Honestly, Green River (pop. 973) is pretty dumpy. It had its heyday as a military base back in the 1960-70s when it was an annex of the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range. But when the base shut down, Green River almost turned into a ghost town. The main street is lined with boarded-up businesses and the average yearly per-capita income hovers around $11,326. There are a few hotels for the I-70 truck/tourist traffic, but most people push on after one night.
Of course, if you look hard enough, there are some great places in town. You can grab burgers and beers at Ray's Tavern -- a river rat mecca. The John Wesley Powell Museum tells the history of the famous explorer and the rivers he mapped. Our new house is right along the Green River Golf Course (as you can tell by the holes in the siding.) Swasey's Beach is a great place for a lazy Sunday swim. The grocery store finally carries tofu ...
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| beers at Ray's |
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| Ghost Buster ambulance! |
But honestly, Green River's real attractions start once you leave town. Green River State Park is the put-in for the Labyrinth Canyon flatwater trip. Up river, there's the Green River Daily whitewater stretch. Green River is also a great hub to explore the northern San Rafael Swell and the Book Cliffs with loads of hiking, rock art, and mountain bike trails. Moab is only an hour away. I hope we don't end up in Green River forever and ever, but I think we'll have a good time while we're here. :)
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| Green River from Nefertiti Rapid to Swasey's Beach |
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| Labyrinth Canyon |
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