Dinosaur country

By Carrie Patrick

A day trip from Grand Junction shows off dino discoveries and rock formations in a two-billion-year time machine

Colorado Canyons National Park. That’s the name visitors might read in the guidebooks of a future year. The park doesn’t exist yet, but numerous voices say it’s the next natural step for the scenery that Colorado National Monument supervisor Joan Anselmo says is “one of the best-kept secrets of western Colorado.” From huge vistas of red sandstone to the tiny tracks of a Jurassic turtle, the Monument has something for everyone.

Monument or park?
So, what is a national monument? The short answer is that it’s a “national park lite.” A national park must contain a variety of resources—natural, scenic, historic, archeological or other treasures—each nationally significant in its own right. A national monument, on the other hand, only needs to protect one significant resource.

Colorado National Monument was established in 1911 after strenuous efforts by the conservationist John Otto, who became its first caretaker. “He tried very hard to get it designated as a national park,” says Anselmo. “It would be wonderful to finish the work that Otto began, in time for the centennial in May 2011.” Senator Mark Udall is the latest in a long line of advocates to ask the federal government to raise the Monument to national park status.

A mini Grand Canyon

Viewpoint on Rimrock Drive.
© Carrie Patrick/AAA Colorado

As more than 720,000 visitors per year discover, Colorado National Monument is a mini Grand Canyon. Passing through the area on I-70, you’d never know it was there. The towering cliffs that mark its eastern boundary hide the stunning views of rock formations and hanging canyons which wait to be explored on a 23-mile scenic drive just a few minutes from downtown Grand Junction.

Rimrock Drive winds its way between the Monument’s east entrance in Grand Junction and its west entrance in Fruita. Unlike rim roads at the Grand Canyon or Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where the only views are down, this route rises from the canyon floor into the sky and back again. It was hand-built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and today’s driver can still recognize what an engineering feat that must have been. Despite 21st century technology, it’s a feat that could not be repeated today.

“The road is quite death-defying,” Anselmo explains. “It wouldn’t meet any of the current federal standards. So we consider it a national treasure. Being on Rimrock Drive is incredible, unless you’re afraid of heights.”

If you’re in that category, starting from the west entrance will ensure a more comfortable drive. Those who prefer eye-watering views from the edge should drive the road east to west. In either direction, watch for bicycles. The Monument is very popular for road cycling (off-road biking is not allowed). Both bicycles and passenger vehicles must use lights to pass through the road’s three tunnels.

Stones and bones
First, take in the scenery and geology of Colorado National Monument, then explore local paleontology at some nearby sites. You can do it all in a day from Grand Junction or Fruita, leaving plenty of time on a weekend trip to enjoy the area’s other attractions, from winery tours to mountain biking.

Michelle Wheatley, chief of interpretation and education, recommends two hours at the Monument for visitors who just want to drive the scenic route with stops at some of its 21 viewpoints. Start in the morning for the best chance of seeing bighorn sheep and other wildlife. If you only take one walk, try Otto’s Trail, an easy half-mile stroll to a stunning viewpoint on a narrow peninsula of rock. You’ll feel like you are standing on thin air as you look out at formations including Independence Monument, Sentinel Spire, Praying Hands and the Pipe Organ. Look for the Otto’s Trail signpost on Rimrock Drive one mile from the visitor center. Keep a good grip on the kiddies; there’s a railing at the end of this eagle’s perch, but it doesn’t go all the way around.

Another highly recommended stop is Devil’s Kitchen, a fantastic rock formation near the east entrance. For those with more time, the entry point for Serpent’s Trail is nearby. This steep 1.75-mile route was the first road into the Monument. Now closed to motor traffic, it’s a local favorite for walking, biking and jogging. Allow one hour to hike the Serpent’s Trail roundtrip.

Along Rimrock Drive, signs highlight points of interest. “Rimrock Drive is a time machine,” says Joan Anselmo. “You start at the bottom, with rocks that are 1.8 billion years old, and you work your way up through the different eras, through the Jurassic and the Morrison Formation. If those rocks could tell their story, it would boggle your mind.”

The rocks do tell a story, for those able to read it. Some of the world’s major dinosaur discoveries took place in western Colorado, and paleontologists are still uncovering more. Important finds in 2010 included a seven-inch dinosaur footprint, a slab of rock bearing the tracks of a group of turtles, and the first lizard tracks ever to be found in the Morrison Formation. All are from the Jurassic era, about 150 million years ago.

Fruitadens dinosaur model at Dinosaur Journey Museum.
© Carrie Patrick/AAA Colorado

Dinosaur Journey

After visiting Colorado National Monument, stop just outside the west entrance to visit Dinosaur Hill. Here, in 1901, Elmer Riggs found the first Apatosaurus (called Brontosaurus at the time). Dinosaur Hill is signposted on your right a short distance after leaving Colorado National Monument. A well-maintained loop walkway over and around the small hill was recently upgraded with interpretive signs.

If you only want a quick look at the Apatosaurus discovery site, take the right-hand path from the parking area. The historic marker is a short distance around the base of the hill. But starting from the left will add scenic views and an interesting rocky downhill path before you reach the dino mine. And it is a mine. Apatosaurus lay mostly inside the hill, and a horizontal shaft was dug so that the entire skeleton could be excavated.

Next, continue along the road to the excellent Dinosaur Journey Museum. It’s small, but well designed and up-to-the-minute with constantly changing exhibits, attention-grabbing facts and views of workers in the paleontology lab. One of the world’s smallest dinosaurs, named Fruitadens, was discovered in the Fruita area recently. A beautiful model of the little guy is on display.

The big draws, though, are the robot dinosaurs. This museum knows exactly what people want from a dinosaur exhibit. Education, yes; good science, of course. But a life-sized Utahraptor, roaring and rolling its eyes, tearing the head off a tongue-lolling Apatosaurus as strings of fake gore fly everywhere? Press that start button! While Utahraptor was clearly the fan favorite when I visited, there was also a crowd of young visitors dodging a Dilophosaurus that spits on bystanders.

The best part of visiting a museum in dinosaur country is the palpable sense that this is current science, happening right now—not a collection of things that somebody discovered decades ago (which might as well be prehistory to a child). The latest fossils from the surrounding area are on display, and updates on recent finds, such as the Colorado National Monument lizard tracks that are being studied by paleontology curator Dr. John Foster.

Trail Through Time

Many of the huge bones that lie cradled in plaster in the museum’s lab come from nearby Mygatt-Moore Quarry, the site of countless discoveries since the 1980s. Last year, 105 specimens were collected there, including teeth, ribs and vertebrae from numerous dinosaur species. Allosaurus and Apatosaurus are particularly common there.

From I-70, take Exit 2 (near the Utah border) to Rabbit Valley. While summer is the time to visit if you want to see paleontologists working, the quarry’s Trail Through Time interpretive walk is open year-round. It’s directly off the exit ramp.

Adults and children can join half-day, one-day or longer digs in summer. This isn’t playing at paleontology. You will assist with the excavation of actual dinosaur bones. Expect to work hard, learn a lot, and go through bottles of insect repellent. In addition to Allosaurus and Apatosaurus, the Mygatt-Moore Quarry is famous for its gnats. For schedules and costs, call 888-488-DINO, ext. 212, or visit www.museumofwesternco.com.

Volunteer opportunities are also available in the Dinosaur Journey Museum’s paleontology lab for adults willing to devote regular time. One volunteer I met was busy using tiny precision tools and a device like a miniature jackhammer to remove the surrounding rock from a huge fossilized section of an Apatosaurus’s spine. Other volunteers work on exhibits, produce visitor materials or help with other aspects of running the museum.

Looking for more
If you only have one day, cruise Rimrock Drive, visit Dinosaur Hill, the Dinosaur Journey Museum and the Trail Through Time. With two days, add extra hikes and other activities inside Colorado National Monument.

And if you have a few extra days to spare, consider driving the whole Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway, a 512-mile loop through Utah and western Colorado that takes in a huge number of fossil sites, preserved dinosaur trackways, museums, petroglyphs and red rock scenery. We’ll have more articles on the Dinosaur Diamond in future issues. Visit www.dinosaurdiamond.org, or contact a AAA travel agent for maps and suggested accommodations along the way.

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