Exploring Dinosaur National Monument

by Bert and Jane Gildart

• ISBN13: 9780762710935
• ISBN10: 0762710934
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: Falcon

Summary

A visit to Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the Colorado-Utah border along the Yampa River, does not have to stop with viewing the excavated fossils in the quarry. Biking, bird watching, camping, rock climbing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and paddling possibilities abound in this remarkable and ancient landscape. The authors use their years of experience at Dinosaur to guide the reader to the best recreational opportunities and provide an appreciation of the monument's natural history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Map Legend	x
Overview Map	xi
Overview of Dinosaur National Monument	1	(4)
Creation	1	(1)
Natural History and Other Superlatives	2	(3)
Introduction: Where to Go and What to Do	5	(4)
Location	5	(1)
Getting There	6	(1)
Recreational Activities	6	(3)
Tips for Hiking in the High Desert: Zero Impact	9	(2)
Dinosaur National Monument	11	(14)
``The Bones'' (The Quarry): Dinosaur's Jurassic Park	11	(4)
Location	11	(1)
Features	11	(1)
Time Required	11	(1)
Interpretation	11	(1)
The Quarry	12	(3)
The Stories in the Rocks: Petroglyphs and Pictographs	15	(5)
McKee Spring	18	(1)
Echo Park	18	(1)
Tour of the Tilted Rocks	19	(1)
Jones Hole Trail	19	(1)
Mantle Cave	19	(1)
Other Sites	20	(1)
Dinosaur's Sheep	20	(3)
The Rivers: The Green and the Yampa	23	(2)
Driving Tours	25	(10)
Tour of the Tilted Rocks	25	(2)
Harpers Corner Scenic Drive: Journey through Time	27	(8)
Backcountry Driving Tours	35	(12)
Echo Park Road and Mitten Park Hike	35	(7)
Mitten Park Hike	38	(1)
Echo Park	39	(3)
Yampa Bench Road	42	(5)
Nature Hikes	47	(20)
Sound of Silence Hiking Route	47	(3)
Desert Voices Nature Trail	50	(4)
Cold Desert Trail	54	(3)
Harpers Corner Trail	57	(4)
Gates of Lodore Nature Trail	61	(3)
Quarry Trail	64	(3)
Hiking Trails	67	(12)
Green River Campground to Split Mountain Campground	67	(1)
Hog Canyon and Box Canyon Trails	68	(4)
Jones Hole Trail and Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery	72	(7)
Additional Exploring Suggestions	79	(4)
Hiking	79	(2)
Outlaw Trail	79	(1)
Island Park Trail	79	(2)
Ruple Point Trail	81	(1)
Driving and Walking
Island/Rainbow Park Road	81	(2)
Exploring Dinosaur National Monument by River	83	(34)
Running the River on Your Own	83	(3)
Fees and Shuttle Service	84	(1)
What You Need	84	(2)
Running the River with a Company	86	(1)
The Green River	87	(18)
Overview: The Enduring Green	88	(3)
Running the Green	91	(14)
The Yampa River	105	(12)
Overview: The Yampa River	107	(2)
Running the Yampa	109	(8)
Appendices	117	(14)
Where to Stay While Visiting Dinosaur National Monument	117	(4)
Camping in the Monument	117	(1)
Utah Campgrounds	117	(1)
Colorado Campgrounds	118	(2)
Backcountry Camping in the Monument	120	(1)
Camping Outside of the Monument	120	(1)
Dinosaur National Monument Contacts	121	(2)
Commercial Raft Companies and Shuttles	123	(3)
Weather, What to Bring, and General Tips	126	(2)
Books and Readings of Related Interest	128	(2)
Additional Contacts	130	(1)
About the Authors	131