Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument is a remarkable site, located at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers in Colorado and Utah, stands as a testament to the incredible diversity and richness of life that once roamed our planet. With its stunning natural beauty and awe-inspiring fossil collections, Dinosaur National Monument offers visitors a unique opportunity to step back in time and connect with the prehistoric world.
Note: this provides information on the Utah portion of Dinosaur National Monument.
Green River Campground, Dinosaur National Monument
We spent two nights in Dinosaur National Monument at the Green River Campground. The views from our campsite were wonderful but the mosquitos were not as much fun! If you are planning a summer trip, be sure to pack plenty of bug-repellant options. The campground has 80 sites, without hookups and no showers. Restrooms with flush toilets are available. More information about the campground can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/greenrivercampground.htm
A must-stop (and a good first stop!) is the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Here you can see (and touch) 150 million-year-old dinosaur fossils. If you are visiting during the summer a shuttle bus will take you to and from the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Once you arrive you are free to walk around, and see all of the fossils including a wall of approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones!
No visit would be complete without a few hikes! We took the kids on these short hikes:
Cub Creek Petroglyph Trailhead Pullout 13 (this is a very short walk from the car to many petroglyphs!) - we took a quick 10 minutes to take in the views and we were off to the next stop!
Cub Creek Petroglpyh Trailhead Pullout 14 (a quarter-mile hike that includes a 5-foot-long lizard petroglyph!!) This was a wonderful stop and one of our favorites.
Swelter Shelter Petroglyphs (an easy 200 feet walk from the parking area that includes pictographs and petroglyphs)
*Remember to never touch any of the petroglyps or pictographs that you see. They are very fragile and can’t be replaced!
Josie Morris Cabin - This cabin is a great stop to explore the home of Josie Morris which was established in the early 1900s. You can walk through the house and take a quick visit to the chicken coop and other areas of the property. It’s a great stop to cool off and find a little bit of shade!
Josie Morris Cabin, Dinosaur National Monument
Green River Campground Trailhead (a great hike if you are staying in the campground) - 1.5 miles one way or 3 miles round trip. - we did not complete the entire trail, and the trail is not a loop. Feel free to complete the entire hike or turn around once the kids are tired!
Note: These hikes (except for the Green River Campground Trailhead) are along the Tour of the Tilted Rocks Scenic Drive which is a 10-mile scenic drive ending at the cabin of Josie Bassett Morris. The first 8 miles are paved, while the last 2 miles are unpaved but accessible.
We only spent a few days in Dinosaur but you could certainly spend a few more days exploring and hiking! I’ve included a few additional hikes that we were unable to visit but would love to go back and try!
Fossil Discovery Trail - this trail is near the visitor center/quarry. It is a 1.2-mile, one-way trail where dinosaur fragments can be seen on the trail.
Sound of Silence Trail - this one really kept calling our name but the trail is a 3-mile loop and was too much for the kids to handle.