Today's plan is to head Northwest in search of Dinosaur Bones.
Beth bid the friendly alpacas goodbye before leaving the fun Harvest Hosts* farm.
* If you are interested in joining Harvest Hosts, please click on this referral link to save 15% on your membership. We receive a small incentive.
By 2:30 we were ready for a rest stop so we paused for a snack at Kenney Reservoir.
Less than an hour later we arrived at Dinosaur National Monument.
The monument spans the state line between Colorado and Utah. Our first stop was in Dinosaur, Colorado at the Canyon Visitor Center. There are no dinosaur bones in this section of the park, but lots of hiking opportunities.
An hour later we found ourselves in Vernal, Utah stopped at the Outlaw Trail RV Park. The friendly owner filled our propane tank and only charged $5.
Just a few minutes later, we were checked in and parked in site #5 at the Green River Campground within Dinosaur National Monument.
The view from our window wasn't too shabby, especially for only $18.
The check in clerk warned us to be on the look out for Black Bears and Cougars.
After knowing we had a site for the night, we resumed our quest for dinosaur bones. A short drive from the campground, the Quarry Visitor Center provided background on the history of dinosaur research. Signing up here, we are on the list for the next trip to the Quarry.
Looking like something out of Jurassic Park, a tram train delivered us to the top of the hill in comfort.
The quarry exhibit hall is housed in this beautiful structure built in 2011.
Paleontologists discovered a treasure trove of bones here in 1909. They suggested a section of the quarry be preserved so the public could see dinosaur bones in their original setting. Thankfully, their wish was realized.
Over 1500 fossilized bones are embedded in the quarry walls. Visitors are invited to touch some of the actual fossils.
A few displays, like this skull, are reproductions. We thought it funny that the reproductions are too fragile to touch.
A ranger was happy to talk with Beth about trails in the national monument.
She recommended carrying lots of water as the same dry conditions that preserved dinosaur skeletons can be challenging to hikers.
Fossils aren't the only reason to visit here. A pullout on Cub Creek Road gave us easy trail access.
The trail led up to rock faces covered with petroglyphs.
Large lizards were some of the more unique drawings.
Stairs made it an easy climb up to the cliff faces.
A major landmark on Cub Creek Road, Turtle Rock is large enough that the road curves around it.
Following the road to the end brought us to the Josephine Basset Morris Ranch. Built in 1914, Josie Morris build a cabin and ran a ranch here for fifty years.
This unique fence configuration allowed people to pass through, while the angles tricked livestock from escaping.
A field of flowers and a few fruit trees remain from the ranch.
Walking the Box Canyon trail from the ranch brought us into this, you guessed it, box canyon. The canyon was used by Josie as three sides of a corral for livestock. This looked like a good place for a cougar to be lurking, but we didn't see any wildlife.
The canyon walls show interesting texture and shapes in the sandstone.
Beth attempted to catch a shot of an elusive photographer.
Some of the longest days of the year allowed us to explore more of the park before heading back to our campsite.
The Green River winds through the National Monument taking a hard right turn as it meets these cliffs near the Green River Campground.
We made the most of our day here, but would recommend allotting more time to explore this beautiful area.
Maps like this one, along with lots of other good information, are available on the National Park Service web site.
Today's path from Alpacas to Dinosaurs.
By 2:30 we were ready for a rest stop so we paused for a snack at Kenney Reservoir.
Less than an hour later we arrived at Dinosaur National Monument.
The monument spans the state line between Colorado and Utah. Our first stop was in Dinosaur, Colorado at the Canyon Visitor Center. There are no dinosaur bones in this section of the park, but lots of hiking opportunities.
An hour later we found ourselves in Vernal, Utah stopped at the Outlaw Trail RV Park. The friendly owner filled our propane tank and only charged $5.
Just a few minutes later, we were checked in and parked in site #5 at the Green River Campground within Dinosaur National Monument.
The view from our window wasn't too shabby, especially for only $18.
The check in clerk warned us to be on the look out for Black Bears and Cougars.
After knowing we had a site for the night, we resumed our quest for dinosaur bones. A short drive from the campground, the Quarry Visitor Center provided background on the history of dinosaur research. Signing up here, we are on the list for the next trip to the Quarry.
Looking like something out of Jurassic Park, a tram train delivered us to the top of the hill in comfort.
The quarry exhibit hall is housed in this beautiful structure built in 2011.
Paleontologists discovered a treasure trove of bones here in 1909. They suggested a section of the quarry be preserved so the public could see dinosaur bones in their original setting. Thankfully, their wish was realized.
Over 1500 fossilized bones are embedded in the quarry walls. Visitors are invited to touch some of the actual fossils.
A few displays, like this skull, are reproductions. We thought it funny that the reproductions are too fragile to touch.
A ranger was happy to talk with Beth about trails in the national monument.
She recommended carrying lots of water as the same dry conditions that preserved dinosaur skeletons can be challenging to hikers.
Fossils aren't the only reason to visit here. A pullout on Cub Creek Road gave us easy trail access.
The trail led up to rock faces covered with petroglyphs.
Large lizards were some of the more unique drawings.
Stairs made it an easy climb up to the cliff faces.
A major landmark on Cub Creek Road, Turtle Rock is large enough that the road curves around it.
Following the road to the end brought us to the Josephine Basset Morris Ranch. Built in 1914, Josie Morris build a cabin and ran a ranch here for fifty years.
This unique fence configuration allowed people to pass through, while the angles tricked livestock from escaping.
A field of flowers and a few fruit trees remain from the ranch.
Walking the Box Canyon trail from the ranch brought us into this, you guessed it, box canyon. The canyon was used by Josie as three sides of a corral for livestock. This looked like a good place for a cougar to be lurking, but we didn't see any wildlife.
The canyon walls show interesting texture and shapes in the sandstone.
Beth attempted to catch a shot of an elusive photographer.
Some of the longest days of the year allowed us to explore more of the park before heading back to our campsite.
The Green River winds through the National Monument taking a hard right turn as it meets these cliffs near the Green River Campground.
We made the most of our day here, but would recommend allotting more time to explore this beautiful area.
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