As one of the most aptly named landscapes in the country, the vast scenery of Flaming Gorge may not fit into your camera.
The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (NRA) is centered long the 91-mile section of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and a rugged section of the Green River. The mix of climate and topography provide year-round recreation. The southern part includes colorful, narrow canyons, and conifer forests; the northern part is surrounded by high sagebrush deserts and rock mesas. Campgrounds, lodges, marinas, boat launches, swimming beaches, fishing areas, and hiking/ski trails are available along the 360 miles of shoreline and tucked into mountain retreats. Close at hand are the quaint communities of Manila, Green River, and Dutch John, which have accommodations and other services.
Take a step back in time and traverse the same waters that explorers such as John Wesley Powell and William Ashley once explored. Navigate the waters and cast a rod in an adventure the whole family can enjoy. The Green River provides spectacular fishing and river-running opportunities, as well as unique geology, outlaw history and Native American rock art.
The Green River Float-In campsites contain 17 sites for river goers to float and camp along the mighty Green River. Some of these sites can be reached on foot but most of these sites can only be reached by boat.The campsites are nestled alongside the beautiful Green River in an area typical of a high desert environment. These sites are surrounded by shady juniper, cottonwood and ponderosa pine trees and during the summer various species of wildflowers dot the landscape.
Section “A” (Flaming Gorge Dam to Little hole Boat Launch) The A section of the Green River begins just below the Flaming Gorge Dam and proceeds seven miles through a narrow breathtaking canyon to the Little Hole take-out. The towering red canyon cliffs, ponderosa pine, glassy clear water, abundant trout and rapids (class I and II) are what make section "A" of the Green River world famous. The Little Hole National Recreation Trail allows foot access to all 7 miles of this stretch of river.
Section “B” (Little Hole to Brown’s Park) It’s a little more remote but that means there are a lot fewer people, if that’s the experience you’re looking for. Limited access in this section allows for healthy brown trout populations to thrive. There are 17 river camps in Section B that can be accessed only by hiking or floating in. Remember to reserve your site on the camp registration board at Little Hole or reserve certain sites in advance here on recreation.gov.
Section “C” (Browns Park to the Utah/Colorado Border) Section C is the longest of the three sections. It meanders through the high desert valley of Browns Park to the Colorado state line, with wide open features and a lot of flat water. It’s considered the best place to catch a football size trout on a dry fly, but it is also said to be the most challenging for fishing.
The Green River offers excellent fishing for rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. For more information on fishing the Green River, please visit Utah’s Department of Wildlife Resources website .
