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Dinosaur National Monument
Traffic & Travel Tips

Road & Highway Conditions

Utah - Utah Dept. of Transportation
Text list of roads
or dial 511 or 1-866-511-8824

Colorado - Colorado Dept. of Transportation
or dial 1-877-315-7623

Southwest Wyoming - Wyoming Dept. of Transportation
or dial 511 or 1-888-996-7623

 

Roads

Seven roads lead into the park, and most roads dead end. A loop drive is made possible by traveling from Hwy 40 to Harpers Corner Road to Echo Park Road and Yampa Bench Road back to Highway 40 and is only possible in dry weather with a high clearance vehicle.

There are four paved roads in the park.
Utah 149 enters the park from Highway 40 in Jensen, Utah.  This entrance brings you to the Temporary Visitor Center, Split Mountain boat launch, Split Mountain Campground, Green River Campground and the Tour of the Tilted Rocks, a self-guided auto drive.
Harpers Corner Road enters the park from Highway 40, 2 miles east of Dinosaur, Colorado.  The Canyon Area Visitor Center is at the corner of Highway 40 and Harpers Corner Road.  This entrance brings you to the canyon overlooks along the Harpers Corner Auto Tour, a self-guided auto drive, and a 2 mile round trip scenic hike to Harpers Corner.  Harpers Corner Road closes in the winter due to snow.
Jones Hole Road ends at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's fish hatchery.  A four-mile (one way) scenic hiking trail begins at the hatchery parking area and takes you to the Green River in Whirlpool Canyon.
Deerlodge Park Road brings you to the launch site for the Yampa River and Deerlodge Campground.

All other roads in the park are dirt/clay. These roads are impassable when wet. Be prepared for remote driving conditions. Travel with extra water, food and plenty of gas. Cell phone reception is spotty. Four-wheel drive is not required, but it's handy in case of light rain. (These roads are impassable in heavy rain, even with four-wheel drive).
Echo Park Road can be accessed from Harpers Corner Road.  This 13 mile road is steep with hairpin turns for the first several miles.  The road ends at Echo Park which has a campground, boat launch, and hiking trails.
Yampa Bench Road can be accessed from either Echo Park Road at the west end or from Highway 40 at the east end.  This road is for high clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles and is the only road in the park that creates a loop drive.
Island Park Road enters from the west end of the park and brings you to Rainbow Park Campground, Rainbow Park boat ramp and to the Island Park area of the park.
Gates of Lodore, the northern-most entrance to the monument, begins off of Highway 318.  The road ends at the Gates of Lodore Campground, boat launch and scenic hiking trail.

Call the park for more information at (435) 781-7700 in Utah or at (970) 374-3000 in Colorado to check on road conditions before you travel.

Photo of paleontologist Earl Douglass.  

Did You Know?
Paleontologist Earl Douglass first came to Utah looking for mammal fossils. He returned in 1909 and discovered an immense deposit of dinosaur bones, now protected at Dinosaur National Monument. Although made famous by dinosaurs, Douglass died preferring his beloved mammal fossils over dinosaurs.

Last Updated: February 15, 2008 at 16:34 EST