Red Fleet & Steinaker Lake State Parks

Red Fleet State Park

The park’s name was inspired by three large Navajo sandstone outcrops that jut up from the water as a fleet of ships. At an elevation of 5,600 feet, Red Fleet offers camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and boating. Facilities include 31 campsites, modern rest rooms, barbecue grills, covered picnic tables, a concrete boat launching ramp, sewage disposal, and fish-cleaning stations.

The campground provides a panoramic view of the Red Fleet Reservoir and surrounding areas.

Local boaters refer to the 650-acre reservoir as “Little Lake Powell.” Spectacular sandstone cliffs and secluded sandy beaches await visitors who love water-oriented activities. You can launch your boat for a day of fishing and water skiing or hike to an isolated beach for picnicking and swimming. Swimmers should use caution, however, as the water may be extremely deep just offshore.

Steinaker State Park

This park is a desert oasis in the heart of Dinosaurland. Visitors come to fish, water ski, camp, picnic, or relax on the beach.

Sandy beaches and water temperatures reaching 70 degrees in July make the park a water recreation paradise. The concrete boat launching ramp provides access to all types of watercraft.

Steinaker Reservoir is one of Utah’s prime fisheries. You will find rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and an occasional brown trout. The surrounding canyon area intrigues those interested in geology, paleontology, or archaeology. From high points in the park, you can see millions of years of geologic formations. A bank of the Morrison Formation runs along the east shore of the reservoir. This layer of strata was deposited 130 million years ago during the Jurassic Period when dinosaurs inhabited the area. The layer of rock may contain dinosaur fossils.

Look for the nature trail just south of the entrance to the park. The trail and associated parking lot are one of the 18 Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway sites. Trail signs interpret the wildlife of the area

Mileage

0 Leaves Vernal north on US 191 from the center of town.

3 Looking north you can see the back side of Steinaker Dam, the first unit of the Central Utah Project.

4.1 Overlook of Steinaker Lake. This reservoir is the main feature of the Vernal Unit of the Central Utah Project, a part of the Colorado River Storage Project. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 38,000-acre-feet. Permanent storage of 5,000 acre-feet of water is maintained for fish and wildlife. The reservoir offers good bass and trout fishing and is a favorite place for local boating and waterskiing enthusiasts. The State Park includes a swimming beach, boat ramp, picnic, and camping facilities. The Uintah Water Conservancy District delivers water to Ashley Valley for irrigation and municipal use. The hillside running parallel to the highway here is the Morrison Formation where dinosaur bones and gastroliths, gizzard stones of dinosaurs, are found.

5.4 Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway Site and Nature Trail interpreting the wildlife of Steinaker State Park.

5.5 Entrance road to Steinaker State Park (left).

10.0 Turn right to Red Fleet State Park (boat ramp).

10.5 Tour turns left. The terrain here, covered with sagebrush, grasses, and juniper trees provides grazing for livestock and is a winter range for deer and some elk.

10.9 Looking left one can see the large red sandstone outcrops from which Red Fleet State Park gets its name. From higher on the mountain to the north, these red rock masses, seen in the distance below, resemble three ships, hence the name “Red Fleet.”

12.0 Boat ramp, parking area, camping, picnicking facilities, restrooms, and water. Tour returns to highway US 191.

14.0 Tour turns north (right) on US 191

14.7 Big Brush Creek, the source of water from the Red Fleet Unit.Looking left one can see Simplot Phosphates Company’s
mining operation.

15.1 Tour turns right to Red Fleet Dam. Other wildlife found in this area is coyotes, bobcats, prairie dogs, skunks, rabbits, bald eagles, golden eagles, several species of hawks, magpies, mourning doves, prairie falcon, pinion jays, and several species of small birds.

18.1 Trailhead to the Dinosaur Trackways. This moderately difficult 2.4-mile round-trip hiking trail (with an elevation change of approximately 200 feet) leads to the north shore of Red Fleet Reservoir where you can see the tracks of ancient dinosaurs. The tracks were laid down in soft mud 190 to 200 million years ago by three-toed, upright dinosaurs and have since turned to stone. Please do not disturb these footprints. They are protected under the law, so you are welcome to admire them and take photos, but please leave these amazing prints for others to enjoy and experience in their natural setting.

21.4 Turn left to the lookout point, 1/10 mile. Take the foot trail to the top of the ridge for a panoramic view of the dam, lake, and surrounding terrain.

25.1 The tour ends here and returns to Vernal over the same route; however, upon reaching US 191 on the return trip, you can turn north (right) and take either the Flaming Gorge or Red Cloud Loop tours.