Red Canyon Rim Trail is a 9.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Manila, Utah that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until November. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
cross country skiing
hiking
mountain biking
nature trips
forest
lake
river
views
wildlife
rocky
snow
Red Canyon is a fantastic gorge carved over the years by the mighty Green River. In 1964, the floodgates of Flaming Gorge Dam were created from the waters of the Green. The color contrast between the red walls of Red Canyon and the green/blue color of the lake is indeed photo worthy. This route follows the south side of the canyon rim and provides many spectacular overlooks of the lake below. The single- track trail sits 1,700 feet above the lake and 4,000 feet across the north rim. Red Canyon Visitor Center has water and restrooms. Red Canyon Lodge has a restaurant, grocery store, cabin rentals, as well as bike rentals. Recreation Fee Pass required. For more information, call the US Forest Service, Flaming Gorge Ranger District at (435) 784-3445.
All the online guides say this is a must-do hike at Flaming Gorge. I'd suggest it a must-do get out and see the views but not really a hike. If you start at the visitors center and follow the trail until it enters the forest before turning around as some suggest, it's fine. However it's very near a road and campgrounds, and the view of the gorge only changes very subtly. I think there are better hikes in the area.
I'd suggest just getting out at the visitors center to see the views. Maybe drive to the lodge and head out on their access trail (past the cabins and it's clearly marked) to get the slightly different view. If you do want a loop, we hiked from the visitors center then turned onto to the path to Greens Lake then met back up with to the canyon rim trail for about 4.5 miles total. The lake portion is forested and away from the rim but we did see mule deer. Also stopped for lunch at the Lodge. Still this isn't really a hike, but rather a long walk with lots of people.
Pretty views.
Not difficult at all. We were over prepared due to the listing.
Disappointing as I expected something a little more engaging.
Heavy traffic.
We did see some wildlife though. A group of rams were hanging out about .5 miles from the visitor's center.
06.09.18
Eric R.
The Red Canyon Rim trail is part of a network of trails in the area around the Red Canyon Rim visitor center and campgrounds. You can get on and off this trail in multiple places. This AllTrails listing shows the hike starting at the Greendale Overlook right off of UT 44, using the trailhead on the west side of the parking area. This is actually not the best option, as it entails walking 3 miles through a pretty, but not especially interesting pine forest before you get to the spectacular views of the gorge. If you just start the trail at the other end, by the visitor center, and go 2 miles out and back, you will be along the rim the whole way. I did a partial loop going by Greens Lake, which involved walking parallel to the visitor center road for awhile, which wasn't great. The trail is very well maintained and signed, probably to facilitate use by mountain bikers and cross country skiers in the winter. I never saw any sign of a trail going down to the river.
Beautiful trail along the Green River. The trail down the gorge to the river edge is a bit steep but the rest is easy.
This is definitely not a "hard" hike, but more like a mellow nature walk. The first 2.5 miles and in the trees, and you finally get to a good view of the gorge at around 3 miles. Very pretty, but not what we were expecting!
It's rated as hard, but actually more moderate. Mostly level walking with slight inclines. Path can be a little rocky, but mostly a nice dirt path. The sights are amazing, definitely worth it. And you can tailor the hike to the distance you'd like. We didn't do the whole thing but tied it into the Greens Lake Trail. Beautiful scenery.