Sheep Creek Loop, Utah

September 29, 2015

Goat

Photographer: Justin Collett
Summary Authors: Justin Collett; Stu Witmer

The geological feature seen above is a section of the 100 mi (160 km) long Uinta-Sparks high angle, thrust fault in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Sheep Creek area. Part of the Laramide orogeny, much of this area was formed 34-70 million years ago when the North American and Farallon plates converged uplifting and compressing basement rocks across a wide swath of North America.

Historically, the area has been visited by Jim Bridger and other mountain men as well as the outlaw Butch Cassidy. John Wesley Powell made a trip down the Green River in 1869 naming many of the area’s landmarks, including Flaming Gorge.

Today you can travel the Sheep Creek Geological Loop, a 13 mi (21 km) loop road where some extremely twisted rock formations can be seen as along with a variety of wildlife including Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Photo taken July 23, 2015.