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The Uinta Basin is a large depression in remote northeast Utah, encircled by several mountain ranges and bisected by the Green river - the basin extends approximately between Vernal in the north and the town of Green River in the south and is largely inaccessible by road. Habitation in this area is restricted to the Uintah/Ouray Indian Reservation, reached only by several long dirt tracks. North of the basin, the Green river crosses from Utah into Colorado and is joined by the Yampa river, and for many miles both rivers flow through deep twisting canyons and gorges cut through the mountain range.
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The Landscape: The canyons around the river junction form the centerpiece of the Dinosaur National Monument, although almost all visitors come for the other main attraction - a steep cliff face, now enclosed within a large building, with hundreds of large fossilised dinosaur bones. This dinosaur 'quarry' is close to the Green river, 6 miles from US 40 near Vernal. For 50 miles north and east, the land becomes mountainous and a large area of colorful canyons and ridges is protected within the monument boundary although there are only a few access roads to several viewpoints. As with most National Parks, entrance fees were dramatically increased in 1997, from $5 to $10 at Dinosaur, as part of a national programme to modernise and extend visitor facilities.
The Quarry: The approach to Dinosaur National Monument from the southwest is dominated by Split Mountain, a rocky peak that really does look as if it has been recently cleaved by some great force - many twisted strata are exposed. At Jensen, a turn off leads to the west section of the monument. The quarry building is located a quarter of a mile from the entrance road (149) at the edge of the Split Mountain foothills. Space is limited, so during the busy summer months visitors are encouraged to park on the main road and walk up the slope. A free shuttle bus is provided for those unwilling to make the short trip on foot. The quarry was the source of the largest single collection of bones from the Jurassic period ever found. However, the building is currently closed due to subsidence.
The Park Drive: Past the quarry turn-off, road 149 continues for 10 miles, crossing the Green River, and passing two nature trails, some ancient Indian petroglyphs, two campsites and a historic log cabin. There are no other fossils on display but they may possibly be found by casual prospectors. However, it is illegal to remover specimens from the monument,
and discoveries should instead be reported to the authorities.
Hotels: The nearest town with hotels close to Dinosaur National Monument is Vernal.
The Canyons: Most of the 200,000 acres of Dinosaur National Monument lie in Colorado and contain colorful ridges, plateaux and canyons surrounding the Green and Yampa rivers, which form an approximately inverted T-shape (see map). This rocky and hostile area was not part of the original monument established in 1915, but was added in 1932 once the need to protect the land was realised. The canyons are different in character to others of the Colorado river system such as Canyonlands or the Grand Canyon, with their eroded flat layers, since here many of the strata have been twisted by geological forces and the rocks are often white and grey, not the dominant red found further south. Apart from road 149 to the dinosaur quarry, there are only four other paved routes leading into the wilderness area towards the rivers:
- Harpers Corner Drive: The road to Harpers Corner is the main access route and gives the most spectacular views of the canyon country. It starts near the town of Dinosaur on US 40 and leads north for 31 miles, ending at a high ridge far above the confluence point of the two rivers.
- Deerlodge Park Road:
From the quarry, the monument extends 40 miles to the east to include all the canyons formed by the Yampa river. Deerlodge Park is a flat area just within the eastern boundary, west of which the river begins to descend and soon becomes inaccessible between high cliffs as it flows towards the Green river. The Yampa is the only major river in the southwest which has not been restricted by a dam. A short road links the Park with US 40; there is an 8-site campground but no hiking trails.
- Road 34:
To the north, a short drive southwest off CO 318 along county road 34 reaches the Tolkienesque-sounding Gates of Lodore, where striking reddish rock formations mark the start of the Canyon of Lodore. Here the Green river flows south over many rapids and waterfalls before eventually emerging near the dinosaur quarry and passing more sedately into the Uinta Basin. Again there is a campsite but no trails - the best way to see the canyon below this point is by boat.
- Jones Hole Road:
Starting from Vernal, the narrow Jones Hole Road leads to a national fish hatchery (open daily to the public) on Jones Creek after 40 miles across the high Diamond Mountain Plateau. Beyond, an easy foot trail follows the creek down for 4 miles until it meets the very steep Whirlpool Canyon of the Green river, inside the Dinosaur monument.
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Dinosaur National Monument - Similar Places
Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area, Utah - large lake on the Green River, 30 miles upstream from Dinosaur, with more deep canyons
Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming - a smaller scale fossil quarry | |
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PDF format map of Dinosaur NM
