Crossing and Cruising:

Crossing and Cruising:. Navigating the River. In the "old days", crossings on the Green River were made using fords (shallow portions of water), ferries and, finally, bridges. A dangerous body water, the Green River was fordable seasonally and only in certain areas. Beginning in 1862, wagons and stagecoaches of the Central Overland Express traveled the Overland Trail, crossing the river near its confluence with Bitter Creek. A ferry owned by Peter Appel crossed in the same area. In 1896 the two sides of the river were joined by a bridge, built jointly by the Town of Green River and Sweetwater County. A new bridge, Uinta Drive Bridge, was built in 1951 by the Wyoming State Highway Department and the old bridge was condemned and remove in 1954. The second deck of the Uinta Drive Bridge was added in 1982, creating two lanes of traffic in each direction. , An ambitious transportation project launched July 4, 1908 with the maiden voyage of the stern-wheeled Comet. The steam-powered craft was designed to travel 50 miles downstream to Linwood carrying freight and passengers. Due to swift currents and refueling requirements, the project was soon declared impractical and , after brief recreational usage, the boat was scrapped and sunk. Other recreational cruisers used on the river were the gasoline-powered Teddy R. and Sunbeam. , Today, people still cross and cruise the Green River for fun in rafts, kayaks and inner tubes. Ambitious beaver, river otter and other wildlife navigate the river in their daily search for food, water, shelter and space. Walk quietly, Stay alert. You just might see the wildlife - two-legged and the four-legged variety!