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Jul 9, 2024 · View Details. Dinosaur National Monument is black bear country. Proper food storage is required at all monument campgrounds. Visit our page on camping in bear country for more information. Email us or call (435) 781-7700 if you have any other questions.
- Split Mountain Campground
Explore This Park Explore the National Park Service Exiting...
- Echo Park Campground
National Monument CO, UT Info; Alerts; ... Nearly every...
- Dinosaur is Bear Country
Keep a clean camp and store food properly. In most parts of...
- Backcountry Camping
Dinosaur’s backcountry is home to black bears and other...
- Split Mountain Campground
Call (435) 781-7700 to reserve these sites. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance of your trip, but are not accepted less than 48 hours prior to arrival. All other campground sites and backcountry sites in Dinosaur National Monument are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Hiking in Dinosaur National Monument
- Camping in Dinosaur National Monument
- Backpacking in Dinosaur National Monument
- Tips and Tricks For Dino Monument
- What to Bring
Within the monument are 13 hiking trailsto explore (five on the Colorado side and eight in Utah). They range from easy to difficult. Although most of them are easy to moderate and are less than 4 miles in length. “My personal favorite hikes are the Harpers Corner Trail and the Jones Hole Trail,” Swindle said. She explained that Harpers Corner Trail...
While there is no dispersed camping in the Monument or “Boondocking” as Swindle called it, there are six established front country campgrounds and one backcountry campground for backpackers who want to get a little deeper into the Monument. The six campgrounds (Gates of Lodore, Spirit River, Split Mountain, Echo Park, Rainbow Park, and Deer Lodge) ...
Backcountry backpacking in the Monument is not very popular, according to Swindle. The main challenge is access to water. There isn’t much of it in that desert environment. So you have to carry a lot of H2O with you or plan strategically so you can fill up at campgrounds or creeks along the way. And, because the park is home to black bears, all bac...
Check Conditions, Prepare Accordingly
First and foremost, check the conditionsbefore you visit. Swindle said the website keeps current conditions up to date on a daily basis, and it helps prepare for what to expect. In early spring (especially after a heavy winter), some of the trails and campgrounds might not be accessible. Checking the website is the best way to keep an eye on those kinds of closures. This year was an exceptionally wet winter, which means trail closures might last a little longer than usual. That also means the...
Navigate Carefully, Stay Aware
Swindle also recommended double and triple checking your GPS mapswhen trying to navigate to Dinosaur National Monument beforehand. GPS doesn’t work very well in National Monuments like Dinosaur. “A lot of times the GPS is trying to [direct people] where it says the name [of the Monument] on the map, which is like dead-center in the middle of the park,” Swindle said. “Here, [GPS] would try to put you in the river.” And, when you’re driving on the roads keep your eyes open for reptiles, Swindle...
Ask a Ranger or a Guide
Finally, Swindle said that guests should never hesitate to ask Rangers or Guides questions. They are walking encyclopedias of knowledge and information regarding the Monuments, and people don’t take advantage of their expertise as much as they should. “Just talk to them if you have questions about anything, because that’s literally what we’re here for,” Swindle said.
Water is the number one thing to make sure you have enough of at all times when in the Monument, said Swindle. It gets very hotand very dry in that area, and dehydration happens faster than most people realize. Aside from that, the camping checklist for Dinosaur National Monument is much the same as it is for any other camping trip. You’ll want to ...
Feb 7, 2023 · In the National Monument. There is no lodging inside Dinosaur National Monument, but the park does offer six campgrounds accessible by roads. NPS. On the park’s east side, Gates of Lodore Campground is near CO-318 on the northern border of the monument. Deerlodge Park Campground can be accessed from Dinosaur Park Road east of Elk Springs.
Dec 14, 2021 · National Monument CO, UT Info; Alerts; ... Nearly every campsite in the Echo Park Campground has sweeping views of Steamboat Rock and the cliffs around Echo Park ...
Sep 17, 2024 · 150 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed here. Their fossils are still embedded in the rocks. Today, mountains, desert, and rivers flowing in canyons support a variety of life. Petroglyphs reveal the lives and connections of Indigenous people to this land. Homesteaders and outlaws found refuge here. Whether your passion is science, adventure, history, or scenery, Dinosaur offers much to explore.
Dec 3, 2023 · Opinions and recommendations are ours alone. Dinosaur National Monument is a vast park encompassing over 210,000 acres of mountains, canyons, rivers, and deserts along the border of Utah and Colorado. This is where travelers come to see ancient dinosaur bones from over 150 million years ago.
A national parks family adventure is the perfect place to bond and make lasting memories. Kid-approved national park family vacations in a small group setting.
