Dinosaur National Monument

You probably have heard of the stegosaurus, but how about the dryosaurus, apatosaurus, and camarasaurus?

At Dinosaur National Monument these are among the 1,500 dinosaur fossils embedded in a rock wall of the Quarry Exhibit Hall! The fossil trove is world famous, and scientists, geologists, and paleontologists have been studying the area since the early 1900s. Over on the east side of Dinosaur, the Green and Yampa rivers weave through sheer-walled canyons—hikers and boaters delight! Dinosaur National Monument also protects Native American petroglyphs and pictographs, and preserves one of the nation’s last wild rivers—the Yampa.

Visiting the monument

Straddling the Utah/Colorado border, Dinosaur National Monument looks just like a scene pulled out of “Land Before Time.” Towering sandstone walls, meandering rivers, and green valleys paint the perfect backdrop for imagining 15-ton dinosaurs ambling about. If you want to see the namesake of this monument—the dinosaur fossils and bones—be sure to visit the west (Utah) side of the monument. From the Quarry Visitor Center, take the park shuttle bus to Quarry Exhibit Hall. The newly renovated building encloses an exposed rock wall, both protecting the fossils and allowing visitors to see over 1,500 dinosaur bones exposed. This world-famous collection records the Late Jurassic Period and the creatures that roamed the landscape about 150 million years ago!

Meanwhile, the east side of the monument boasts an incredible array of natural features, activities, and adventures. Hike to petrogylphs, stargaze in the backcountry, or take a scenic drive along Harper’s Canyon Road. For the adrenaline nuts out there, consider taking a whitewater trip down either the Green or Yampa rivers. Experienced boaters can apply for private permits, or you can join a commercially guided trip. Either way, you’ll be navigating wild rapids and travelling through astounding country on the far north edge of the Colorado Plateau. The Canyon Visitor Center (on the Colorado side) is closed from mid-October to May 1.

Several trails and roads also access the rivers. Below Harper’s Corner (at the end of Harper’s Road), the Green and Yampa converge and bend around a sandstone monolith called Steamboat Rock. The adjacent section of the Green River, called Echo Park, came under siege in the 1950s when a proposed dam threatened to alter the free-flowing river. Thanks to the Sierra Club and Wilderness Society’s national campaign to save Echo Park, the dam was never built.

Directions: From Dinosaur, CO, head east on US 40/Brontosuraus Blvd for 2 miles. Turn left onto Harpers Road, and you soon arrive at Canyon Area Visitor Center. From Jensen, UT, head west out of town on US 40, turning north onto UT 149. Follow this road (it merges into Quarry Entrance Road) for 6 miles to the Quarry Visitor Center.

Campgrounds: Green River Campground | Split Mountain Campground 

Trails: River Trail