Dale & Debbie Part 46 - Dinosaur National Monument

3rd Jun 2024

Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur National Monument, straddling the Colorado-Utah border, is a fantastic place to see loads of dinosaur fossils, especially at the Quarry Exhibit Hall where you can view over 1,500 bones in their natural setting. Beyond the fossils, the monument boasts stunning landscapes with canyons, cliffs, and rivers, perfect for hiking, rafting, and camping. Plus, you'll find ancient petroglyphs and historic homesteads, making it a fascinating spot for both nature lovers and history buffs.

Below are contrasting landscapes between Thompson Springs (where we left off) and Jensen, UT.

Dinosaur National Monument consists of an East Side in Colorado and a West Side in Utah. The scenery is magnificent on both.

The Quarry Exhibit Hall contains approximately 1500 fossilized dinosaur bones. There are 8 different species dating back 150 million years to the late Jurassic period.

The following photos were taken as we hiked down from the Quarry. If you’re not a hiker, there is a tram that runs between the visitor center and the quarry.

These petroglyphs were taken from sites in the park.

The town of Jensen (where we stayed) is located just outside of the West entrance to the park. Jensen and its neighboring town, Vernal, display numerous dinosaurs.

There are nearly 3,000 mines in the general area including gas, oil, uranium, gold, copper, iron, lead and more.

Photos near Jensen and Vernal.

Mormon crickets exists in relatively low density populations throughout most of their range, but at certain times and places infestations occur. This is thought to be weather related. Swarms can cover every inch of land, even taking over towns. They passed thru an area not far from Jensen.

These crickets are DISGUSTING!!! They covered the bottom of our jeep and part of our bike rack. And they’re very hard to scrub off ~ just ask Dale. Haha!

Fantasy Canyon has some amazing rock formations.

Another petroglyph site just outside of Vernal.

There’s even an arch near Vernal!

Next up...Flaming Gorge, Utah!