Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Flaming Gorge, Green River, WY
Green River, WY
Deep blue water winding between cliffs of fiery red rock, the reservoir John Wesley Powell named for the flames he saw in the stone.
Flaming Gorge is a long, deep reservoir on the Green River, wrapped in cliffs of brilliant red rock that seem to catch fire in the low sun. When John Wesley Powell floated through here in 1869 on his great expedition, he named the place for exactly that sight, the flaming color of the stone above the water.
In 1964 the Flaming Gorge Dam raised a reservoir more than ninety miles long behind it, drowning the old canyon and creating one of the region's premier waters for boating and fishing. The recreation area straddles the Wyoming and Utah line, joining fiery desert canyons in the south with cool pine country higher up.
What Guests Love
- The blaze of red and orange cliffs dropping straight into deep blue water
- Fishing for trophy lake trout and kokanee salmon in the cold reservoir
- The Sheep Creek Geological Loop drive through folded, tilted rock
- Quiet coves, boat ramps, and long summer days on the water
Worth Knowing
- The reservoir crosses into Utah, so mind which state's fishing license and rules apply where you are
- Water and weather can change fast on a big reservoir, so watch the forecast if you are boating
- Summer is peak season; spring and fall are quieter and often beautiful
- It is high and dry country, so carry plenty of water and sun protection
Details
Green River, WY
Learn about Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
The cliffs Powell named
The red rock that gives Flaming Gorge its name is ancient sandstone, stained by iron and carved by the Green River over long ages. Powell's 1869 party, the first to run and map this stretch, wrote of the flaming brilliance of the walls, and the name stuck.
The layers here are dramatically folded and tilted, especially around Sheep Creek, where a scenic loop drive lets you read millions of years of earth history in the exposed rock. The colors shift through the day, deepening to a glowing red at sunrise and sunset.
The reservoir and its famous fish
The Flaming Gorge Dam, completed in 1964, backs up a reservoir that is cold and deep, ideal habitat for big fish. The lake is famous among anglers for its trophy lake trout, which can grow enormous, along with kokanee salmon, rainbow and brown trout, and smallmouth bass.
Below the dam, the tailwater of the Green River is one of the West's celebrated fly-fishing streams, running clear and cold through a red-walled canyon. Whether trolling the deep reservoir or wading the river, this is water that draws anglers from far away.
On the water and along the shore
Boat ramps, marinas, and campgrounds ring the reservoir, and in summer the water fills with boats, paddlers, and swimmers seeking relief from the desert heat. Quiet side coves reward those who explore, and overlooks like the Red Canyon Visitor Center perch on rims high above the water.
On land, trails wind through juniper and pine, the Sheep Creek loop tours the tilted geology, and the drive itself between Wyoming and Utah is a highlight, climbing from desert into the forested Uinta uplift.
Wildlife, seasons, and deep history
The country around the gorge holds pronghorn, mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep on the cliffs, and ospreys and eagles fishing the reservoir. Wild horses range parts of the high desert nearby.
This land lies within country long known to the Ute and Eastern Shoshone peoples, whose ties to the Green River drainage run deep. Summer is warm and busy on the water, fall is crisp and colorful in the higher forest, winter is cold and quiet, and spring greens the desert benches before the heat arrives.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Green River
Green River
About 10 miles north
The Wyoming town at the head of the gorge, with Expedition Island and the Sweetwater County museum.
Sheep Creek Geological Loop
About 30 miles south
A scenic drive through dramatically folded and faulted rock layers above the reservoir.
Red Canyon Overlook
About 35 miles south
A visitor center and rim viewpoint looking down sheer red walls to the blue water far below.