River Access & Map

Big Springs to Mack’s Inn

Melting snow and rain seep into the 37-mile-wide Island Park Caldera to create a giant aquifer. Underground pressure forces water up through Big Springs – creating the Henry’s Fork River. Big Springs is easily accessible from the road – and a boat launch site (dock, no ramp – river left) is downstream at the old railroad trestle. No fishing is allowed from Big Springs down to the Henry’s Lake Outlet.

You can also access this stretch by putting in at the Henry’s Lake Outlet at an unimproved boat slide (river left).

The float from Big Springs to Mack’s Inn (3.9 miles) is a slow meander through wide-open views of the surrounding mountains with frequent sightings of moose and various waterfowl.

From the trestle down to where the cabins start in Mack’s Inn is National Forest, making wade access possible.

The public take-out is on river right, upstream from the Hwy 20 bridge. Downstream of the takeout is Upper and Lower Coffee Pot rapids which are not passable. There is no float access from Mack’s Inn to Island Park Reservoir.

Mack’s Inn to Coffee Pot Rapids

From Mack’s Inn the river’s slow and shallow pace picks up speed and turns into a torrent through the canyon of Upper and Lower Coffee Pot Rapids. Wade access is through the Coffee Pot Campground and nearby forest road. Downstream of the rapids, the river is surrounded on both sides by private property. You cannot float this section of the river.

McCrea Bridge

Access to the estuary created by the Henry’s Fork flowing into Island Park Reservoir is by the boat ramp on the south side of the Yale-Kilgore bridge as it crosses the river (river left). You’ll access the ramp by driving through the campground.

Upstream of the bridge, no motors are allowed; however, you can access this stretch of river by rowing up the estuary and taking out where you put in. Wade access here is limited.

Box Canyon to Last Chance

The dam of Island Park Reservoir is where the Henry’s Fork resumes and shortly downstream joins the Buffalo River. The boat ramp is just downstream of the dam (river left).

This section of river is filled with undulating lava boulders and swift rapids that can make it difficult to wade at higher flows (> 1,000 CFS), and harder to navigate by boat in lower flows (< 400 CFS). This entire section is subject to special fishing regulations – so be sure to familiarize yourself with IDFG seasons and rules.

A trail that runs along river left from the Buffalo River dam to Last Chance making the entire section accessible to wade fishermen. 5.5 miles downstream of the put-in is the Last Chance boat ramp.

The Ranch

From Last Chance to Osborne Bridge – wade access to the river is unencumbered largely due to Harriman State Park. Harriman is subject to special regulations and a separate fishing season. Be sure to familiarize yourself with IDFG seasons and rules.

This is the most famous section of the Henry’s Fork – where the river fishes most like a spring creek. Large rainbows sip dry flies that ride on swirling currents that make a good drift a challenge.

Osborne, Wood Rd 16 & Riverside

The boat ramp at Osborne Bridge (river right) is within the Harriman State Park boundary – subject to special regulations and a separate fishing season. Be sure to familiarize yourself with IDFG seasons and rules. The easiest way under the ATV bridge is river left.

The east side of the Ranch section changes topography at the north end of the Pinehaven Subdivision where an unimproved public boat slide is accessible by Wood Rd 16 (river left – 2.8 miles). Wood Rd 16 is rough and bumpy – so many choose to continue the float down to Riverside Campground (6.3 miles) where there’s an improved boat ramp (river right).

Wade access, like the Ranch, is easy from Osborne to Wood Rd 16. After Wood Rd 16, river right is private while river left is National forest. Both sides are once again public by the time you reach Riverside Campground.

The float from Wood Rd 16 to Riverside slowly picks up speed as it enters a canyon strewn with boulders.

Riverside to Hatchery Ford

Riverside Campground boat ramp (river right) places you immediately into quicker water strewn with boulders; which provides a good view of what the entire float will be like down to Hatchery Ford boat ramp (river left – 5.3 miles). This section is almost continuous rapids and very technical. It’s a remote section with little to no access. This section is best left to expert boaters and rafts.

The campground provides good wade access – as does the Hatchery Boat ramp. But between the two access is extremely difficult even though it falls entirely within the National Forest.

Downstream of the Hatchery Ford takeout (river left) is a series of smaller waterfalls before getting to Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. None of these are boatable – do not miss the takeout! The road in and out of Hatchery Ford can be rough and bumpy.

Grandview Boat Slide to Stone Bridge
“Cardiac Canyon”

This section is a mix of fast rock gardens separated by slow, calm water. It is only open to rafts. The boat slide to get to the river is very steep and rocky. You’ll enter through the Lower Mesa Falls campground where you can unload your boat and then exit the campground and park in the Lower Mesa Falls visitor lot. Then walk back through the campground to your boat to begin the long drag down the canyon. You’ll enter river left.

About .75 miles downstream from the put-in is Surprise Falls. The safest line is down the tongue on river right. Immediately after the falls is a rock garden that can be very boney at lower flows.

Like the section before it – this is a remote section with limited access even though it flows through the National Forest. The best wade access is from the Stone Bridge parking lot.

The takeout is an improved boat ramp at Stone Bridge (6.7 miles) – just downstream of the Fishermans Dr bridge on river right.

Stone Bridge, Jump-off & County Boat Dock

Stone Bridge boat ramp (river right) is just downstream of the Fishermans Dr bridge. There are two options for takeout – the first is Jump-off Canyon (river right – 6.5 miles) which is upstream of the Hwy 20 bridge and where the current slows dramatically in the estuary of Aston Reservoir. This can be a good option on windy days.

The next takeout is the Fremont County Boat dock (where you can also launch power boats for use in the reservoir) is downstream of the Hwy 20 bridge on river right – 7.4 miles.

All of the access points, along with an additional access point 0.5 miles upstream, from Jump-off allow for wade access. However, between the access points is almost entirely private – making wade access here limited.

Ora, Vernon & Chester

The Ashton Reservoir Dam is where the Henry’s Fork resumes course and the Ora boat ramp is 0.9 miles downstream on river left. Access around Ora is good – allowing for wade fishing from the dam downstream past the ramp a little ways.

2.2 miles downstream is the Vernon boat ramp on river left. Again, there’s wade access here. You can extend this float another 3.3 miles if you takeout at Chester (river left). Chester has limited wade access without a float tube since it’s a deep backwater.

You must takeout at Chester due to the dam. The Chester Dam creates a backwater that can be a dry fly mecca – but difficult to row out of in very windy conditions.

Want More?

There’s more to explore on the Henry’s Fork and surrounding tributaries. Come by the shop or book a guided trip to explore less-known waters!