Dinosaur National Monument has been on our list of places to visit for years. Spanning the border between Utah and Colorado, this remote park preserves one of the greatest fossil discovery sites in the country and is rich in natural history, dark skies, and a diverse desert ecosystem. The Green River which runs through the park, once served as a major transportation route for cultures and settlements dating back 10,000 years. Abandoned homesteads and outlaw hideouts are evidence of the Old West legends and myths formed in this region. Desert wildlife including golden eagles, falcons, and lizards gave our binoculars a workout! Daytime temperatures quickly rose to 100 degrees but the evenings were cool and clear with lows in the mid-40’s.
Quarry Exhibit Hall and Visitor Center
On the Utah side of the park is the main visitor center and shuttle stop for the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Plenty of maps and reference books are available in the visitor center with several displays describing the history of the park, wildlife, terrain and points of interest. An open air shuttle took us up a steep grade to the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Enclosing a giant wall of fossils, the multi-level building provides visitors with viewing platforms of the last part of the great Douglass fossil quarry discovered in 1909 and excavated by hundreds of workers over 25 years. In 1950, the National Park Service reopened the quarry, not to finish excavations, but to preserve the last portion of unworked fossil layers to inspire generations of visitors. Over 1500 bones from the Jurassic Period are visible on the face of the wall with even more buried deep inside the rock. During our visit, Park Rangers were on hand to answer questions and demonstrate excavation techniques. The Hall also contains several dinosaur skeletons, fossil displays, multi media exhibits, and a beautiful mural. The Quarry Exhibit Hall greatly surpassed our expectations and is a unique marvel to see!
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Cub Creek and Split Mountain Area
Though the terrain in Dinosaur National Monument appears desolate and harsh, the Green River has provided the water resources necessary to sustain human settlements for over 10,000 years. Petroglyph and pictograph panels from the Fremont people and other ancient cultures are found throughout the area. While many of the locations are intentionally kept vague by the park service in order to mitigate vandalism, a few beautiful examples of the rock art could be seen not far from the Quarry Visitor Center and our campground.
In more recent history, the abandoned homestead of Josie Morris is located a few miles east of the Quarry. Josie Bassett Morris lived here for 50 years until an accident on the ice in 1963, ended her colorful life at age 90. Accused of cattle rustling, bootlegging and theft, she grew up in the infamous community of Browns Park, Colorado, and was the last living link to the Wild Bunch – a gang of outlaws led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. She was married five times and divorced four. She built the cabin in 1913 and lived her last 50 years alone. Completely off grid, she chopped wood from the nearby forest to heat the cabin in the freezing cold winters and carried water from the nearby springs to water the stock and supply her home. Mid-century photos show her holding a rifle in front of the cabin ringed with wildflower and vegetable gardens and chickens in the nearby roost. Walking the ranch property, it was easy to imagine stolen cattle and outlaws hiding out in the surrounding hills and box canyons.
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Sound of Silence Trail
Taking us through different habitats and millions of years of rock formations, the Sound of Silence trail wound through washes and over ridges up into secluded canyons. Utah junipers, Fremont cottonwood, greasewood and sagebrush shrubs were abundant in the variety of soils that we hiked over. Geologic formations surround the area – synclines and anticlines (slopes in the rock strata) –were easy to see in the distant mountains. We were able to tuck into a box canyon and have a snack of trail mix and beef jerky while listening to the sound of the desert winds through the dramatic landscape.
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Fossil Discovery Trail
From the Quarry Exhibit Hall, we followed the Fossil Discovery Trail through three fossil beds and several layers of uplifted rock. The trail took us near a part of the Morrison Formation where fossils could been seen in the rock walls just as Earl Douglass would have encountered when he discovered the Quarry in 1909. Wildlife and petroglyphs were also spotted during our hike.
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CRAIG, COLORADO
Leaving Dinosaur National Monument, we headed east into some of the most Old West feeling territory at Craig, Colorado. Surrounded by ranches, coal mines, and wild mustangs, the town buildings and main street architecture were like something out of the old western movies. Our visit to the Museum of Northwest Colorado provided us with insight into the rich history of the American West. Known for one of the largest collections of Old West firearms in the country, the museum also features the largest watercolor in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The museum even exhibited a fossil specimen of a Hadrosaurus footprint to keep us on track for our dinosaur quest!
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CAMPGROUND REVIEW: GREEN RIVER CAMPGROUND AT DINOSAUR MONUMENT
Dry camped at Green River Campground in Dinosaur National Monument for three nights. Site #48 was a large, pull-thru loop with an asphalt surface in full sun. Fire ring and picnic table were provided. One set of levelers were required on passenger side. Green River was within walking distance. Campground was great for bird watching and stargazing. Generator hours were limited. The only facilities are flush toilets. No dump station, water, showers, laundry, etc. are available. Campground is centrally located for the Utah-side trails, visitor center, and petroglyphs. River access is best made on the Colorado side of the park. We would return to this campground, but seek a shaded site to mitigate the summer heat temperatures which hovered around 100 degrees F in July.
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Next up… Dinosaur Diamond: Wyoming!
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