Dinosaur National Monument•Utah

00:00     Title
​00:14     Green River Campground
01:39     Cub Creek Petroglyphs         
07:53     Josie Morris Cabin         
09:16     Roadside Petroglyphs        
10:47     Quarry Exhibit Hall              
14:00     Split Rock Campground      
15:15     Green River BLM              
16:11     Blue Mountain Road       
19:42     Journey To Echo Park       

By far, the most popular paleontology destination in Utah is the Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the border of Colorado. The Utah side of this National Monument is where the highest percentage of dinosaur fossils are found and as an added bonus, the Green River flows right by the campgrounds. Dinosaur tourism has been gaining popularity in recent years and this trend certainly provides a healthy mindset. In northeastern Utah, the fossil beds are located in some of the most picturesque places on earth, so it is a real pleasure visiting this region. There are only a few small towns and the gas stations are spaced way apart, so as can be imagined, the modern accommodations are limited. Because the summer season weather is so nice this far north, camping is the best way to go when planning the trip.

Dinosaur National Monument has five campgrounds and back country camping permits are available. Only two of the developed campgrounds are located in the Utah side of the park and the rest are in Colorado. Both of the Utah campgrounds are located on the banks of the Green River just past the Quarry Visitor Center, but one is a large group site. The site that is open for general use is called the Green River Campground, which absolutely is an ideal place for setting up a basecamp.

Premium group campsites are always in high demand, so they must be booked well ahead of time. One of the all time best that I have run across is the Split Mountain Group Campground on the banks of the Green River. The views of the gigantic split solid rock mountain across the river is of such enormous proportions that the shadow provides plenty of shade on the river throughout the day. Swimming and floating in the river in the shade of Split Mountain literally is an experience to remember for a lifetime. One look is all it takes to fall in love with the idea of organizing a group outing in this majestic place, so be sure to chalk the Split Mountain Group Campground high on the list! 

Dinosaur National Monument is not only about paleontology. There are plenty of hiking trails that go deep into this amazing wilderness and there are several native heritage sites to experience. For some visitors the dinosaur fossils are the only reason to arrive, while for others the Green River is the main attraction. Swimming and doing float trips down this lazy section of the Green River is a pastime. The fishing is good in this river too. Camping inside Dinosaur National Monument is convenient, but it is best to make campsite reservations well ahead of time during the peak summer season. 

There are several ancient rock art sites to be found in Dinosaur National Monument. Some are located in the Colorado back country and several are located on the Utah side of the line, so it will take several days to see them all in this big park. One of the easiest to access ancient petroglyph sites is located a short distance east of the Dinosaur Quarry Visitor in Jensen, Utah. The Roadside Petroglyphs only require a short walk over a smooth path to access. The Roadside Petroglyphs is not a large site, yet there are numerous ancient rock art carvings to view. This small petroglyph panel has a long timeline and several different artistic styles can be seen.

No tour of Dinosaur National Monument would be complete without taking the time to visit the world famous Dinosaur Quarry. This end of Utah certainly was the equivalent of Jurassic Park way back in the prehistoric ages and all it takes is one look at the Dinosaur Quarry to confirm this thought! The Dinosaur Quarry is a highly protected area with limited visitation hours and this destination can only be accessed by taking a ride on a tram. The tram runs uphill through the geological reef upheaval area where portions of displaced ancient bedrock are tilted vertically, just like a wall. Fossils were discovered on one such vertical shelf and shortly after the excavation began this site became world famous for being one of the most important discoveries on earth. Thousand upon thousands of fossilized dinosaur bones were uncovered and many were of previously unknown species.

Eventually some of the Dinosaur Quarry fossils were carefully removed from their resting place and reassembled in museums around the globe. Because the wall of dinosaur fossils was such a unique discovery, a decision was made to leave a large portion intact, which is now housed inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall that was built around the site. Dinosaur Quarry definitely is a great learning experience for visitors of all ages and ranger narrated group tours are available.

An excellent place to find some peaceful serenity is Josie's Ranch in Dinosaur National Monument. This old west ranch is nestled in a small grassy green valley in a mountainous high desert setting, so the scenery is as majestic as can be. Tall old growth trees provide plenty of shade and the bright sunlight glistens between the leaves, which creates a heavenly effect. Josie's humble cabin sits in the middle of it all and the first view of this rustic timber structure has a way of making a visitor completely forget that the outside world exists. Plenty of information about Josie's Ranch is provided in the Dinosaur National Monument Self Guided Tour Book, which is available in the Dinosaur Quarry Visitor Center. The information placards at the historic ranch offer even more insight into the life of Josie Bassett Morris, who once was a wild west character of mythical proportions.  

Going east on the road that parallels Cub Creek is where a second petroglyph panel can be found, which is much larger than the roadside rock art area. The Cub Creek Petroglyphs are located near Josie's Cabin and the starting point is nearby for the Blue Mountain back country Jeep trail. The road is paved most of the way to the Cub Creek Petroglyphs and the maintained dirt road section is smooth, so just about any kind of vehicle can make it to this spot.

Upon exiting the vehicle, the first petroglyphs will immediately come into view way uphill on the solid red rock wall of the towering bluff. These petroglyphs are difficult to miss, because they truly are some of the biggest rock art carvings in the entire west. The hiking trail is short and it zig-zags uphill to the face of the bare red rock bluff, which is a few hundred feet above the valley floor. The ascent is gradual and there is a staircase section, so this little trek is fairly easy going, but because of the high elevation the uphill climb may leave some visitors slightly winded. Upon arrival at the giant lizard petroglyphs, the trail then goes either direction along the bluff, where many more ancient rock art carvings can be viewed. Care must be taken when viewing the ancient newspaper rock, because these ancient carvings are for the eyes only and by law they cannot be touched.   

Blue Mountain Road runs through the open countryside next to Dinosaur National Monument and all along the way the panoramic views of this amazing landscape are nothing less than spectacular to see. This long dirt road begins in the Utah side of this National Monument near the petroglyph site on Cub Creek Road and it goes east to Harpers Corner Road over by Echo Park in  Colorado. Once in Colorado, the Dinosaur adventures become even more interesting because both Harpers Corner and Echo Park are prime time attractions that simply beckon to be experienced. The entire trip on Blue Mountain Road from Cub Creek to Harpers Corner Road is only about 15 miles, but it will be slow going because some sections of this road do get a bit rough. Of course taking the time to soak up the majestic views will call for extra time too, so it is best to set aside at least a half day for the venture. The best part about finishing the Blue Mountain Road trek is it will only be a short drive to the Echo Park campground, where a peaceful overnighter awaits.

Camping in Echo Park next to the Yampa River truly is an amazing experience and by doing so,  a trail rider will be in a good position to take on the very lengthy Yampa Bench Road the next day. The Colorado Side of Dinosaur National Monument and BLM camping opportunities are featured in separate articles with a slideshow attached.