EnCompass® The AAA Companion July | August 2004 Volume 78 Issue 4 Feature Article Dinosaur National Monument A Showcase of Jurassic Fossils, Rock Art and Stunning Canyon Lands Photo: David Muenker      By Nancy Muenker Awed by the sight of hundreds of dinosaur bones embedded in a single sandstone wall, I run my fingertips along the length of a huge femur. Cool to the touch, its surface has been polished smooth by countless other curious hands. Without a doubt, Dinosaur National Monument's star attraction is its Jurassic-age dinosaur fossils. But there's much more to see. Stretching from northwest Colorado into Utah, the park also showcases intriguing rock art etched by prehistoric Indians and awesome canyons carved into the desert landscape. Most travelers limit their visit to a couple of hours at the Douglass Quarry and Visitor Center. My husband and I, however, decide to spend three days exploring the park in-depth. Before we do, though, we can't resist eating the "dessert" before the main meal — we head straight to the dinosaur bones. All of them are found in the park's quarry, accessed via the Utah entrance. (The monument has two main entrances, one in Utah and one in Colorado.) On a hot summer afternoon, we turn off U.S. Hwy. 40 onto SR 149 at Jensen, Utah, and drive through the Green River Valley into the park. Along the route, hills striped with shades of gray, red, purple and brown identify the Morrison Formation, nature's rich storehouse of dinosaur fossils. Near the top of a similar ridge, paleontologist Earl Douglass spotted eight dinosaur tail bones in 1909 while searching for fossils for Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum. Since then, thousands of huge specimens have been uncovered. That site is now protected and encased in the impressive, glass-ceilinged Douglass Quarry and Visitor Center, about seven miles north on SR 149. Inside, the view is jaw-dropping. Some 1,500 dinosaur fossils — including mammoth skulls, neck vertebrae and thigh bones — re embedded in the sandstone ridge, viewable from three levels. Here, I can actually touch remnants of a species that roamed this region 150 million years ago. The center also displays replicas of fossils extracted in the early 1900s, including a near-complete skeleton of a sauropod, which, weighing 100 tons, was the heaviest land animal of all time. Photos show Douglass's team laboriously quarrying and moving bones. Various exhibits offer a primer on the area's geology and the age of dinosaurs, and occasionally visitors can watch paleontologists at work in the laboratory. Pleasantly full of "dessert," we leave the quarry in early evening to search for a campsite near Split Mountain. (Motels and other accommodations are available in Vernal, Utah.) Over eons, the Green River has sliced through the center of the mountain — thus its name — and created a spectacular gorge. As we drive to the campsite, the slopes of the canyon are aglow in the evening light. The following morning, we drive the self-guided, 11-mile Tour of the Tilted Rocks from the visitor center to the end of the paved road on the Utah side of the park. Fascinating formations, petroglyphs and a slice of homestead history highlight this route. Jagged uplifts contrast with sculpted domes, banded with rich shades of ochre, pink and red. A tortoise seems to poke out its head atop Turtle Rock. Thick nubs jut from the base of Elephant Toes Butte. Rock art adorns several canyon walls along the route. Lizards etched 1,000 years ago by prehistoric Indians of the Fremont Culture scamper up several sheer slopes. Adorned with headdresses and necklaces, trapezoidal figures called the "Three Princesses" grace another section. Pulling out my binoculars, I spot a flute player serenading the other petroglyphs. The road ends at a rustic homestead dating from 1914, where Josie Morris single-handedly raised livestock and crops well into her eighties. We hike into a nearby box canyon. Lush with wild grasses and reeds, it served as her horse corral. At its end, a natural spring bubbles and rock walls cast shade, creating a soothing, cool respite from the desert heat. Having explored the highlights of the Utah portion of the monument, we head for the Colorado side. This requires exiting the park and following U.S. Hwy. 40 east to the Monument headquarters entrance near the town of Dinosaur, Colo. After picking up a booklet for the Journey Through Time auto tour, we start the 31-mile scenic drive across Blue Mountain Plateau to Harpers Corner. Scenic overlooks reveal sweeping vistas of multi-colored mesas. Atop the plateau, cattle and sheep graze on vast ranges studded with sagebrush. This night we hope to camp in Echo Park, on the canyon floor at the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers. A sign at the turn-off to the steep, 13-mile dirt road advises that it is impassable when wet and may require a high clearance vehicle. For several minutes we assess the risks of braving the descent in our sedan. It's definitely risky, but we decide to go for it, convincing ourselves that the worse that may happen is a rainstorm that maroons us there for a few days. Deep ruts and exposed rocks keep my husband keenly focused as he negotiates the road. I try to distract myself with the glorious views unfolding, but my body coils tight as a spring. I catch myself lifting my feet when we drive over rocks, as if that would keep the car from scraping them. Fortunately, the dreadful sound of rock against metal occurs only once. The sight at the bottom more than compensates for the nerve-wracking ride. Towering, sheer sandstone walls frame the green oasis of Echo Park. At the confluence, Steamboat Rock soars skyward while the Yampa River wraps a ribbon of crystalline water around its base. Mesmerized by the scene's grandeur, we bask on the riverbank, listening to the swift current rippling over stones. At the campground we notice several other people have successfully descended in sedans and vans. Stillness fills the air as night falls. To our delight, a full moon crests the canyon wall, enhancing the magic of this serene place. Rather than test the fates, the next morning we start the ascent before thunder clouds may threaten. This time we stop to admire a wall of petroglyphs and actually see the sod house remnants of historic Chew Ranch. Even so, I feel a deep sense of relief when we reach the top. We continue on the Blue Mountain Plateau's scenic drive, stopping at several overlooks to admire the labyrinth of canyons below. From this vantage point, Echo Park, whose setting had dwarfed us just hours before, is a mere patch of green. The drive ends at Harpers Corner, from which a one-mile trail leads to majestic views. With their roots anchored in rock, twisted junipers provide welcomed shade. The Green River roars and growls as it whips through Whirlpool Canyon below. To the east, it joins the Yampa River at the landmark we now call our own, Steamboat Rock. As they have done for eons, the rivers chisel, cut and carve an intricate maze of canyons through this captivating desert landscape. As our multi-day adventure in Dinosaur National Monument draws to a close, we reflect on the feast we've enjoyed. The dessert was superb, but we're sure glad we stayed for-and savored!-the main course. Nancy Muenker is the author of two guidebooks that are illustrated with photographs by David Muenker: Colorado Front Range History Explorer and Colorado Front Range Scenic and Historic Byways. They are available at bookstores or by visiting www.muenkermedia.com. Planning Your Trip Dinosaur National Monument straddles northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah and is reached via two entrances off U.S. Hwy. 40. The park entrance for the Douglass Quarry and Visitor Center is located seven miles north of Jensen, Utah. Open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours during the summer, this is the only place in the park to view dinosaur fossils. An entrance fee is charged in the summer. Headquarters Visitor Center, located on US Hwy. 40, two miles east of Dinosaur, Colo., is the gateway to the monument's canyon lands. Open daily 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the summer and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in the winter. There is no entrance fee. Visitors can explore the monument on its paved scenic drives, rivers, hiking trails and backcountry roads. Several picnic and camping facilities are available. For more information, visit a AAA Travel professional , call 970-374-3000 or visit www.nps.gov/dino. TRAVEL LINKS »» Drive Insurance »» Hotel Reservations   »» Car Rentals »» TourBook Lookup »» TripTik Routing Online »» Order Map/TourBook for Home Delivery Return to Table of Contents

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