Firehole Canyon Campground

🏊Swimming at Firehole Canyon Campground

Swimming happens off a designated day-use beach on the reservoir shoreline adjacent to the campground and boat ramp; this is reservoir (still/impounded) water shared with boating, fishing, canoeing, and water skiing rather than a river or creek swim. Camper reviews are mixed on the beach itself, with one visitor reporting they never found a spot they'd call a proper swim beach despite the designated area, and another noting water snakes in the vicinity.

📍How to get to this swimming hole

From Rock Springs, Wyoming, take I-80 west about 6 miles to the junction with U.S. 191/Flaming Gorge Road, then continue on U.S. 191 south into the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area to Forest Road 106; turn into the Firehole Canyon complex entrance to reach the campground, with the separate day-use swim beach a short distance further along a left fork of the entrance road. From Vernal, Utah it is about 95 miles north on U.S. 191 through Dutch John, then west on FR 106 about 10 miles to the same complex entrance.

Parking: Day-use swim beach and boat launch require a paid recreation pass and have limited parking; within the campground itself, multiple reviewers reported narrow sites and concrete curbing that made parking and backing in difficult for larger RVs and trailers (25-35 ft).

🥾The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up day-use beach/boat-ramp site adjacent to the campground; no trail or hike is needed to reach the water.

💬What regulars say

Campers, the main first-hand visitor source found, describe water snakes and other critters near the swim area that made one reviewer hesitant to swim, and note the entrance road has multiple hills steep enough that trucks needed to downshift and stay in a lower gear. Restrooms are described as 'older but clean.' Parking and backing in is reportedly difficult for trailers and RVs over about 25 ft due to narrow sites and concrete curbing. Mosquitoes were called out as relentless, so repellent is recommended.