Little Hole National Recreation Trail

Seven-mile USFS-designated National Recreation Trail that runs along the river-right bank of the Green River from Spillway (below Flaming Gorge Dam) down to Little Hole. The trail mirrors the entire A Section float and is the standard angler access to the world-class tailwater fishery beneath Red Canyon. Mostly level, well-maintained dirt/rock tread on a bench above the water, with frequent fishing access points and pullouts. A working hiker's trail — quietly one of the great river-corridor walks on the Colorado Plateau.

Quick stats

Distance

14 mi round trip

Time

3–6 hrs

Difficulty

Moderate · family-friendly

Best months

Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct

Know before you go

Within Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area; USFS Ashley National Forest manages the trail.

No hiking permit required.

The route

Most hikers do it one-way with a shuttle. Anglers commonly walk in, fish, and return — distances vary by how far they go.

• 0 mi · Spillway trailhead — Upper trailhead at the dam-base boat launch.
• 7 mi · Little Hole trailhead — Lower trailhead at the A Section take-out.

When to go

Year-round trail in principle; midsummer is hot on the exposed sections and winter brings ice and snow on the upper reaches. Spring and fall are best for hiking; summer is for anglers who don't mind the heat.

Safety & hazards

Exposed sections in midsummer can be hot. Carry water — the river is cold but not safe to drink untreated.

The Green here runs in the 40s°F year-round below the dam. Anyone wading or slipping in faces real cold-water immersion risk.

Shaded sections of the trail can hold ice and snow well into spring. Watch footing in cold months.

Wildlife & geology

Cold-water trout fishery is the dominant ecological draw. Riparian gallery forest along the bank contrasts with the dry conifer slopes above.

Wildlife you might see: brown trout (Salmo trutta), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), river otter (Lontra canadensis), great blue heron (Ardea herodias).

The trail walks the contact between Precambrian basement and overlying Paleozoic / Mesozoic strata — the canyon's red walls are Triassic; the deepest quartzites are over 700 million years old.

History

Named for Little Hole, the natural opening in Red Canyon at the downstream end of the trail — a historical river-traveler waypoint and one of John Wesley Powell's noted landmarks.

The Little Hole opening was a recognized landmark to Powell's 1869 expedition and earlier indigenous and fur-trade travelers. The trail itself dates to the post-dam fishery era.

Anglers' trail since the dam was completed in 1964 — the modern tailwater fishery created the use case. USFS designated it a National Recreation Trail to formalize the corridor.