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Dinosaur National Monument
Park Statistics

Important Dates:

- August 17, 1909 - Earl Douglass, Carnegie Museum paleontologist, discovers eight vertebra of an Apatosaurus, the first skeleton discovered and excavated at the Dinosaur Quarry

- October 4, 1915 - President Woodrow Wilson signs presidential proclamation establishing 80 acres surrounding the Dinosaur Quarry as Dinosaur National Monument

- July 14, 1938 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Presidential proclamation expanding monument by approximately 200,000 acres to include the canyons of the Green and Yampa rivers

- June 1, 1958 - Dinosaur Quarry Visitor Center is dedicated and opened to the public

- 1965 - Monument Headquarters Visitor Center and Harpers Corner tour road are dedicated and opened to the public

Geographic Facts:

- Total Acreage: 210,844.02 acres or 329.44 square miles

- Highest elevation: 9,006 feet at Zenobia Peak

- Lowest elevation: 4,740 feet along Green River in the southwest corner of the monument

- Elevation at Dinosaur Quarry: 5,000 feet

- Elevation at Monument Headquarters: 5, 900 feet

- Highest point on Harpers Corner Road: 7,560 feet at Stuntz Ridge

- Deepest canyon: Canyon of Lodore, over 3,000 feet deep from rim to the river in several places

- Highest cliff: Warm Springs cliff, 1,500 feet

- Yampa River in monument is 46 miles long from Deerlodge Park to its confluence with the Green River

- Green River in monument is 45 miles long from Gates of Lodore to Split Mountain Boat Ramp

Picture of lone hiker looking across canyon.  

Did You Know?
Most of Dinosaur National Monument's 210,000 acres is proposed wilderness. With proper planning, a backcountry trip at Dinosaur can be a wonderful experience of solitude and serenity.

Last Updated: January 11, 2008 at 13:38 EST