Green River Launch Complex
Near Green River, Utah
General Overview
This is one of very few abandoned military bases and installations in the state. The Green River Launch Complex (also known as Utah Launch Complex, Green River Test Site, Green River Test Complex, and Green River Missile Launching Site) operated during ​the 60's and 70's.
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Because of how large and expansive this place is, there is no one coordinate for the whole area. It exists of both sides of the freeway too. I have included some coordinates to the launch pad area, which is the area of the base that comes up when you type in "green river launch complex" into google maps. I will also be outlining and detailing many of the other buildings that are also a part of this base.
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It is located only 3 hours from downtown.
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A lot of buildings you can find on maps. The third link helped me to identify what each building actually was and what purpose it served.
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Click HERE for a Google My Maps of Green River Launch Complex with all of my pins. Click HERE for my general map. Click HERE for all my maps.
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Green River Launch Pad Area Coordinates: 38.943228, -110.076146
Thumbnail Photo Coordinates (very much unconfirmed): 38.943494, -110.076677
Geographic location. Clicking image brings up the location in google maps.
Photo of one of the many buildings.
What To Do
You have probably passed right by this place on your way to Moab and did not even realize it. ​Similar to the Tekoi Test Range, there are lots of buildings, bunkers, tunnels, and other things to see here. I'm listing stuff here in no particular order too btw.
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I will also link a map at the bottom with pins to all of these locations I'm marking below. You can also click on the map images and it should pull up a google maps link. Again, clicking the map images will open the location in google maps.
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Left is the POI on a map and right is an actual photo of the POI. Coordinates always supplied as usual. Will be grey because I have not physically been there (yet) to actually verify each building. Right now I'm just kinda going with the information supplied to me by other people.
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Barracks: 38.970556, -110.126278
Remains of what used to be barracks.
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Concrete pad that is left from the barracks. From link 3.
Machine Shop: 38.975788, -110.140956
Machine shop and its proximity to I-70.
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Front view of alleged machine shop. From link 3.
Assembly Area For Athena: 38.979853, -110.140196
Ariel view of assembly area.
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Front view of the assembly area. From link 3.
Green River Radar Complex: 38.979454, -110.112190
Ariel view of Radar Complex site.
Supplied image for Radar Complex. From link 3.
Warehouses (middle one): 38.972794, -110.113137
Cluster of 3 warehouses. Coords and hyperlink go to the middle one.
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Photo of one of the warehouses. From street view, there does appear to be a chain link fence or gate of some kind around it/them. From link 3.
Fire station in main headquarters area.
Fire Station: 38.986038, -110.143156
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Picture of the fire station. From link 3.
The rest of the buildings around the fire station make up the Headquarters. There is a guard shack as well.
Central Headquarters: 38.986094, -110.142703
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Headquarters area with fire station in the foreground. Screenshot from street view.
The rest of the buildings around the fire station make up the Headquarters. There is a guard shack as well.
Unknown Buildings South of Headquarters: 38.984473, -110.142863
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Photo of those 2 buildings. Screenshot from street view.
Observation area.
Now for some places that I have found that I don't have pictures for.
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Observation Area: 38.955784, -110.079065
Church, Rec Hall, and Gym: 38.985410, -110.140088
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This is allegedly the remains of a church, rec hall, and a gym.
3 concrete building foundations.
3 Concrete Building Foundations (bottom left to upper right): (38.986094, -110.142703), (38.976647, -110.136303), (38.977981, -110.135690)
Middle of the 2 in the next image: 38.979273, -110.134096
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Building with some concrete foundation to the northeast. Located on the same road as image to the left.
Launch pad area for Athena Missiles. Contains the bunker from the thumbnail photo.
Green River Launch Pad Area (Athena): 38.943228, -110.076146
Green River Launch Pad Area (Pershing): 38.941840, -110.119045
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Launch pad area for Pershing Missiles. There appears to be some kind of bunker structure at the red pin too.
Microwave tower.
Microwave Tower: 38.939232, -110.127160
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Launch pad area for Pershing Missiles. There appears to be some kind of bunker structure at the red pin too.
I know that there are some tunnels in this area. I have seen pictures, but do not have coordinates for them. Will provide tunnel entrance coordinates when I do decide to go.
Image inside an underground tunnel system. From link 2.
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Old map of the base before I-70 came through. According to the site I got it from (link 3) the guy says that I-70 actually was built south of what they estimated in this drawing.
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Another map of the site
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I've thrown in some other POI's in the area on the maps link that I honestly can't be assed with including here because this page alone has taken hours and hours already.
Other Things To Note
I've read somewhere from people who live in the area that it is occasionally patrolled by law enforcement, but have no verification of this.
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Link 3 is where I originally found out about the Gilson Butte Test Site.
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Crystal Geyser is a pretty cool spot that is right in the area and worth checking out.
Final Thoughts
I've mentioned the Tekoi Test Range already, so if you are into that sort of thing, this will be right up your alley. Because of its location, you can easily pair tons of other locations with this one to make a day trip or even weekend camping trip. There are places along I-70 like Thompson Springs and Sego, Cisco, San Rafael Swell, Buckmaster Mines, and probably some more I'm forgetting and will add in later.
Relevant Sources and More Information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_River_Launch_Complex - Good for some more basic info
http://www.placesthatwere.com/2016/05/green-river-launch-complex-abandoned.html - from someone who's been there
https://www.expeditionutah.com/forum/index.php?threads/ghost-town-green-river-missile-base.5903/ - source about many of the buildings and pictures. Very useful.
Photo Gallery
Coming soon!