Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

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 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.

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.

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.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, spanning the border of southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah, surrounds the long, deep Flaming Gorge Reservoir, created by a dam on the Green River amid spectacular red-rock canyons. The name comes from the fiery red cliffs that glow above the deep blue water, a sight that inspired the explorer John Wesley Powell. The recreation area offers world-class fishing, boating, camping, hiking, and scenic drives amid dramatic canyon and desert scenery. With its brilliant red canyons, blue reservoir, and abundant water and land recreation, Flaming Gorge offers a stunning destination in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah.

You can boat, water ski, kayak, and paddle on the long reservoir, fish for trophy trout and other species in waters renowned among anglers, camp at the many campgrounds, hike the trails, take in the red-rock canyon scenery on scenic drives and overlooks, watch for wildlife, and swim in the warmer months. The dramatic red cliffs above the blue water make every activity scenic. Fishing here is especially celebrated. With its boating, trophy fishing, camping, hiking, and spectacular canyon scenery, Flaming Gorge offers a rewarding outdoor destination spanning southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah.

Flaming Gorge got its name from the explorer John Wesley Powell, who during his famous expedition down the Green River in the nineteenth century was struck by the brilliant red sandstone cliffs that rise above the river, their color seeming to flame in the sunlight. The name captures the fiery glow of the red rock, especially at sunrise and sunset, contrasted against the deep blue water of the reservoir created later by the dam. This dramatic interplay of red cliffs and blue water remains the signature sight of Flaming Gorge in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah.

The reservoir is large and deep with cold water where winds can quickly whip up hazardous waves, so boaters and paddlers should always wear a life jacket, check the forecast, and stay aware of changing conditions, while swimmers should be cautious of the cold and depth. The surrounding country is high desert with strong sun and heat in summer, so carry plenty of water and sun protection, and watch your footing near canyon edges. Being prepared for the water, weather, and desert conditions ensures a safe visit to Flaming Gorge in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah, near the towns of Green River and Rock Springs, the Green River country with Expedition Island, and within reach of the Killpecker Sand Dunes and the route toward the Uinta Mountains in Utah. That makes Flaming Gorge a spectacular outdoor stop to combine with Green River, Rock Springs, and the other attractions of southwestern Wyoming on a visit to the state.