Green River is one of the loneliest towns on I-70, sitting in the desert of eastern Utah between the Book Cliffs and the San Rafael Swell. It is the kind of place you stop for fuel and end up staying longer than expected. The river the town is named for flows through on its way to a confluence with the Colorado, and this is where most rafting trips into Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons launch.
The John Wesley Powell River History Museum tells the story of Powell's 1869 expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers. The town is also known for its melons — Green River melons are a Utah institution, celebrated at a festival every September. It makes a good base for exploring the San Rafael Swell, with its Buckhorn Wash pictographs, and Goblin Valley State Park to the west. Closer to town, the oddly-coloured Crystal Geyser and the rock art of Sego Canyon make easy half-day trips.