National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Dinosaur National MonumentAspen on Stuntz Ridge along Harpers Corner Road
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Dinosaur National Monument
History & Culture

Dinosaur National Monument's cultural history dates back 10,000 years.  The Yampa and Green Rivers have provided water for survival in an arid country.  Indian rock art in the form of petroglyphs and pictographs provide evidence that many people have come before us.  The Fremont Indians lived in the canyons in Dinosaur National Monument 800 - 1,200 years ago.  Following the Fremont were the Ute and Shoshone, who are still found in the area today.  Early settlers left their mark on the landscape with their homesteads.  Those who had access to the rivers and a constant flow of water survived, while others dried up with drought and moved away.  Now, many of the remains of homesteads are found along side the Indian art work of the past.

Picture of mormon cricket perched on a blade of grass.  

Did You Know?
Mormon crickets are wingless grasshoppers that swarm across roads through the summer in the western United States. These flightless insects can form such large swarms that the road appears to move and change colors where they cross.

Last Updated: September 21, 2006 at 08:35 EST