A town of about 13,000, Green River attracts those who want to explore the waterways of the Green River drainage in the nearby Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Of all the towns along the Union Pacific Railroad, this is the only one that predated the arrival of the rails in the late 1860s. It began as a Pony Express and stage station on the Overland Trail. In 1869 and again in 1871, explorer John Wesley Powell (1834–1902) launched expeditions down the Green and Colorado rivers from nearby sites.
Every June, the town hosts a several-day celebration known as Flaming Gorge Days, with a parade, arts festival, sports tournaments, and concerts.
