SOUTHERN WYOMING - Montana and Wyoming - page 732

Hiking and Mountain Biking
Although this is wide-open desert, there are some interesting places to hit the trail. For
starters, the Green Belt and Scotts Bottom Nature Area, running through Green River, of-
fer lovely trails to stretch your legs and enjoy the views. The trails are easily accessed from
Expedition Island, the launching point for Powell's famous river trips through the Grand
Canyon.
For more of an adventure, Sweetwater County has more still-visible pioneer trails run-
ning through it than anywhere else in the country, and hikers and mountain bikers can fol-
low the double ruts at a variety of points in the big open countryside. Trails in the region
include the Oregon and California Trails, the Mormon Trail, and the Pony Express Trail. All
adventurers need to be well prepared for the vast undeveloped stretches of land and should
bring maps, adequate clothing, and plenty of water.
The mountain biking in the area is sublime, with hundreds of miles of trails ranging from
the scenic to the gnarly. Green River is known for some of its hairier trails, including the
extremely technical Lunatic Fringe and the slightly less insane Macbones Trail, both of
which can be scouted on www.singletracks.com .
Among the most popular trails is the 20-mile Cherokee Trail/Currant Creek Ranch
Loop, which starts and ends at the Currant Creek Ranch off County Road 33. It is part of a
wider 250-mile network of trails on Little Mountain, south of Rock Springs.
For excellent advice or service, visit The Bike and Trike (612 Broadway, Rock Springs,
307/382-9677, www.bikeandtrike.com , 9am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-3pm Sat.).
Without a doubt, the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area offers the densest concentration
of recreational opportunities, including miles upon miles of trails for hikers and mountain
bikers. The scenic five-mile Canyon Rim Trail is accessible from the Red Canyon Visitors
Center and is open to both hikers and mountain bikers. The Dowd Mountain-Hideout
Canyon Trail is significantly steeper and is also open to both hikers and mountain bikers.
A trail map for these and other trails in the gorge is available for free at the U.S. Forest Ser-
vice offices in Green River (1450 Uinta Dr., 307/875-1646) and Manila, Utah (intersection
of Hwys. 43 and 44, 435/784-3445). For mountain bike rentals in the Flaming Gorge, vis-
it the Red Canyon Lodge (2450 W. Red Canyon Lodge, Dutch John, Utah, 435/889-3759,
www.redcanyonlodge.com , $10/hour, $20 half-day, $35 full-day), four miles west of the
junction of Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 191.