Dinosaur National Monument - Colorado

Address:Dinosaur, Colorado
Tel: (970) 374-3000

Thousands of fossils have been excavated from Dinosaur National Monument in the Uinta Mountains bordering Utah and Colorado, and many of them are on display for public viewing. Ancient rock art in the magnificent Echo Park holds proof of the prehistoric peoples who inhabited the region long ago.
A wide variety of animal life including several endangered species lives in the park today. The steep canyons provide the perfect backdrop for a whitewater rafting or kayaking escape down the Yampa and Green Rivers (but, be warned - you must participate in a lottery for access in high season, as the rivers can't handle the crowds). You can cruise through the Tilted Rocks scenic drive for a glimpse of the parks geology and the amazing 1,000-year-old petroglyphs.

This is Echo Park, named by John Wesley Powell in 1869 during his first scientific expedition into the Colorado Plateau. It is here that the Yampa River, the last natural flowing river in the Colorado River System, joins the Green River. This is home and critical habitat for the endangered peregrine falcon, bald eagle, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Indian rock art in Echo Park testifies to the allure these canyons and rivers had for prehistoric people. In 1825, William H. Ashley and his fur trappers were the first Europeans to enter Echo Park. In 1883, Patrick Lynch, a hermit, was the first to homestead in this canyon.