Colorado · National Monument trail

Gates of Lodore Trail Stop 1

in Colorado

From its origin high in the mountains of the Wind River Range in Wyoming, the Green River rushes through steep-walled canyons and traverses sage-covered valleys. After emerging from the Flaming Gorge Dam, the river wanders placidly through an open valley beginning 30 miles upstream from here. Early trappers and traders to the area named this valley Browns Hole after Baptiste Brown, a French-Canadian trapper.

He choose this area to settle because of its mild winters and plentiful beaver pelts. Travelers that passed through the area later included John Wesley Powell on his historic float through the Grand Canyon. Powell gave the area its current name of Browns Park.

However, most local cattle ranchers still referred to the valley as Browns Hole until a spirited young Elizabeth Bassett convinced them to adopt what she termed the much more “eloquent” name of Browns Park. Because of its isolation, Browns Park served as home to not only ranchers but also outlaws including Butch Cassidy, Matt Warner, and the notorious bounty hunter Tom Horn. Today, Browns Park remains sparsely populated by people, but it provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife.

States: Colorado
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid nearest city: Salt Lake City, UT · 157 mi · ~5 hr drive
Centroid coords: 40.7229°, -108.8877°

About Dinosaur National Monument

National Monument

This trail is inside Dinosaur National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/gates-of-lodore-trail-stop-1.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Gates of Lodore Trail Stop 1 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.