Dinosaur National Monument consists of 210,000 acres along the Colorado and Utah border. The Colorado side of the monument features vast canyons surrounded by mountainous terrain and offers spectacular views of the Green and Yampa rivers. We did not explore the dinosaur fossil areas on the Utah side of the park because the visitor center was closed for covid precautions. We spent 4 nights within the monument at a free spot on some BLM land adjacent to the park.
Harpers Corner Road
Harpers Corner Road is a scenic drive through the center of the monument with many points of interest and scenic sights of the park. Echo Park Overlook was our favorite of the stops because of its awesome views of the Yampa River canyon below.
Ruple Point Trail
On our second day, we hiked Ruple Point Trail which is a 9 mile out and back trail that winds through hills of sagebrush and juniper trees until eventually terminating at its namesake overlook that has incredible views of Spirit Mountain Canyon and the Green River below.
Takeaways
We were considering skipping this location because it was a little out of the way on our path through Colorado. After spending a few days here, we were glad we decided to make the trip and hope to return to the “fossil” side of the park later this year when we are in Utah.
Stunning views, I love Utah and Colorado.
LikeLiked by 1 person