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since 12.04.2004
Dinosaur National Monument, Utah-Colorado
The Southwest US is famous worldwide for its natural diversity.
Nowhere on Earth will grab your attention and spark your imagination more than Dinosaur National Monument, located on the state boundary of Utah and Colorado. At 210,278 acres, this park offers some of the most incredible scenery to be found anywhere in the world. You’ll find breathtaking vistas, rugged mountains, massive canyons, mile after mile of remote, wandering roadways and of course dinosaur bones.
The biggest draw to this site is the Dinosaur Quarry, located about seven miles north of Jensen, Utah. Within its air-hanger styled visitor center you can see an active archaeological dig. 1,500 dinosaur bones are on display for your viewing pleasure and photo posing. It’s not everywhere that you can have your picture taken with an actual dinosaur bone!
There are countless recreational opportunities at Dinosaur so you’ll need to visit the site for yourself to get a complete taste of this rugged and beautiful area. As a tease however, make sure to try out some river rafting, hikes, auto touring and of course fantastic back country camping.
My friend Jeff and I decided to get away from the crowds (such as they were) and camp at the Echo Park campground (17 sites, with one handicap accessible), located 38 miles from Park Headquarters. We arrived there just before sunset, set camp and began cooking our hearty supper of beef with macaroni & cheese. Our meal had a little added excitement when we went back for seconds; mice had infiltrated our dining area and were making themselves at home as they ate what was left of our food, right out of the uncovered pot. Lesson for the day, always cover your food while camping in the wild.
The recent campfire ban had just been lifted so we were able to have a small fire to end the day. As the sun set, temperature dropped and we settled in for the night we both commented on what a “perfect” campground it was. Imagine if you will, massive sandstone cliffs on all sides, lush cottonwood trees and rabbit brush surrounding our tents listening to the sound of a nearby river. It doesn’t get any better than Echo Park. As it was late in the season, there were only a couple of other sites occupied and all the other campers were respectful of each other.
In addition to the splendid scenery, you can experience early Native American art as petroglyphs can be found at the Chew Ranch. You’ll pass through two beautiful canyons, ending up near the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers.
A note of caution, the road into Echo Park can be extremely dangerous for the unprepared. RV’s and trailers are not recommended. We were in a 4 x 4 pickup truck with good ground clearance and an excellent driver (Jeff), and it was still “hairy” going in.
Last modified on: December 13th 2011.