Ouray Valley Recreation Area boasts a multitude of scenic and recreational
opportunities. Located along the Green River between Vernal and Roosevelt,
explore the landscapes John Wesley Powell eloquently described 150 years ago.
From hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding to fishing, camping and OHV
trails, your next adventure awaits.

Ouray Valley Recreation Area boasts a multitude of scenic and recreational opportunities. Located along the Green River between Vernal and Roosevelt, explore the landscapes John Wesley Powell eloquently described 150 years ago. From hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding to fishing, camping and OHV trails, your next adventure awaits.

## Overview

This Campground is on a First Come - First Serve Basis, vistors are required
to physically be at the campground to purchase and claim a site. You must also
occupy the area the day you pay for it, no advance payments. We encourage our
visitors to download the recreation.gov app to take advantage of the Scan &
Pay Option. There is also an Iron Ranger on site that you can pay with cash or
check

Pelican Lake Campground is located at 4,800 feet and has 11 individual
campsites and two group sites. Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding
bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the
spring, when the waterfowl come to live and rear their downy young.

## Recreation

Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird
watching is also a popular pastime in the spring.

## Facilities

Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird
watching is also a popular pastime in the spring.

## Natural Features

Pelican Lake has been a nationally-renowned bluegill fishery since the 1970’s
when Jim Zumbo published an article in Outdoor Life on the potential for daily
bag limits of 1.5 pound bluegill. Since then, anglers have held high
expectations for Pelican Lake. Unfortunately, in 2008 and 2009, adult carp
entered Pelican Lake in large numbers and turned the lake from a clear
waterbody dominated by largemouth bass and bluegill to a lake dominated by
carp. The carp’s ability to outcompete bluegill for food eventually led to a
decline in bluegill condition and a few years later, a decline in largemouth
bass condition.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and avid Pelican Lake anglers anticipated
this decline and convened a working group that developed a management plan for
the lakes future success.

## Nearby Attractions

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge lies along the Green River in the Uinta Basin
of northeastern Utah. The Refuge provides diverse habitat types supporting
over 350 fish and wildlife species and offers numerous wildlife-dependent
recreational opportunities.

<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>This Campground is on a First Come - First Serve Basis, vistors are required to physically be at the campground to purchase and claim a site. You must also occupy the area the day you pay for it, no advance payments. We encourage our visitors to download the recreation.gov app to take advantage of the Scan & Pay Option. There is also an Iron Ranger on site that you can pay with cash or check </p>
<p>Pelican Lake Campground is located at 4,800 feet and has 11 individual campsites and two group sites. Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring, when the waterfowl come to live and  rear their downy young.</p>
<h2>Recreation</h2>
<p>Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring.</p>
<h2>Facilities</h2>
<p>Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring.</p>
<h2>Natural Features</h2>
<p>Pelican Lake has been a nationally-renowned bluegill fishery since the 1970’s when Jim Zumbo published an article in Outdoor Life on the potential for daily bag limits of 1.5 pound bluegill. Since then, anglers have held high expectations for Pelican Lake. Unfortunately, in 2008 and 2009, adult carp entered Pelican Lake in large numbers and turned the lake from a clear waterbody dominated by largemouth bass and bluegill to a lake dominated by carp. The carp’s ability to outcompete bluegill for food eventually led to a decline in bluegill condition and a few years later, a decline in largemouth bass condition. </p>

<p>The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and avid Pelican Lake anglers anticipated this decline and convened a working group that developed a management plan for the lakes future success. </p>

<h2>Nearby Attractions</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ouray" rel="nofollow">Ouray National Wildlife Refuge</a> </p>
<p>Ouray National Wildlife Refuge lies along the Green River in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah. The Refuge provides diverse habitat types supporting over 350 fish and wildlife species and offers numerous wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities.</p>

Pelican Lake Campground, Host site

Pelican Lake

Spring at Pelican Lake

Welcome to Pelican Lake

Pelican Lake, Spring

Pelican Lake Campground

View of Pelican Lake

Ouray Valley

Established as a sanctuary for migratory birds on May 25, 1960, Ouray National
Wildlife Refuge is located on the Colorado Plateau within the upper Colorado
River drainage area. The Refuge stretches along 16 miles of the Green River,
120 river miles downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam. The area offers great
variety, as well as a touch of mystery. Its habitats include lush bottomland
areas along the Green River; high elevation upland benches containing
grasslands interspersed with low shrubs; barren, highly eroded, clay bluffs on
the slopes of upland benches; and alkali flats between the upland terraces and
floodplains. The Green River provides a ribbon of life through a desert
environment that receives only seven inches of precipitation a year.
Temperatures may range from a low of -35 degrees F in winter to over 100
degrees F in summer. Long stretches of dry weather may be broken by monsoon
rains or substantial snowfall. The quiet stillness of winter is contrasted by
the spring chorus of migrating birds and resident frogs. Amidst surrounding
development, the Refuge provides an island of calm and an opportunity to
experience the wonders of nature.

The Green River and riparian woodlands that occur along its banks provide
vital water, food, and shelter for many wildlife species that otherwise could
not survive in the harsh surrounding environment. Whether you’re seeking a
chance to view numerous wildlife and plant species, an opportunity to hunt and
fish, spectacular scenery for photography, or simply a place for a quiet walk
in the woods, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge offers all this and more.

<p>Established as a sanctuary for migratory birds on May 25, 1960, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Colorado Plateau within the upper Colorado River drainage area. The Refuge stretches along 16 miles of the Green River, 120 river miles downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam. The area offers great variety, as well as a touch of mystery. Its habitats include lush bottomland areas along the Green River; high elevation upland benches containing grasslands interspersed with low shrubs; barren, highly eroded, clay bluffs on the slopes of upland benches; and alkali flats between the upland terraces and floodplains. The Green River provides a ribbon of life through a desert environment that receives only seven inches of precipitation a year. Temperatures may range from a low of -35 degrees F in winter to over 100 degrees F in summer. Long stretches of dry weather may be broken by monsoon rains or substantial snowfall. The quiet stillness of winter is contrasted by the spring chorus of migrating birds and resident frogs. Amidst surrounding development, the Refuge provides an island of calm and an opportunity to experience the wonders of nature. </p><p>The Green River and riparian woodlands that occur along its banks provide vital water, food, and shelter for many wildlife species that otherwise could not survive in the harsh surrounding environment. Whether you’re seeking a chance to view numerous wildlife and plant species, an opportunity to hunt and fish, spectacular scenery for photography, or simply a place for a quiet walk in the woods, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge offers all this and more.</p>

Ouray Valley

Directions

Stay Limit

Reviews

Campgrounds

Pelican Lake Campground

Nearby Parks

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge