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Dinosaur National Monument
INTRO:
One of the most famous fossil sites in the United States, Dinosaur National Monument is naturally quite well known for the fine array of Jurassic-age petrified dinosaur bones found there. Located in northeastern Utah - almost due east from Salt Lake City - and northwestern Colorado, the 210,000-acre park is full of epic natural and historic wonders with the striped canyons and peaks surrounding the Green and Yampa Rivers equally as fascinating as the fossils exposed on the cliff face of the Quarry Visitor Center.
FOSSILS:
In the middle of the Age of Dinosaurs, the great animals died near an ancient river, and their bones were discovered about 150 millions years later. The ones found in the Quarry at Dinosaur National Monument belonged to eleven different kinds of dinosaurs, the most notable being the giant Sauropods. The elongated, plant-eating beasts are still the largest creatures to ever walk the earth, and their bones make up three-quarters of all the fossils to be seen at Dinosaur National Monument Quarry. There were also complete skeletons of the small Camptosaurus and the plated Stegosaurus recovered, not to mention the longest ever constructed dinosaur skeleton -- a 27-metres-long Diplodocus. Dozens of excavations of what is part of the Morrison Formation have produced many world-class paleontological specimen, now located throughout the world's museums and universities.
ACTIVITIES:
The Dinosaur National Monument is about more than fossils and dinosaurs, but there is plenty to keep the natural historian busy as well. The park's Douglass Quarry features one of the most unique exhibits in the National Park Service family. Built right up to the side of the mountains, the building's one wall is in essence part of the dig -- featuring 1500 fossil bones that have been exposed for up-close inspection. The building also contains a paleontology laboratory, various other historical displays and a useful bookstore. There is a large network of trails at the park for hiking and seeing the sites as well as many outdoor activities, including whitewater rafting, fishing and biking. There are also two self-guiding auto tour that begin near the Quarry. The Headquarters Visitor Center has an orientation program along with an assortment of tours and talks available.
LODGING AND RESTAURANTS:
There are plenty of campgrounds in the Dinosaur National Monument and Green River area. Backcountry camping is also allowed at the park, as are overnight backpack and horse pack trips with a free permit. If you would like a hotel, there are a variety to choose from in Dinosaur the city, including an Econolodge and a Best Western. Dinosaur should also be able to satisfy your food needs, with the Massadonna Tavern and Steak House on Highway 40 being the pick of the litter.
PLAN YOUR VISIT:
An entrance fee is only collected on the Utah side of Dinosaur National Monument, not in Colorado. It is good for one week and costs $5 per individual or $10 for a vehicle. It is $20 for a year-long pass. The Quarry Visitor Center is open May through September from 9:00am to 6:00pm daily, and 8:00am to 4:30pm the rest of the year. It is only closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Days. The Headquarters Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00am to 4:30pm from June to September, but the rest of the year it is closed on weekends and national holidays. Pets are not allowed in the visitor centers, on any of the trails, in the backcountry or in boats, but they may be at campsites. Even then, they must be on a leash or physically restrained at all times.
WHEN TO VISIT:
A large park with a relatively small number of visitors, the Dinosaur National Monument is seldom overbearingly crowded. The weather is best during the autumn as summer and winter have extreme temperatures and spring is often wet.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Who discovered the Dinosaur National Monument? A paleontologist from Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Earl Douglas, found thousands of dinosaur fossils in the area first in 1909. He sent many of them back to Pennsylvania where they attracted the attention of much of the country, and in 1915, Woodrow Wilson established the Dinosaur National Monument.
Where is the Dinosaur National Monument located? Dinosaur National Monument is between Vernal, Utah and Maybell, Colorado stretching along the Green and Yampa Rivers. Route 40 runs along the south side of the park and if you head north from there on Route 149 you will reach the Dinosaur Quarry seven miles up the road.
Where can I get more information and facts about the Dinosaur National Monument? To find out more about the Dinosaur National Monument, visit the National Park Service site (http://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm).
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