorstheliftneededtohuntwithinahundredfeetofthemountainrimformiceandothersmallanimals.Upcloseviewsofhawksandeaglesarepossibleastheyridethethermals.TheviewtothesouthfromthislocationextendsintoUtahandColorado. Little Mountain OverlookContinuingsouthalongUS191,visitorswillenjoytheexpansiveviewsfromtheplateausofLittleMountainlookingdownintotheSageCreekBasin.Interpretivetopicsforthissiteincludethefollowing:

•Relationofhistorichumanculturetowildlife•PaleoandNativeAmericangroups•ArchaicFremontpeoples,Ute,Shoshone•PetroglyphsandpictographsonthewallsorrockoutcropsinRedDesert

•HowardStansburytraveledthroughtheareainthe1850’ssearchingforroutefortranscontinentalrailroad

•EarlyMountainMen,traders,trappersThe eastward-facing Overlook at Clay BasinThissiteislargeandhasampleroomforinterpreta-tionthatcouldencouragethevisitortolookinalldirections.Ageneraltopicwouldbethewildlifetobeseenalongthebyway.

Interpretivetopicsforthissiteincludethefollowing:

•Wildlifeofthisage•Wildlife,390species•World-classhunting•Animals–elk,pronghornantelope,deer,moun-tainlion

•Largestpronghornantelopeherdintheworld•SweetwaterCountyishometotheworld’sonlydesertelkherd

•WildHorsesintheRedDesert–Oneofthena-tion’slargestherdsofwildhorses

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Jarvie Ranch and Minnie’s Gap

• The intersection of highway 191 and the road to Browns Park, a designated backway, is just north of the physical feature known as Minnie’s Gap.

• The gap is especially visible to southbound travelers and some existing ranch buildings are visible nestled below the ridge.

• Development of a site in this vicinity is likely to be more costly both for roadway improvements and for site development materials and because the location on the edge of the valley has limited working area for construction.

• A recent roadway project necessitated the development of a pullout at this location that now remains vacant and available for use as an interpretive site.

Jarvie Ranch This site provides a good opportunity to discuss ranching within the Green River Basin and also some history on Brown’s Park, where numerous famous outlaws hid out from the authorities. Interpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Main topic: landscape, wildlife and ranching• John Jarvie Ranch (Butch Cassidy and Sundance

Kid once stayed 22 miles off US 191 Byway) (side-bar)

• Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch (sidebar)• Historic Brown’s Park

9

Site Development Recommendations:

• A critical enhancement on US 191 between Rock Springs and the state line at Minnie’s Gap would be a Pullout with restroom and other facilities to serve traveler needs.

• For this high-quality driving experience, it is important to provide travelers with interpretive information before their drive. The opportunity for Gate-way development near the I-80 and US 191 interchange should be a high priority for conceptual study. Site development would most likely include parking and the standard byway kiosk cluster with a “you are here” sign that orients travelers to what is ahead on the exceptional byway drive that awaits them.

• There are several sites in the middle portion of the drive that should be considered for a pullout which would include (precast vault restroom, inter-pretive signs, Gateway or orientation sign cluster depending on development at I-80, and features suggested by the site like picnic tables or trails):

- Little Firehole Pullout (single site near Firehole Canyon Road # 33) - Sage Creek (at existing Pullout for NRA)

• Select a site with a high “Wow” factor that celebrates the landscape that makes this such a spectacular drive. The most likely site would be near the Clay Basin or Little Mountain area along the drive.

• One important method of developing roadside facilities like pullouts is to anticipate highway construction in the vicinity of the improvement and either include the work in the road contract or coordinate development in order to take advantage of economies of construction mobilization (the expense of contractors establishing a project and bringing equipment to the site), equipment for grading and especially construction materials.

DRAFT 57


REF SITE NAME EXISTING FACILITIES SUGGESTED DEVELOPMENT FEATURES DESCRIPTION FROM 2005 CMP

1 2

Green River Chamber Visitor Center Expedition Park on the Green River

• Recently reconstructed site with new building, views and some local and regional interpretation.

• Site ideally located just off Inter-state 80 and on the main street into city and at the start of the designated scenic byway.

• Parking, commercial facility, pedes-trian bridge over the river, picnic tables, and grassy tree-shaded space to enjoy the river and views of landforms above the city in several directions.

• This site is a natural location for a Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Gateway using the standard kiosk cluster with a “you are here” byway map sign and information on the scenic byway driving experi-ence along highway 530.

• The current site development could support ad-ditional byway signs that would expand on the byway story in Green River. One goal could be to encourage travelers with time and an appreciation for the high-quality driving experience to take the byway loop south to Greendale Junction and back to Rock Springs.

• To encourage travelers to explore the history of the City of Green River and the Green River, provide orientation specifically for the city and directions to Expedition Island.

• As appropriate for the parking and site uses, include byway interpretation in the park.

• Subjects of particular value could include the Green River and the Powell Expedition, fishing in the waters of the Green River both above and in the reservoir, but also painting a picture of the recreational, scenic and natural qualities that exist below the dam in the Little Hole area.

City of Green River Returning again to the northern end of the byway, the portal in the City of Green River should look at the history of the explorations of the Green River and the Grand Canyon, at the Scott’s Bottom Site. In addition, interpretive investments should be made at the US Forest Service Visitors Center (along Uinta Way).Interpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Wildlife Through the Ages and current culture• Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge• Birding – Part of a major flyway for migratory

birds, sage grouse• Wild Horses in the Red Desert – One of the na-

tion’s largest herds of wild horses• Powell Expedition• Expedition Island Park• Green River and Colorado River Exploration• Mapping of Western waterways• Historic rendezvous sites• Miners from all over the world• Working rail yard and the rail workers from all

over the world• Green River formation was topic of many of

Thomas Moran’s paintings• Green River Whitewater Park• Overland and Cherokee Trails passed through

Green River area• Mining of trona• Mining of coal

Oil and gas exploration is key to Sweetwater County’s economy

Highway 530

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Big Firehole Pullout

Black’s Fork River Bridge Pullout Black Mountain Pullout

• Existing paved pullout site

• No existing facilities here but relatively flat site and potential for development

• A pullout site is located on the west side of the highway midway between Buckboard Crossing Road and a US Forest Service road that looks toward Black Mountain.

• This site offers distant views toward the Firehole Canyon recreation area accessed from highway 191 and more importantly the rugged surround-ing landscape of the eastern edge of the canyon.

• This site offers sufficient parking for several vehicles and the roadway geometrics and sight distances are good for vehicle access.

• This site, if a suitable parking area can be de-signed, offers access to the river wetlands and views west to the sand dunes and bluffs.

• Of particular interest at this location is a develop-ing set of sand dunes to the west visible from the road at the bridge crossing and also from adjacent areas.

• In a dry high desert landscape, a pullout would offer interesting landscape contrasts and would complement the Henry’s Fork development fur-ther south.

• This site offers good views west over the broad landscape around Black Mountain as well as the western sky with beautiful clouds and sunsets.

• This site would provide a good location to orient travelers to the water access sites at the marinas or boat launches along the west side of the reser-voir, especially for southbound travelers.

Big Firehole Overlook Heading south along WY 530, the first site that the traveler will come to is the Big Firehole Overlook. This site provides a good opportunity to discuss the connection between each of the ecosystems and the fossil fuels and the extraction industries of Wyoming today. From this site, a trona mine can be seen in the far distance, as well as a coal mine and natural gas wells. While all of these features are small to the viewer from this location, and thus do not disrupt the landscape, they do provide substantive topics to talk about in interpretations. Interpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Wildlife of the past and natural resources• Mining – Coal• Coal and Union Pacific Railroad construction and

operations• Coal and immigration• Coal and social structure and culture• Mining – Trona – Largest supplier in the world.

“Sweetwater County is known as the “Trona Capi-tal of the World.”

Black’s Fork RiverAs the byway crosses Black’s Fork River, there is an existing pullout. Interpretation would be well suited at this site. Interpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Early European settlement and wildlife• Early trappers• European and American exploration• Father Escalante and Father Dominque• Settlement patterns

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Buckboard Crossing Marina Holmes Crossing and Anvil Draw Henry’s Fork Wetlands Lucerne Valley Marina and Rec-reation Area

• This and other marina or boat launch sites on the west side of the reservoir offer travelers an opportunity to experience the water’s edge in high desert.

• Additional marina/boat launch sites.

• Access to site is off the Lucerne Valley Road #146.

• This site has recently been de-veloped and includes parking, wetland ponds, a ¾ mile walking trail into the floodplain and inter-pretive signs.

• This site compliments a second interpretive stop a short distance east toward Lucerne Valley Marina which has older interpretive signs describing the town of Linwood which was lost when the dam was built.

• This site offers wonderful views both east into the reservoir and west toward the Manila, UT valley.

• This site offers a full range of services to travelers and should be identified as a byway traveler destination.

• Buckboard Crossing already uses a variation of the byway kiosk cluster and space is available for additional interpretation.

• These sites would be good locations for additional interpretation with relatively low cost as the park-ing facilities already exist.

• Consider updating the interpretation at the Lin-wood Pullout.

• As outlined in the 2005 CMP, this site offers good opportunities for additional interpretation.

• With the concentration of development, this is an important location to orient travelers about the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway.

Buckboard Crossing MarinaThe marinas are ideal areas for interpretation due to the availability of parking and restrooms and high numbers of users. This site already has a BLM wildlife interpretive panel. The information on the High Des-ert Sage Ecosystem should be updated.

Holmes Crossing (formerly Squaw Hollow) RoadInterpretive topics for this site include the following:

• Historic ferry and historic swinging bridge• Use of area for overland settler crossing

Henry’s Fork ProjectThe Forest Service recently completed the Henry’s Fork Interpretive site. The focus of this area is on the Flaming Gorge’s natural systems that are strongly linked with open water, ponds and wetlands. The site consists of a series of constructed wetlands and ponds, picnic tables and a 3/4 mile long trail that offers several interpretive signs and panels on the area’s plant, waterfowl and wildlife populations.

Lucerne Marina and Wildlife OverlookThis fully-developed marina is at the southern end of the WY 530 leg of the byway. The recent designation of a bird sanctuary and new viewing/parking area of-fers a perfect spot for additional interpretation.Interpretation topics for this site include the follow-ing:

• Bird migration• Nearby dinosaur tracks and fossils• History of the valley near Manila, UT• Reservoir’s fishery

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Site Development Recommendations:

• Highway 530 from Green River to the state line near Manila, Utah has the advantage of being relatively close to the water’s edge in addition to boating facilities and restrooms. This is such a high-quality driving experience (like highway 191) that it is important to provide travelers with additional inter-pretive information before and during their drive.

• There are several sites in the middle portion of the drive where existing pullouts could be expanded to include an orientation sign cluster: - Black’s Fork River Pullout (new site development) - Black Mountain Pullout (existing site that could be improved with interpretation)

• One option for developing roadside facilities like pullouts is to anticipate highway construction in the vicinity of the improvement and either include the work in the road contract or coordinate development in order to take advantage of economies of construction mobilization (the expense of con-tractors establishing a project and bringing equipment to the site), equipment for grading, and especially construction materials.

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Interpretation

This section summarizes the interpretive needs of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway (combined route), and identifies critical needs for the proposed All-American Road.

Important Interpretation Considerations• Much opportunity remains for Wyoming to develop interpretive materials for visitor sites that not only

complement those in Utah, but utilize innovative methods for telling the byway story and celebrating the exceptional resources, features, and vistas found only on the Flaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway.

• Wyoming byway leaders have adopted and will continue to develop interpretation based on Utah’s “Wildlife Through the Ages” theme, and a joint logo adopted for use on the combined route now incorporates the tagline.

• Utah interpretive planning experts under the leadership Utah Department of Wildlife Resources staff are assisting Wyoming with development of their story and interpretive messages and this service is an exceptional asset for Wyoming.

• New technology for story telling could reduce the need to develop fixed roadside pull-off sites to tell the Wyoming byway story.

• With limited funding, Wyoming byway leaders should be very strategic in selecting physi-cal sites for development. Selected sites should focus on meeting traveler needs or pre-senting an extraordinary vista or resource as opposed to simply developing a site to tell a part of the byway story with sign-based media.

This rack guide is produced in large quantities for mass distribution at visitor centers in Utah and Wyoming and serves as a lure piece that entices travelers to consider a visit.

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Interpretation – Organizing and Telling the Byway StoryIn Utah, byway leaders developed their basic interpretive framework in 1996 and col-lected plan elements in the 1997 Corridor Management Plan. Their plan was imple-mented over the intervening years using the dedication of a core interpretive com-mittee, volunteers and the staff expertise from the Ashley National Forest and Utah state government. In Utah, the byway is currently fully interpreted with the majority of the interpretive goals met.

Utah and Wyoming byway leaders have agreed that the “Wildlife Through the Ages” theme will apply to remaining interpretation in Utah as well as all future interpretive planning in Wyoming.

To date, Utah interpretive planning and implementation has resulted in the follow-ing collection of sites and facilities (the main difference between an Overlook and an Interpretive Site is the view): As demonstrated here, the route

map uses symbols, drawing and text to give travelers more information about the Antelope Flats Gateway area. The brochure reinforces the “Wildlife Through the Ages” theme.

In this view of a detail within the route map, the graphic conveys the relationship between geol-ogy, time, ecosystems and wildlife. It provides a sophisticated level of information and educates the byway travelers wanting more of the story.

Nature Trails:

1. Steinaker 2. Aspen 3. Moose Ponds 4. West Greens Lake 5. Sheep Creek 6. Flaming Gorge Dam Point

Overlooks:

1. Windy Point 2. Green Dale 3. Dowds Hole 4. Sheep Creek 5. Antelope Flat 6. Cedar Springs

Interpretive Sites (pullouts):

1. Cart Creek Meadow 2. Greendale Junction 3. Red Cloud Loop 4. Firefighters Memorial 5. Manila Park

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In addition to those listed on the previous pages, there are three additional sites in Utah (a visitor’s center, a museum and a remote office) with byway developed information which may include signs, displays, brochures, booklets, etc.

Byway orientation-information signing, which includes a set of three interpretive signs (a map, geologic infor-mation and wildlife information) can be found at the following sites:

1. Steinaker Nature Trail2. Greendale Junction Interpretive Site 3. Antelope Flat Overlook4. Flaming Gorge Dam Visitor Center 5. Manila Park Interpretive Site

The byway also has signs interpreting 43 geological features for a total of 86 signs (both directions). Total sign-ing on the byway is 85 interpretive signs of which 67 are original and 86 geological feature signs.

This extensive collection of interpretive materials occurred because byway leaders employed sound interpre-tive planning principles and coordinated the development of materials among different agencies. In 1996, an Interpretive Site Plan was created to guide the design, fabrication and installation of extensive signing using a 1994 National Scenic Byways Program grant from the Federal Highway Administration. Portions of the Interpre-tive Site Plan are included on pages 67-69 to show the planning process. Interpretation was also part of the Corridor Management Plan dated October 1997.

The Flaming Gorge – Uintas Na-tional Scenic Byway is one of just a few routes that has addressed the needs of family travelers with small children by providing a spe-cial storytelling tool for kids.

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Early Planning DocumentsIn Chapter 7 of the 2005 Wyoming Corridor Management Plan the following discussion touched on how to interpret the Wyoming Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway. It is a thoughtful and complete analysis of the interpretive goals for the byway. In addition, the Visitor Site and Facility Analysis Section of this document lists byway sites gathered from several sources along with interpretive planning summaries from the 2005 CMP.

The interpretive chapter identifies the byway’s major interpretive themes and the specific sites at which topics should be explored.

One of the logical parameters for the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Byway to follow is that all interpretation along the Wyoming segment of this byway should be coordinated with and be compatible with interpretation on the Utah segment of the byway.

The interpretive them of Wildlife Through the Ages is used for the existing Flaming Gorge National Scenic Byway. That same theme works well with and should be used for the Wyoming portion of this byway in order to lay the foundation for an eventual union of these two routes. Given the nature of the Wyoming history and culture, there are opportunities to expand the application of the Wildlife Through the Ages theme to include topics such as early hu-man history, fossil fuels, and international immigration.

Unlike most byways, this byway has the benefit of learning lessons from the interpretive projects pursued on the Utah Byway. The Flaming Gorge National Scenic Byway in Utah was established in 1995 and, since that time, the US Forest Service, as well as other local, state, and federal entities, has been working to implement the interpretive plan.

At this point, the majority of the interpretive signage for the Utah section has been erected and the effect for the traveler is very positive, with 18 interpre-tive sites in all. One encounters not only formal kiosks and wayside signage, but also drive-by signage that, in just a few words, interprets the landscapes and helps the traveler understand the type of wildlife that lived within the Flaming Gorge area millions of years ago.

Interpretation on the Wyoming segment of the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway will be very important. The landscape and visual accessibil-ity to water change dramatically from Utah to Wyoming. Interpretation will help visitors understand and appreciate these different ecosystems.

Along the Utah section of the byway, it is possible for a traveler to drive the road and not stop at any interpretation, but yet still experience the landscape in a very up-close and intimate manner. The byway winds through canyons and views of the water are very common. The major sites and experiences are eas-ily found by the traveler. For example, driving through the canyons makes it very easy to see the various layers of rock and fossils. As one drives by the dam, its role in the landscape is very obvious. If one goes to the Swett Ranch, one quickly understands the ranch’s role within the Gorge and within the landscape.

Once one enters Wyoming, however, the landscape changes dramatically. The road elevation drops significantly from a mountain and alpine environment to a high desert sagebrush environment. At times, the Gorge and the Reservoir lie a distance (e.g. 2-10 miles) from the byway itself. The views are long and large. The land is dry and, compared with the Utah portion of the byway may not be obvious to the unseasoned traveler; to those with an inclination and an eye for high desert landscapes, this drive is very beautiful. Interpretation will be very important to educate the traveler about the changes in the land and the relationship between the Wyoming environment and the high mountains of Utah.

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Major Interpretive ToolsAs discussed in the Intrinsic Qualities Chapter, there are a wide range of interesting natural, recreational, and historical/cultural topics that could be ex-plored along the Green River Byway. The theme of Wildlife Through the Ages will be carried through on the Green River route. This means that some historical topics, in particular, need to be adjusted to fit with that theme. With that parameter in mind, the following interpretive topics are recommended for this byway:

• Geology of the Spires: Big Firehole and Little Firehole both offer exceptionally beautiful geologic spires right next to the Reservoir. John Wesley Powell commented on these structures during his expedition and they stand today as a link to his expedition as well as wonderful evidence of the geologic ages. Interpretation should talk about the age of the spires and the type of environment that was present in the past.

• Ancient Ecosystems and Valuable Natural Resources: Along this byway, travelers can view occasional natural gas drilling rigs, distant coal mines, and the distant trona mines. These substances - - gas, coal, and trona - - are the product of decomposed plants and animal materials from ancient ecosystems. Given the importance of mineral and resource extraction in Wyoming, this topic is a natural one for the Green River Byway. Trona, by the way, is a mineral that produces soda ash and is used in the manufacturing of many materials.

• High Desert Environment: At least one, if not more, interpretive panels should help the traveler understand the complex and fragile ecosystems of the high sagebrush desert.

• Wild Horses: There are several locations along the Green River Byway where herds of wild horses can be seen. In addition, Sweetwater County has devel-oped a wild-horse loop tour to the north of Rock Springs and Green River. All byway travelers should be educated and alerted to the opportunity to see these magnificent animals during their stay in Sweetwater County.

• Large Mammals of the Desert: Byway travelers often have the opportunity to view pronghorn antelope, moose, and others. The lives and status of each of these large mammals should be reviewed in interpretation.

• Relationship Between the High Uintas and the Wyoming Desert: Travelers should be aided in understanding the connections between the high mountain environment that they see as they travel in Utah and the desert environment of Wyoming.

• The Role of Green River: The path of the Green River as it travels south should be covered. The exceptional history of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir should be interpreted close to the water. The role of the river in shaping the landscape should also be explained.

• Whitewater Park in Green River: Developed in 2002. Improvements to the river begin at the Pacific Power pump station off of N. 8th Street. Two other structures are located next to Expedition Island. The river now has three drops with pools that attract kayak enthusiasts, rafters, folks in inner tubes, and fishermen.

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Flaming Gorge-Unitas Scenic Byway Interpretive PlanningThe Utah Division of Wildlife Resources was responsible for the byway interpretive planning on the Flaming Gorge – Uintas National Scenic Byway, and this skilled and effective interpretive planning committee is provid-ing their assistance to Wyoming. The following excerpt from a 1996 plan shows the steps followed by Utah to convert broad planning goals and an interpretive theme into effective materials serving byway travelers.

Interpretive Site Plan DocumentIn 1996, a group of byway leaders and technical specialist assembled an interpretive site plan that laid out a total grouping of interpretive signs at 18 sites along the Flaming Gorge – Uintas National Scenic Byway.

The contributors were:

Ron Stewart, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Alden Hamblin, Utah Parks & Recreation Division Eric Finkelstein, United States Forest Service David Whitman, National Park Service

This example shows the interpretive planning process used to incorporate the “Wildlife Through the Ages” theme and to create a comprehensive and well organized presentation to travelers. It is for the Antelope Flat Gateway site just north of Dutch John on 191.

Flaming Gorge Design Template for Gateway Portal sites which should be maintained throughout the entire byway.

Byway Orientation Panel with “you are here” sym-bol as used at Greendale Junction.

A typical Gateway sign cluster located at Greendale Junction on Highway 191 at Highway 44.

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Site 18 - Antelope Flat Portal

Theme: Wildlife through the ages

Objectives: After reading signs traveler will be able to:

• Describe the scenic byway route.• Describe what they can see and learn about along the byway.• Describe ethical ways to view wildlife and protect natural features.• Describe the geologic situation prior to uplift (formations were flat layers, each layer represents an extinct

ecosystem).• Recognize evidence of anticline on far side of lake and can describe how flat layers were warped into an anti-

cline.• Describe best time of day and best seasons to see wildlife

(pronghorn history & life history).

Panel - 76 (D) Panel - 77 (D) Panel - 78 (D) Panel - 79 (A) - geology of the flat

Existing Gateway Sign Cluster at Antelope Flats on Highway 191 just north of Dutch John. This is the panel cluster outlined in the 1996 site plan.

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This sequence of signs from the most recent project in Utah provides a good example to follow.

Panel design includes a thought-provoking label, minimal text and engag-ing graphics.

Sign placed adjacent to a walking path and over-looking an important site feature.

The panel design and message directly relate to some feature visible near the sign.

A sign can also address a larger issue related to the “Wildlife Through the Ages” theme such as this sign addressing geologi-cal time.

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Interpretative Sign DesignsAs the photos on these pages show, there are two principal types of sign panels installed along the Utah portion of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway, and they have two different functions.

Where a traveler is being oriented to the byway or to major decision points like road junctions, a kiosk structure with three sections and a single roof system is installed. In this cluster, the central panel is a “you are here byway map” panel and the adjacent panels are angled low signs.

In most other pullouts, a set of low panel signs are installed as pictured.

Typical flat panel sign placement with graphics and localized message as used at Greendale Junction.

Another view of the Gateway Portal sign cluster set on the edge of the parking lot at Greendale Junction.

Low Sign Panel with interpretive panel installed. Typical Low panel sign framework before sign panels are installed.

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Closing the Information GapAlthough most Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway visitors seem jurisdictionally blind as they travel the route, it is important that interpretive themes unique to Wyoming are made accessible to travelers. While continuing to work with Utah interpretive planning experts under the leadership of the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources, Wyoming byway leaders have launched options that go beyond brochures and panels, like the downloadable audio tour that takes travelers on a loop from Rock Springs south to Flaming Gorge Dam returning north to Interstate 80 via Green River.

The renovated Rocks Springs Visitor Center welcomes byway travelers and provides trip-planning and interpretive information such as the printed Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Highlight Tour to lure travelers to make a travel decision to drive the road.

Additional opportunities have been identified for site improvements that will provide interpretive information and are detailed on the following page. Efforts continue to develop a feasible plan to locate a pullout on US 191 that would include restrooms, as well as byway orientation signs using the Utah signing template. The difficulty will be deciding on an existing site where some site development has occurred and costs are lower to complete the project, versus the visual excitement and drama of a new vista site near the Clay Basin area.

This existing sign structure at Expe-dition Island uses the same byway form and materials. Perhaps the park authority will participate in additions that provide a byway sign cluster installation.

The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center provides 24-hour access to trip planning and interpretive information to byway travelers.

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Suggested Interpretive Site Improvements in Wyoming Potential Improvements on Highway 530

1. Green River Chamber Visitor Center – This is a good site for a Gateway kiosk.

2. Expedition Island – This is an important historical site that by-way travelers will want to visit. Several low panel signs would be a good addition to this site.

3. Fabricate new “you are here” map panels for Gateway sites on 530 and 191 and in Utah.

Potential Improvements on Highway 191

1. Assess the feasibility of using the existing pullout near the US 191 and I-80 interchange (just past the convenience store/gas station) for interpretive and orientational signage.

2. Discuss the pros and cons of further developing existing sites versus the “Wow” impact of a pullout overlooking Clay Basin. Determine which site to use for conceptual planning and devel-opment of cost estimates to build a restroom and install inter-pretive kiosks and other facilities for travelers.

New Technologies for Byway InterpretationByway practitioners have more options now than ever before for delivering stories to travelers. The technology associated with smart phones, downloadable narrated programs, and GPS-enabled devices to provide direc-tions or to deliver content directly at a predetermined location are all available (and not all require cell phone signals). At the same time, the resources to plan and fund such technologies may be more difficult to obtain.

Byway leaders in Utah and Wyoming need to examine the capacity that now exists to deliver comprehensive interpretive messages, and establish a practical framework for the design and location of interpretive pullouts and gateways in Wyoming and make corresponding changes in Utah.

This aerial photo shows the three sites recommended for consider-ation as a pullout at Clay Basin. Little Mountain is at the upper left corner of the photo. Other sites have been recommended in this area.

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Marketing

Important Marketing Considerations• An important marketing goal for the Flaming Gorge and Uintas Mountain region is to promote the byway as the ideal connection between Yellow-

stone National Park and its surrounding area in the north, and the Grand Canyon National Park in the south as well as the many internationally signifi-cant natural resources in southern Utah.

• Marketing for the byway should focus on ways to tap east-west travelers on US 40 and especially on Interstate 80 to provide alternative routes and loop travel experiences from the Salt Lake City and Denver markets. In addition, the proposed Book Cliffs Highway in Utah will create an even more expeditious route for traveling between Moab and Utah’s national parks in the south, north to Yellowstone passing directly through Flaming Gorge.

• Without an international airport, tracking international travelers in Wyoming is challenging. Byway leaders need to work closely with state and local tourism agencies to track international tour operator booking trends in order to meet international traveler needs.

• The byway travel experience is closely aligned with the visitor experience on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, especially the water-based recreation, the camping and alternative recreation available along the shoreline, and for the views of the water and multi-colored landscape visible from the road.

• Marketing should help residents in the region appreciate the significance of their resources and the value of experiencing the drive to the reservoir as an important tourism activity requiring investment in visitor facilities and staff. The combination of water recreation, touring and wildlife viewing provide a unique travel experience that has the potential to stimulate economic development.

• Byway leaders should promote the quality of the driving experience found on the loop from Interstate 80 (beginning either in Green River or Rock Springs) across the high desert landscape and around the flank of the High Uintas Mountain plateau above Red Canyon. This drive is exceptional and worthy of the same level of marketing as the other recreational resources associated with the Flaming Gorge corridor. Self-guided driving tours are one of the top five activities of visitors to Sweetwater County.

This tear-off map and self-guided tour is avail-able at visitor centers and hotels throughout the region.

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Marketing Discussion from the Original CMPFlaming Gorge - Green River Basin Scenic Byway 2005 CMP

The resources of the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway are promoted at a variety of different levels. Starting at the state level, Wyoming features byways in promotional materials. Currently, there are ten state scenic byways and four backways which are indicated by location but not by name on the state visitors map. An entire section in the Wyoming Visitor Directory covers the scenic byways and backways within the state. This article is accompanied by good photography and good copy regarding byways as a travel experience in Wyoming.

The state is divided into four major travel regions. The Medicine Bow/Flaming Gorge Country is this byway’s region. The region extends from the east to the western borders of the state along the full southern border of Wyoming. Thus the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway is included with areas such as Cheyenne, Laramie, and Rawlins. Interstate 80 runs the entire length of the travel region. The description for this travel region within the Wyoming Explorer brochure focuses on two features within Sweetwater County. The first is Killpecker Sand Dunes which is one of the largest moving bodies of sand formations in the country. It lies north of the byway corridor. The second is the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

Sweetwater County currently promotes the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and surrounding region with printed and web based information and through a several travel visitor centers.

There are also communities surrounding or near to the Flaming Gorge that have joined together to promote Flaming Gorge country. These areas include Bridger Valley, Evanston, Green River, Rock Springs, all in Wyoming.

The businesses located within Rock Springs, Green River, and along Flaming Gorge are also active promoters of the area. The major local businesses and organizations involved are the marinas and campgrounds along the Flaming Gorge, the outdoor guiding services, Western Wyoming Community College and its Dinosaur Museum, and the historic museums located in both Green River and Rock Springs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides informa-tion on the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in the northern part of Sweetwater County. The U.S. Forest Service and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area produce a variety of materials on their area. The Bureau of Land Management, in association with the National Park Service and National Historic Trail, produces information on the Mormon Pioneer Trail and other historic trails that pass through this portion of Wyoming.

Summary

The information presented in this chapter suggests a few conclusions. First, the byway has access to a large interstate traveling market, of which per-haps 50% are experiencing the Gorge and byway today. Thus, there is potential to draw more of those visitors. Given the outdoor-recreation oriented nature of the NRA today, the byway can help to attract a broader range of visitors – the driving-for-pleasure segment. Reaching these people can be achieved through byway publications, AAA, and state travel collateral materials. Drawing another 10% of interstate travelers onto the byway for an over-night stay could have strong economic impacts.

Second, a strong promotional effort to educate travelers about the special features and broad appeal of the byway will be important. This effort should seek to brand the Flaming Gorge route and Dinosaur Diamond as nationally significant destinations. Third, given the current large size of the area’s tour-ism economy, it must be understood that byway designation alone will not dramatically change the local economy. Significant increases in visitation will require significant promotional spending. Finally, investments should be made in signage, trails, and packaged experiences (“See wild horses like in the movie “Spirit!”) in order to broaden the now water-oriented focus of current visitation.

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Existing Marketing Resources• The Sweetwater County Wyoming Travel and Tourism Board’s website features the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway at www.flaminggorgescenicbyway.

com and https://tourwyoming.hospitality.mmghost.net/explore/scenic-byways/flaming-gorge-byway, and includes a downloadable audio driving tour of the byway. They also produce a travel guide available online, as a download, or in print by mail. The guide features the byway and a two-page map that includes the combined byway route (UT and WY). In 2020, the county will launch full-day, guided motor coach driving tours of the byway.

• The Wyoming Office of Tourism features the state’s byways on its official website at https://travelwyoming.com/things-to-do/scenic-byways. They also produce a series of downloadable travel guides including the My WY Road-Trip Guide that includes byways (https://travelwyoming.com/wp-con-tent/uploads/uploads/consumer/My_WY_Road-Trip_Guide_2019.pdf).

• The Wyoming Department of Transportation offers a downloadable scenic byway guide at http://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Public%20Affairs/photos/Scenic%20Byways%20brochure%202013.pdf.

• For travelers westbound on I-80 from Nebraska and the east, a rest area and visitor center midway between Cheyenne and Laramie (and available to travelers in both directions) offers information focused on the state’s scenic byways.

• Flaming Gorge Country produces a travel guide and map for the entire region and has a supporting website at www.flaminggorgecountry.com/. The Flaming Gorge Country travel guide is produced in conjunction with Wyoming and Utah partners.

• The byway is promoted on the social media accounts of Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism as well as Flaming Gorge Country.

The regional marketing goal is to increase visitation during the shoulder seasons as well as the peak summer season. Sweetwater County, Wyoming has forty lodging properties and eighty restaurants and can accommodate a ten to forty percent increase in visitors depending on the season. On the south end of the loop in Utah, there are an additional 200 hotel rooms and 600 campsites.

Wyoming 2019 Travel Data

• 9.2 million overnight stays, an increase of 3.4%• Average length of stay 4.2 days up from 3 in 2016• $3.9 billion spent, an increase of 3.5%• Average age 52• Average party size 3

Sweetwater County 2019 Travel Data

• 1.4 million overnight stays • 617,000 visitors• Average travel party size 2.8• Average number of days spent 3.4• Average trip spending $1,368• Top visitor activities: Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, wildlife viewing, self-guided driving tours, museums and historic sites

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International Tourism and MarketingCurrent tracking of international travel by the Wyoming Office of Tourism is based on European and Australian travel trade booking numbers to the state. One of the challenges for Wyoming is not having an international airport and large numbers of international visitors driving into the state. With a limited international budget, state tourism focuses most of its marketing efforts on tour operators and only a few consumer-facing programs as part of bigger projects offered through Brand USA. The agency also relies heavily on Brand USA and the US Office of Travel and Tourism to show trends in inbound international visitation.

Wyoming promotes to the Australian and European markets as part of a regional marketing approach called the Great American West. This effort includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Travel trade marketing is conducted through this consortium in Germany, Italy, France, the Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands), the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Australia/New Zealand. Since 2016, both the number of tour operators offering overnights in Wyoming and the actual overnights offered have increased.

Although the statewide data is not available by county, what is known about Sweetwater County is that it has been appearing in more tour operator catalogs over the past two years. While the destination for the majority of travelers to the region is Yellowstone National Park, international travelers are also interested in off-the-beaten-path attractions. There is evidence that tour operators are directing their clients to travel through Flaming Gorge from the Utah side as well as from Interstate 80.

Currently, the top three markets statewide (based on room nights sold and room nights booked) are Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands).

The Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism Board participates in the annual International Roundup. This tradeshow is hosted by the state tourism of-fices of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The event includes two days of intensive pre-scheduled business appointments, over 80 organizations from around the Great American West region, and provides the opportunity to promote Flaming Gorge to 30-40 international tour operators.

Regarding informational materials, there has been a sizeable shift in recent years within some international markets from demands for a physical maga-zine or map to a more digital approach. Most international travelers are relying on phones and websites to navigate and maneuver within destinations, which means having a website that converts to mobile platform is important. With Wyoming’s varying levels of cell service, having a backup download-able piece, even an abridged version, is a good idea.

While all international travelers appreciate translated signage when available, European travelers are usually accustomed to navigating in English. That being said, Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin byway leaders have developed the following list of priority projects to accommodate the needs of inter-national travelers:

• Translate the downloadable audio tour into German and French.• Periodically offer the day-long coach tours in German or French. • Create a “Welcome Packet” in Italian, German, French, Spanish for distribution at the Rock Springs and Green River visitor centers to offer a warm

welcome and thank to international travelers. • Encourage hotels to consider including basic property details (check out times, pool/gym hours, room service details, etc.) in multiple languages. • Encourage attractions to offer important rules, regulations and waivers in multiple languages. • The Sweetwater County Travel Guide, Explore Rock Springs & Green River, will be available in several languages digitally in 2020.

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Potential Marketing Audiences• “The National Parks traveler” – both international and domestic – primary focus is on visiting

parks such as Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Dinosaur, Arches, Grand Canyon, etc. They have enough time for a “grand tour” and they are likely to choose to travel the more scenic routes between their primary destinations. Yellowstone NP saw 3.6 million visitors in 2018; Arches NP 1.6 mil-lion; Zion NP 4.3 million; Grand Canyon 6.3 million (a record); Dinosaur 304,500. Byway market-ing experts reported that 56% of travelers in the Southwest are passing through Yellowstone.

• Regional recreationalists – active individuals and families who travel regionally for their chosen recreation – camping, biking, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, etc. They take long weekends or drive long hours to reach prime recreation opportunities. This could also include more passive activities such as scenic drives, photography and bird watching.

• Destination visitors – these are special interest travelers – Flaming Gorge would attract those at-tracted to history, geology, and fishing – the Gorge’s most well-known intrinsic qualities.

This table lists in ranked order the top experiences of people who take trips by car, motorcycle or RV.

A Sweetwater County tourism ad targeting the National Parks traveler and encouraging them to linger in the area.

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Building an Online PresenceFlaming Gorge Scenic Byway leaders should continue to enhance the information available at www.flaminggorgescenicbyway.com with the following objectives in mind:

• Create a single regional identity tied directly to the Uintas Mountains, Green River and Flaming Gorge which can be accessed by driving the collection of byway roads.

• Provide information on the rich collection of recreation sites as well as reporting on the easy access to geological and paleontological resources from the byway.

• Provide downloadable travel tools like brochures, maps, site experience summaries and photos or other materials that travelers can use to visit sites.• Take advantage of the high-quality visitor center front-line staff to develop the vocabulary of words and phrases they find useful when talking to visi-

tors so that the website presents the unique quality found when driving and recreating in this area.• Recognize the limited funding available to implement conventional interpretive facilities and consider the potential for using several types of media

and the website to distribute byway stories that convey the experiences found along the road.

Sample National Scenic Byway websites for inspiration:

• Creole Nature Trail All-American Road www.creolenaturetrail.org• Lakes to Locks Passage www.lakestolocks.org • Arkansas Delta Byways www.deltabyways.com

Sample websites for state scenic byway collections that provide excellent branding and highlight the uniqueness of each byway story:

• Louisiana Scenic Byways https://byways.louisianatravel.com/• Maryland Scenic Byways https://www.visitmaryland.org/list/maryland-scenic-byways

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Development of Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Logo Byway leaders have adopted two logos that correspond to the names in Utah and Wyoming. The design of the logo was driven by 4 goals:

1. Find a ‘real’ scene that travelers can identify with. The chosen scene is one of the most recognizable ‘red cliffs’ of Flaming Gorge. This scene is easily found by the byway traveler at the Antelope Flats portal. It is the very cliff that early explorer John Wesley Powell marveled over in 1869 when he bestowed the name ‘Flaming Gorge’ upon the area.

2. Find a way to incorporate the interpretive theme of ‘Wildlife through the Ages’ into the graphic. Many meetings were held and logo drafts of different ways to convey the theme were developed. During this testing phase, if committee members did not understand the graphic message (a bighorn sheep, a dino footprint, etc) and connect that to the theme, then other versions were created. After some 36 ver-sions, the committee members determined that the best way to convey the theme was to state it on the graphic.

3. Create as simple a logo as possible. The committee recognizes the picture image is complex art. When the names are added, Flaming Gorge – Uintas National Scenic Byway in Utah and Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway in Wyoming, there is a lot of information to deal with. Adding ‘Wildlife Through the Ages’ creates more information to assimilate. Therefore, the colors used in the logo are critical to its functionality. The logo is in color, so that the scene is what jumps out at you first. The name of the byway is meant to be a secondary impression. And the theme is muted so that it does not all register all at once. The committee recognizes that the muted theme statement would never register on a road sign if that were an option.

4. Maintain functionality. The graphic designer was rather insistent that one look would not serve every purpose. Therefore, both the Flaming Gorge Uintas NSB and Flaming Gorge SB logos were designed in six different variations to work in different situations. The variants are a color box, a grayscale box, a color centered (image/theme only with the byway name centered below it), a grayscale centered, a color right (byway name to the right of image/theme) and a grayscale right.

The logo with the combined byway name of “Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway” is intended to be used to jointly market the byway in Utah and Wyoming.

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Chapter 4 - Existing Roadway ConditionsUS 191The Wyoming Department of Transportation has established milepost stations on both US 191 and Wyoming SR 530. Mileposts for the US 191 segment of the scenic byway begin at the Interstate 80 interchange at milepost 500, and end at the Wyoming and Utah state lines at milepost 551.39.

US 191 is a two-lane, asphalt paved highway with a posted speed limit of 75 mph. Pavement width varies between 25 feet with no paved shoulders, to 28 feet, which includes two-foot paved shoulders.

There is considerable variation in the right of way, ranging from a short segment with a ROW width of 30 feet at the I-80 interchange to 850 feet be-tween mileposts 527.874 and 527.969. Typical widths are 200 and 250 feet. Wyoming DOT has classified the entire length of the US 191 segment of the byway as Rural Minor Arterial.

Occasionally, during the winter months, snow will close a section of US 191 until snow conditions ease and state crews can clear the roadway. During such conditions, the road is closed with gates and signs at the junction with Interstate 80 and at Dutch John, Utah. The traveling public simply uses WY 530 around the west side of Flaming Gorge Reservoir as an alternative.

Both the Wyoming Highway Patrol and Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Department patrol the road. In the event of road closures, this road is patrolled by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Department and, in some cases, the Sweetwater County Search and Rescue, to ensure the safety of travelers.

WY 530 Milepost zero for Wyoming State Road 530 is located at the I-80 and WY 530 interchange in the City of Green River. The WY 530 segment of the byway runs south from milepost zero to the Wyoming and Utah State Line at milepost 44.851. The posted speed limit outside of Green River is 75 mph.

A short segment of WY 530 within the urban area of the City of Green River is concrete paved and runs from milepost zero to milepost 0.818. The remainder of the WY 530 portion of the byway is asphalt paved. Pavement widths vary widely, from a 77-foot segment in Green River to a 30-foot seg-ment between mileposts 25.457 and 29.994. WY 530 is four and five lanes within the City of Green River. The remainder of the roadway is two and three lanes, except for a four-lane segment between mileposts 23.919 and 23.949.

Paved shoulder widths vary between nine feet and two feet, with four to six feet being the most common.

Right of way widths for WY 530 vary from 100 feet at the Wyoming and Utah State Line to 550 feet between mileposts 2.936 and 3.050. The majority of ROW widths are 300 feet or more.

WYDOT has classified the segment of WY 530 from milepost zero to milepost 2.74 as a Principle Arterial, Urban – Other. This segment is located in the urbanized area of the City of Green River. The remainder of the highway is classified as a Major Collector, Rural.

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Traffic VolumeTraffic counts for US 191 and WY 530 for the years of 2013, 2017 and 2018 were obtained from Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). The highest 2018 Average Annual Daily Traffic Volume (AADT) for US 191 was 4,398 vehicles of all types at the junction of County Road 51 East and US 191. AADT drops considerably outside of Rock Springs. The lowest AADT for US191 recorded was 647 vehicles between mileposts 513.179 and 550.679.

The difference between city and rural AADT is even greater for WY 530. The highest 2018 AADT for WY 530 was 19,411 vehicles of all types recorded at the intersection with Second Street in the City of Green River. The lowest AADT for WY 530 in 2018 was 607 vehicles, recorded at the intersection with County Road 1 at milepost 19.460. The table below contains additional AADT data.

Accidents – US 191WYDOT supplied crash data for the years 2014-2018. A total of 124 crashes were reported over the five-year period on US 191, an average of 24.8 reported accidents per year for the 51-mile segment of the byway. Twenty-one of the accidents occurred between milepost 500 and 501, near the junc-tion of US 191 and I-80.

Only one accident was fatal, and three resulted in incapacitating injury. Eight accidents resulted in non-incapacitating injuries. There were no accidents involving pedestrians.

Thirty-nine accidents involved large animals and wildlife, 27 of which were deer. This constitutes 35% of the accidents reported during this period. Most accidents involving animals or wildlife occurred during non-daylight hours.

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Accidents – WY 530Over the same five-year period a total of 133 accidents were recorded for the 45-mile long WY 530 segment of the byway, an average of 26.6 accidents per year. One hundred four accidents occurred between mileposts zero and two. This segment is within the corporate limits of the City of Green River.

Of the total accidents, three resulted in fatal injuries, two resulted in incapacitating injuries, and ten resulted in non-incapacitating injuries. One ac-cident involved a pedestrians. Twenty-nine accidents involved large animals and wildlife, which constitutes 21.8% of the accidents reported during this period. Most accidents involving animals or wildlife occurred during non-daylight hours.

Construction and ImprovementsThe Wyoming Surface Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP), includes an overlay of US 191 from milepost 504 to 511 in 2023, and an overlay of WY 530 from milepost 38.7 to 44.85 in 2025. In 2013, the I-80 interchange at US 191 was replaced at a cost of $5,193,000. Outdoor Advertising

(from 2005 Corridor Management Plan)Wyoming’s Outdoor Advertising Act (24-10-101 through 24-10-115) is part of the Wyoming Regulatory Code. These rules apply to roads on the interstate and primary highway system and thus, both US 191 and WY 530 are covered by these regulations.Section 24-10-104 reads as follows: “(a) No outdoor advertising shall be erected or maintained which is visible from the main traveled way of the interstate or primary highways in this state, except the following: (i) Directional and other official signs and notices, which signs and notices shall include, but not be limited to, signs and notices pertaining to natural wonders, scenic and historic attractions, as authorized or required by law. (ii) Signs, displays and devices advertising the sale or lease of property upon which they are located:(iii) Signs, displays and devices advertising activities conducted on the property upon which they are located:(iv) Signs, displays and devices located in areas which are zoned industrial or commercial with six hundred sixty (660) feet adjacent to the highway right-of-way, under authority of law;(v) Signs, displays and devices located in unzoned commercial or industrial areas, within six hundred sixty (660) feet adjacent to the highway right-of-way, which areas shall be determined from actual land uses and defined by regulations to be promulgated by the commission.“(b) Outdoor advertising authorized under paragraphs (a) (i), (iv) and (v) of this section shall conform with standards contained, and shall bear permits required, in regulations which are promulgated by the commission under this act [24-10-101 through 24-10-115]. Paragraphs (a) (ii) and (iii) of this section are exempt.”Of these provisions, the most relevant are items (iii), (iv), and (v). Concerning (iii), there is a very limited amount of private land along the byway; the vast majority is public-owned. Of the private land, there are nine ranching and tourism businesses. Items (iv) and (v) relate to existing com-mercial and industrial uses and zoning of those types. There are no permanent industrial uses along the route. The only commercial facilities are the National Recreation Area concessionaires and two ranch/lodging operations.

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SignageThere remains a notable absence of signs along this byway. Once outside of Rock Springs and Green River, the only signs visible are for speed, govern-ment facilities, private ranches, and concessionaire properties. Due to Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service ownership of the surrounding land and the low traffic volumes, billboards are non-existent.

Signage policy conflicts are unlikely given that each type of signage will be placed on the land of a participating agency whose signage policies will gov-ern that type of signage. For example, directional signing will be placed within the WYDOT right of way and must conform to DOT standards. Interpre-tive signage will be placed on USFS or BLM land and these agencies can work to ensure that interpretive signage is consistent with the graphic standards used along the Flaming Gorge National Scenic Byway.

The Federal Transportation Department’s Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices governs DOT, BLM and the USFS signage and thus will guide all sign design and placement along WY 530 and US 191 as well as the location on traffic signs of a Green River Basin or Flaming Gorge National Scenic Byway logo.

The primary types of signage investments to make along this byway will be interpretation signing and signage directing visitors to facilities and activities. Byway LogoAlthough the Steering Committee has adopted a new logo for the byway, the state transportation agency will not permit use of the logo as a road sign. The byway will continue to be signed with the Wyoming Scenic Byway logo.

US 191 and Wyoming 530 safely accommodate tour buses and recreational vehicles with limited seasonal closures along the route.

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Chapter 5 - StewardshipFHWA Interim Policy addressed in this section3.Astrategyformaintainingandenhancingthoseintrinsicqualities.Thelevelofprotectionfor

differentpartsofaNationalScenicBywayorAll-AmericanRoadcanvary,withthehighestlevelofprotectionaffordedthosepartswhichmostreflecttheirintrinsicvalues.Allnationallyrecog-nizedscenicbywaysshould,however,bemaintainedwithparticularlyhighstandards,notonlyfortravelers’safetyandcomfort,butalsoforpreservingthehighestlevelsofvisualintegrityandattractiveness.

4.Ascheduleandalistingofallagency,group,andindividualresponsibilitiesintheimplementa-tionofthecorridormanagementplan,andadescriptionofenforcementandreviewmecha-nisms,includingascheduleforthecontinuingreviewofhowwellthoseresponsibilitiesarebeingmet.

6.Aplantoassureon-goingpublicparticipationintheimplementationofcorridormanagementobjectives.

ImportantStewardshipConsiderations•ThedevelopmentofaMemorandumofUnderstanding(MOU)fortheFlamingGorgeScenicBywayJointCommittee(UT&WY)providestheperfectopportunitytoincludeprovisionsthatallowforextensivestakeholderrepresentationandaddressbothprojectmanagementandorganizationalsus-tainability goals.

•TheJointCommitteeshouldperiodicallyreviewtheUnifiedMissionStatementinordertoinsureitconveystostakeholdershowtheorganizationisaccomplishingitswork–stewardship,education,partnerships,etc.

•Duetoongoingchallengestobywayfunding,theJointCommitteeshouldconsiderdevelopingarevenuestrategyaspartofacomprehensivefund-raisingplanthatwillsupporttheprojectsidentifiedinthiscorridormanagementplan.ThisprocesswillprovideanopportunityfortheJointCommit-teetoaddressnumerousissuesrelatedtosustainabilityincludingdevelopingajointbudget,identifyingpotentialsourcesofrevenue,anddevelopingorganizationalpoliciesandprocedures.

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History of the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway Steering Committee The Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway Steering Committee (Steering Committee) is an informal partnership that was spearheaded by the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce beginning in 2002. Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism will take the lead role, provide staff organization, financial support when available, and work in partnership with Wyoming committee members including:

• Bureau of Land Management• City of Green River• City of Rock Springs• Flaming Gorge Corporation• Green River Chamber of Commerce• High Desert Interpretive Center• Sweetwater County• Sweetwater County Historical Museum• Sweetwater County Travel & Tourism• Western Wyoming Community College• Wyoming Business Council• Wyoming Department of Transportation

Original Vision Statement (from 2005 CMP)

Our vision is that one day the Flam-ing Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway will have these impacts on our area:

The route will officially be linked to the Flaming Gorge National Scenic Byway and designated as an All-American Road, and will receive benefits including a more stable source of funding, highlighted pro-motion in the national marketing effort, and high name recognition among the traveling public.

The key to the successful implementation of a corridor management plan is a strong, dynamic, and sustainable byway organization. Given the current state of the economy and changes to the National Scenic Byways grant program, the role of the byway organization has never been more critical or more difficult. Byway organizations must function effectively and efficiently, and be prepared to compete for funding – both public and private.

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List of Accomplishments•AspartofanextensiverenovationoftheRockSpringsChamberVisitorCenter,twolargepanelswithinfor-mationaboutthebywaywereinstalled,aswellasanenclosedtravelerinformationcenterthatisopen24hours.

•AnaudioguidedtourwasdevelopedbySweetwaterCountyTravelandTourismandisaccessiblefordown-loadathttps://www.tourwyoming.com/explore/scenic-byways/flaming-gorge-byway.

•TheJointCommitteedevelopedandadoptedabywaylogoistailoredtoeachstate(seepage79).•GatewaysignswereinstalledatthenorthernentrancestothebywayonUS191andWY530.Theselarge,rustic-stylesignshavebecomeafavoritephotostopfortravelers.ThesamegatewaysignwillbeinstalledinUtahattheSteinakerportaloutsideofVernal.

•Thebyway’sfirstCMPwascompletedin2005,andupdateswerecompletedin2011and2020.•TheGreenRiverBasinScenicBywaySteeringCommitteebeganworkinginpartnershipwiththeFlamingGorge-UintasScenicBywayPartnershipin2009andformedtheJointCommittee.

•In2010theJointCommitteeheldatwo-dayjointstrategicplanningsessionandagreedonaunifiedmissionandstrategicdirection.In2011,coordinatedCMPupdatesweredevelopedforbothstates.

•Insummer2020,SweetwaterCountyTravelandTourismwilllaunchatwiceweekly,full-daymotorcoachtourofthebywaywithastep-ontourguide.

Original Goals Statement (from 2005 CMP)

The byway will be the impetus to ob-tain funding to significantly improve the recreational and tourism infra-structure around the Gorge.

•Thebywayshouldassistitscommunitiesinshapingadistinctiveandappealingimagethatcanbeprojectedtotravel-ersandpotentialinvestorsthroughouttheworld.

•TheFlamingGorgeNationalRecreationAreaandthisbywayshoulddevelopanimageasanationallysignificantarea,similarinrenowntothena-tionalparks.Thebywayshouldbecomeknowntotravelersasamust-seedestinationalongtheI-80travelrouteandindeedamust-seedestinationforthosevisitingthestate.

•FlamingGorgeshouldbecomebetterknownasoneofthepre-mierfishingandrecreationallakesinNorthAmerica.

•Thetourismactivitygeneratedbythisbywayandthemanyothereffortsmadebylocalpro-motionentitiesshoulddiversifyoureconomy.

•Thebywayshouldhelptointe-gratemarketinganddevelop-mentbyUtahandWyomingcommunitiesunitedbytheFlamingGorgeNationalRecre-ationAreaandthebyway.

Therustic-stylegatewaysignsinstalledonUS191andWyoming530onthenorthernendofthebywayhavebe-comepopularforsocialmediaphotoposts.

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CurrentVisionandThemeTheuniqueandeverchangingexperienceoftravelingthroughFlamingGorgecountry,transitioningfromthehighdesertlandscapeintolushgreenforestssurroundedbyvastrecreationandsightseeingopportunities,willbedeemedworthyofAll-AmericanRoadstatusasamust-seedestinationfortravelersandenhancedandpreservedtoallowforincreasedtourismandeconomicdevelopmentwhileprotectingandmanagingthenaturalresources.Theprevailingbywaythemeof“WildlifeThroughtheAges”willsetthestageastravelersenterthenorthernendofthebyway.AdditionallyturnoutsandsignagewillshowcaseandinterpretthevastlandscapeandintriguinggeologicformationsinherenttoSouthwestWyoming.TheFlamingGorgeScenicBywaycommitteewillincreaseitspowerofadvocacywhileeffectivelyworkingtogetherwithvariousagencies,counties,com-munitiesandvolunteergroupsforthebenefitoftheentirecorridorandtheinterpretation,managementandproductdevelopment.

CurrentStructureoftheBywayOrganizationThecurrentSteeringCommitteepossessesseveralimportantassets.First,itsmembersareexperiencedandhighlyskilledintourismandmarketing.Theyhaveaccesstoandarewell-versedinWyoming’scurrenttourismdataandtrends.Theyunderstandtheirvisitortravelpatterns,andarepositionedwelltomoreaggressivelypromotethebyway.Theyalsohavefundingavailableforproducingprintedmaterialsandbrochures.

Inrecentyearsthecommitteehasbeguntofunctionevenmoreeffectivelyasagroup.Theymakedecisionsquicklyandtakeaction.Theycontinuetobenefitfromadministrativehelpprovidedbymemberagenciesandorganizations.

Thechallengesthatlieaheadforthegroupincludeidentifyingandsecuringprojectfundingforinterpretativesitesandmaterialsaswellasothervisitorexperienceenhancements.TheabilitytodosowilllikelyrequiretheSteeringCommitteetomoreclearlydefinerolesandareasofresponsibilityforpartnersinordertocompeteforfunding.

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The 2005 CMP indicated that:

The public participation for this plan has been very complete; all affected landowners, business operators, lo-cal jurisdictions, and public entities were involved. This was possible given the small number of private landowners located along the route. There is universal acknowledge-ment among all those involved that designation will be a very positive step for this byway and for the area. While not all private owners are par-ticularly interested in an active role with the byway, they all support the designation and the ensuing tourism development plans.

The Flaming Gorge-Green River Ba-sin Scenic Byway Steering Commit-tee has attended County Commis-sioners meetings, Rock Springs and Green River City Council meetings, and sponsored public participation in the development process.

The local community has been kept well-informed of the actions of the Scenic Byway Committee through press coverage and public meetings.

PublicParticipationPlanWhilethePublicParticipationPlandescribedinthebyway’soriginalCMPwillensurethatthereissomelevelofknowledgeofbywayactivitieswithinthecommunity,thereisamoreaggressive,proactiveandongoingapproach.BywaysthathaveimplementedtheCommunityParticipationPlandescribedbelowhaverealizedtremendousbenefitsfromincreasedcommunitysupport.

CommunityParticipationPlanACommunityParticipationPlan(CPP)isanimportanttoolthathelpsinsurethatabywayorganizationisregu-larlyupdatingbywaystakeholdersaboutprograms,projectsandaccomplishments,andalsoidentifyingpoten-tialsupporters.Bywaystakeholdersincluderesidents,businessowners,localgovernmentofficialsandagencies,tourismagencies,andothernonprofitorganizations.

ImplementationofaCPPisimportantforseveralreasons.First,itbuildssupportforthebywayandthebywayorganization.Evenfolkswholiveandworkonbywaysareoftenunawareofthebywaydesignationortheexis-tenceofabywayorganization.ACPPisasystematicwaytoeducatethecommunityaboutthebenefitsofscenicbywaydesignationandthemissionofthebywayorganization.

Second,implementationofaCPPisoneofthebestwaystorecruitnewmembersandvolunteers.Havingapresenceatcommunityeventswillhelpidentifyindividualsandgroupswhosupportthebywaymissionandarewillingtohelp.Theymaybewillingtohelpbybecomingavolunteer,orbymakingacontribution.Makingcon-nectionstoothergroupsalsodevelopsopportunitiesforpartnerships.

Third,aconsistentlyimplementedCPPwillbuildtrustforthebywayorganizationinthecommunity.Ifthereisaclearunderstandingofthebywaymissioninthecommunity,thereislesslikelytobeoppositiontobywayproj-ectsorprograms.Fully-funded,beneficial,andseeminglynon-controversialscenicbywayprojectshavebeenblockedbycommunitiesthatfeltthreatenedoruninformed.

Mostimportantly,havinganongoingpresenceinthecommunityhelpsbuildprideinthebywayandgivessup-portersanopportunitytohelpcelebratesuccess.

Thefollowingpagecontainsalistofstakeholdergroupswhocouldpotentiallybeinterestedinbecomingmoreengagedinbywayprojectsoractivities.Thepopularcommunityeventsandfestivalslistedofferanopportunitytopromotethegoodworkofthebywaycommitteestocommunitiesandpotentialpartners.

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Community Events & Festivals Additional Byway Stakeholders • 4-H Clubs• American Legion• ATV groups• Buckboard Marina• Dinosaurland KOA• Friends of the Utah Fieldhouse • Gold Wing Road Riders• Kiwanis• Knights of Columbus• Lions Club• Manila Garden Club • Masons of Wyoming• National Forest Foundation • Order of Elks• Outfitters• Restaurant & Lodge owners• Trout Unlimited• Utah State Historical Society• Wild Bunch ATV Club – Vernal• Wyoming State Historical

Society – Sweetwater County Chapter

UTAH WYOMINGVernal’s Community Holly Days Western Park

Cow Country Junior Rodeo Series Manila Rodeo Arena

Cow Country Rodeo Manila Rodeo Arena

Manila Festival Manila Park

Flaming Gorge Freedom Festival Dutch John, Utah

Pancake Breakfast Manila Sr. Center

Utah Single Fly Tournament Dutch John, Utah

Tower Rock Run 10K, 5K and Fun Run

Daggett Daze Parade and Children’s Activities

Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo

Parade of Lights and Fireworks Display

International Day Rock Springs

Red Desert Roundup Rodeo Rock Springs

Wyoming’s Big Show (Sweetwater County Fair) Rock Springs

Overland Stage Stampede Rodeo Green River

Flaming Gorge Days Green River

River Festival Green River

Organizational Development Recommendations Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway Steering Committee

1. Develop a plan to increase the organizational capacity of the Wyoming Steering Committee to ensure implementation of the CMP.

2. Expand efforts to increase community participation and identify new partners.

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History of Cooperation with Flaming Gorge – Uintas National Scenic Byway Partnership (UT)TheFlamingGorge-UintasScenicBywayPartnershipandtheFlamingGorge–GreenRiverBasinScenicBywaySteeringCommitteebeganworkingincooperationin2009(JointCommittee).AMemorandumofUnderstand-ing(AppendixA)isunderreviewthatwillformalizetherelationshipbetweenthetwogroups,andthetwogroupsmadeadecisiontoupdatetheirCorridorManagementPlanssimultaneously(in2011)toensure“onevoice.”Thiscooperationiscriticaltodeliveringaseamless,qualitybywayvisitorexperience.

TheUtahbywayorganizationhasfullyimplementeditsinterpretiveplan,andthebywayboastsarichcollec-tionofbywaypulloffs,anInterpretiveGuide,andotherinterpretivematerials.TheUtahPartnershipagenciescontinuetocontributestaffwithahighlevelofexpertiseininterpretationandresourceprotection.Themem-bersoftheWyomingbywayorganizationareexperiencedandhighlyskilledintourismandmarketing.Theyhaveaccesstoandarewell-versedinWyoming’scurrenttourismtrends.Theyunderstandtheirvisitortravelpatterns,andarepositionedwelltomoreaggressivelypromotethebyway.Theyalsohavefundingavailableforproducingprintedmaterialsandbrochures.Thegreatestassetsofeachgroupareperfectlycomplementary.

InMay,2010,theFlamingGorgeScenicBywayJointCommitteeheldatwo-dayJointStrategicPlanningSessionandagreeduponfourstrategicdirections:

BuildingaSolid,ClearlyDefinedOrganizationalStructurewithVisionandMissionStatements

1.BuildingaSolid,ClearlyDefinedOrganizationalStructurewithVisionandMissionStatements2.OrganizingtheBywayFrameworkandFunction3. EngagingExternalandInternalDecision-makers4. PursuingandExpandingSustainableFunding

Thefirststrategicdirectionwasagreedtobethepriorityduetotheimpendingcorridormanagementplanupdates,andtheJointCommitteedevelopedaUnifiedMissionStatementandGoalsinlate2010.In2011and2020,thetwogroupssimultaneouslyupdatedtheircorridormanagementplans.

UnifiedMission StatementTocreateauniqueBywayexperi-encecenteredonwildlife,pale-ontology,scenery,andrecreationbringing increased economic opportunitiesforthelocalcom-munitieswhileprotectingtheresourcesoftheFlamingGorgeScenicByway.

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UnifiedGoalsoftheJointCommitteeTocarryouttheBywaymission,thefollowinggoalsunderlaythedevelopmentoftheFlamingGorgeScenicBywayCorridorManagementPlans:

1.Interpretthevasthistoryofanimallifefromthedinosaureratomoderndaywildlifeaswellastheuniquegeologicformationsandvastlandscapes.2.ProtectandmaintainBywayresourcesforenjoymentoffuturegenerations.3. Increasethenumberofvisitorsandthelengthofstaysalongthebywaytoincreasetheeconomicbenefittotheregion’scommunities.4. Assurethesafetyandconvenienceofthevisitingpublicbyprovidingadequatepulloutsandvisitorfacilities.5.EnhanceandformalizethepartnershipbetweentheFlamingGorge-UintasScenicBywayPartnershipandtheFlamingGorge–GreenRiverBasinScenicBywaySteeringCommitteeinordertointegratemarketinganddevelopmentbyUtahandWyomingcommunitiesunitedthroughthebywaycorridor.

6. Createandmaintainastablesourceoffundingtoimprovetherecreationalandtourisminfrastructurealongthebywaycorridor.7.IntegratemarketingandtourismdevelopmentbytheUtahandWyomingcommunities.8.WorktogetherinacoordinatedUtah–Wyomingoversightcommitteetoprovideaseamlesstravelexperiencealongtheentirebywaycorridorforvisitorsandlocalsalike.

9.PursueAll-AmericanRoaddesignation.

Recommended Structure for the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway Joint CommitteeSustainabilityremainsthemostcriticalissuefacingbywayorganizationstoday.NationalScenicBywaygrantsareathingofthepast.Inthisnewera,Bywayorganizationsmustidentifynewpublicandprivatesourcesoffunding,andbeabletocompeteagainstothertypesofworthyprojects.Inordertocompete,bywayorganizationsmustbeabletodemonstratetopotentialfundersthattheorganizationanditsprojectsaregoodinvestments.

ActionItemsfortheJointCommittee1.ReviewdraftMOUandconsiderrevisionsthatwould1)allowforgreaterstakeholderrepresentation,2)accomplishbothprojectmanagementandorganizationaldevelopment(sustainability)goals.

2.ConsiderrevisingtheUnifiedMissionStatementsothatithasmoremeaningandconveyswhatisspecialand/oruniqueaboutthebyway’sre-sources(versussimplylisting).Mightalsotrytodescribehowtheorganizationwillaccomplishitswork–stewardship,education,partnerships,etc.Remember,thevisionisabouttheroad,butthemissionisabouttheorganization.

3. DevelopaJointCommitteeWorkPlan.4. Developarevenuestrategyaspartofacomprehensivefundraisingplan.ThisprocesswillprovideanopportunityfortheJointCommitteetoaddressnumerousissuesrelatedtosustainabilityincludingdevelopingabudget,identifyingpotentialsourcesofrevenue,prioritizinggoals,anddevelopingorganizationalpoliciesandprocedures.

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Chapter 6 - Action Plan

Chapter 3: Visitor Experience Driving Experience

3.1 Develop a single brand for the byway incorporating the joint logo, and cultivate support from all promotional organizations throughout the Flaming Gorge region.

3.2 Continue to develop a single website for trip planning. A single point of access with links to the significant collection of recreational, natural and scenic resources will streamline trip planning for visitors.

3.3 Develop additional traveler information for Wyoming byway sites after careful evaluation of all available methods of delivery.3.4 Consider the effective wayshowing concepts advanced by the Wayshowing for Byways when planning to implement road signing, revising

printed materials, developing a byway website, and marketing the byway to travelers. Interpretation

3.5 Establish the priority to be placed on installed interpretive facilities versus marketing or creation of comprehensive byway maps and traveler guides.

3.6 Facilitate the sharing of interpretive expertise and planning from Utah byway leaders.3.7 Review and prioritize recommendations from the Wyoming Visitor Site and Facility Analysis and Interpretive sections of this plan.3.8 Translate downloadable audio tour into German and French.

Marketing

3.9 Promote the byway as the ideal connection between Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding area in the north, and the Grand Canyon National Park in the south, as well as the many internationally significant natural resources in southern Utah.

3.10 Focus on ways to tap east-west travelers on US 40 and especially on Interstate 80 to provide alternative routes and loop travel experiences from the Salt Lake City and Denver markets.

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3.11 Continue to develop www.flaminggorgescenicbyway.com as the principle tool byway travelers use to learn about the byway, make plans to visit, and access information when visiting the byway. The website should accomplish these activities:

a. Create a single regional identity tied directly to the Uinta Mountains, Green River, and Flaming Gorge which can be accessed by driving the collection of byway roads.

b. Provide information on the rich collection of recreation sites as well as reporting on the easy access to geological and paleontological re-sources from the byway.

c. Provide downloadable travel tools like audio tours, brochures, maps, site experience summaries and photos or other materials that travelers can use to visit sites.

d. Take advantage of the unusually high-quality visitor center front-line staff to develop the vocabulary of words and phrases they find useful when talking to visitors so that the website presents the unique quality found when driving and recreating in this area.

3.12 Consider the potential for using several types of media and the website to distribute byway stories that convey the experiences found along the road as an alternative to more costly conventional interpretive facilities.

3.13 Create a “Welcome Packet” in Italian, German, French, Spanish for distribution at the Rock Springs and Green River visitor centers to offer a warm welcome and thank to international travelers.

Chapter 5: Stewardship

5.1 Organizational Development Recommendations for the Flaming Gorge – Green River Basin Scenic Byway Steering Committee: a. Develop a plan to increase the organizational capacity of the Wyoming Steering Committee to ensure implementation of the CMP. b. Expand efforts to increase community participation and identify new partners. 5.2 Develop a Joint Committee Work Plan that addresses organizational development tasks as well as CMP implementation tasks and leads.5.3 The Joint Committee should develop a revenue strategy as part of a comprehensive fundraising plan. This process will provide an opportunity

for the Joint Committee to address numerous issues related to sustainability including developing a budget, identifying potential sources of revenue, prioritizing goals, and developing organizational policies and procedures.

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Appendix A

A - 1DRAFT

Flaming Gorge-Green River Basin Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan UpdateA - 2DRAFT