Colorado · National Monument trail

Gates of Lodore Trail Stop 13

in Colorado

The Green River, after meandering calmly through Browns Park, turns southward and cuts directly across the Uinta Mountains, which rise 3,000 feet above the valley floor. No one knows for sure why this is the case, but one theory suggests that a few million years ago the river flowed eastward, away from the mountains. When that route was blocked by uplift along the present continental divide, drainage in this area stagnated.

Browns Park gradually filled to the brim with sediments. Meandering along on top of that fill, the Green River eventually spilled over the buried crest of the mountains and down their southern slope. This gave it the energy to begin down cutting once more and as it washed out most of the recent sediments, it also rasped its way into the older rocks to carve the Canyon of Lodore.

States: Colorado
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid nearest city: Salt Lake City, UT · 157 mi · ~5 hr drive
Centroid coords: 40.7191°, -108.8907°

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-13.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 13 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.