40.7 degrees North (Latitude), and 108.8 degrees West (Longitude)
In the summer of 2010 we made our first visit to Dinosaur National Monument (DNM). We had such a good time playing and rafting on the Green River for a day with OARS, we promised ourselves that we would return and explore this area more extensively. DNM is located in northwest Colorado and northeast Utah. Although the monument straddles the border of both states, about two-thirds of the park is in Colorado.
We've heard from many folks who know and love this area that the only real way to experience Dinosaur is to explore the rivers that run through the canyons. This year, I dreamed of rafting for several days and sleeping on those shores. Since we're not geared up for a river trip, we splurged and signed on for a multi-day rafting trip with OARS. Our friends Susan D. & Mark L. signed on for the trip with their two children too! We all agreed that an early August trip, spanning 4 days, (two of which were over a weekend), would fit our schedules. This year, August was the best time to raft through park for two reasons: great weather and perfect water conditions for a family with young children. Above-average snowfall, coupled with higher-than-average spring precipitation, made 2011 an epic year on most Colorado rivers. Had we chosen an earlier date for the trip, our children would have not be able to come along, due to high water levels and the age restrictions placed by OARS for safety reason. We would have had to rescheduled our trip if the volume of water had remained too high for our youngsters. As it turned out, OARS lifted their minimum age limit (12 years) just three weeks prior to our adventure, allowing us to take the trip as planned. If you have your own rafting gear, visit the National Park Service (NPS) web page to obtain information on planning a river trip, or to apply for a permit. The NPS requires each independent rafting group to assess their own skill and comfort levels when planning a river. There is no agency oversight once a permit is issued.
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| La Perla ~ Silverthorne, CO |
By the time our trip began, flow rates were lower than they had been, but still higher than average. From Boulder, Co getting to Dinosaur requires a solid day of travel (approx. 7 hours). There are several scenic ways to get to western Colorado, and we decided to take I-70 and pass through
the heavily visited Colorado mountain community of Silverthorne, CO. It is located in Summit County, which is approximately 1.5 hours from the Denver metro area. As a result, it is extremely developed and littered with chains and outlet stores. Whenever we are just passing through, there are two things we are sure to do: First, stop for gas at Sav-O-Mat located at 299 Blue River Dr., 80498. This gas station consistently has the lowest prices around. Second, we visit Taqueria La Perla and grab a bite to eat. La Perla serves the BEST Mexican food in town! They sell some deliciously crispy chicharrones too! Pick up food para llevar (to go), dine-in, or grocery shop for some classic Mexican ingredients. No matter what you choose, it will be authentic and affordable.
On longer visits when groceries are needed, we stop at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (VC) in Dillion and pick up everything we need except liquor (in Colorado alcohol is sold exclusively at liquor stores). VC is a well-stocked health food store located right off of I-70. They feature a small grab-n-go area, and a full suite of health and beauty products too. If we are spending the night in the area, we visit to the
Tiki Bar on Lake Dillion. Their fare is simple bar food, but the mountain views are spectacular and the atmosphere lively! It is a great place to sit by the water and enjoy a beer. Not this time though,as we needed to keep moving on to Dinosaur National Monument. Onward ho!
The Gore Range is a mountain refuge offering a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking and climbing. If you don't get a chance to spend time in this area, viewing from afar offers scenery that temps the hiking soul.
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| Gore Range |
After a gorgeous drive, we arrived and secured a camping spot for one night at the Green River Campground in Dinosaur National Monument. Our favorite sites are those nearest the River. These spots usually have a beach with lots of hidden treasures to find. This campground is small and a great place for young children to ride their bikes. During the summer months there are star gazing events guided by amateur astronomers who generously bring their scopes to share. With one of these shared scopes, we were fortunate to view a binary star, (which is two distinct stars, although they appeared as one originally); a 'blue' star and a 'red' star. DNM is not affected by light pollution, so once complete darkness arrives, the sky becomes a vast and brilliant sea of lights.
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| Green River Campground |
Once our camp was secured and setup, we drove into to Vernal, UT for a pre-river trip meeting at the OARS headquarters (Don Hatch River Expeditions-the original river running company). Side note: Oars acquired Hatch in 2007. In 1929 Bus Hatch, along with his brothers and cousins, constructed a wooden boat and set out for the Green River, in what is now Dinosaur National Monument, to explore its canyons. Their legacy remains. That night we met Brett Wojciak, our lead river guide. He apprised us of what we might expect on the river, and handed out dry bags.
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| Don Hatch Warehouse |
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| Dry Bags |
The next morning at the OARS headquarters, our group loaded on to a bus and headed for the Gates of Lodore (a 2.5 hour drive). After crossing the Colorado, we made a coffee & liquor stop in the teeny town of Dinosaur. Our bus driver stopped at Christie's Liquor which opens at 8AM. This bit of information is helpful to know, since state run Utah liquor stores open later in the day, and have little to no refrigeration. After stocking up for the trip, we were ready to continue on.
We drove for at least 2 more hours, and were more than ready to get on the water once we arrived at our put-in spot, the Gates of Lodore Campground area. Our amazing guides had worked all morning to get our gear packed and by the time we got off the bus. After a safety talk, we loaded up and paddled the rafts toward the Lodore Canyon entrance. We were on our way!
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| Gates of Lodore |
The Green River cuts right through the Lodore Canyon and Dinosaur National Monument, making for a stunning view of Pre-cambrian sandstone and limestone cliffs. The canyon was named by the Powell Expedition of 1869 after the English poem 'Cataract of Lodore'. Today, the Green River is damned at Flaming Gorge Reservoir, and daily inflow rates dictate the volume of water released. At its peak this year, the Green was running at approximately 8,500 cubic feet/second (cfs), with later season rates closer to 2,450 cfs. Compare that to June of 1869, when John Wesley Powell and his men entered Lodore Canyon and the estimated flow was likely running at 25,000cfs! No wonder they lost a boat with all their supplies at Disaster Falls. It's incredible they didn't loose more. Our trip was much more relaxing and worry-free. In fact, it was down right luxurious! Our guides prepared delicious meals, showed us amazingly places, and shared Their knowledge of the interesting geology, natural history, archaeology and anthropology of the area. Daily, we saw the wildlife that inspired the Native American art along the canyon walls: river otters, big-horned sheep, golden eagles and more.
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| Pictograph |
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| Big Horn Sheep |
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| Wake and Play! |
During the mornings and afternoons, the kids enjoyed playing on the white sandy shores of the river. Each day we were invited to hike up into the various canyons, or sit and relax at camp. Daily hikes would take us to ice-cold falls or other points of interest. One day we ascended to a panoramic view atop the canyon. At a vista point, laying flat on our bellies, we peered over the edge. It was breath-taking to look out over top of the severe canyon walls, and gaze down upon the upon the natural world all around us. We descended to another amazing evening of delicious food and fun card games for all.
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| Coffee on the River |
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| Mark & Susan on the inflatable tandem kayak |
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| Sleeping on the beach |
Each day brought new adventures. White water, kayaking, water fights, and absolutely perfect weather. Mostly, we just relaxed and enjoyed taking in the scenery. Our guides brought two small metal libraries that were stuffed full of interesting reading material. Among the many finds was a 1954 National Geographic magazine featuring an article entitled,
" Shooting Rapids in Dinosaur Country" by Jack Breed and a reprinted edition of "
The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons" by John Wesley Powell. We were certainly impressed with ALL the luxuries including the
'groover', our much-appreciated bathroom. The groover is a .50 caliber ammo can fitted with a toilet seat on top. At each campsite, the crew would set up the latrine in a perfectly picturesque spot, and mark it accordingly for sake of privacy. Just know that when traveling in the high desert country of DNM one must relieve oneself (#1) in the river, so as to not pollute the surrounding beauty. When more is required (#2), the 'groover' is a necessity. Those guides would pack that metal box in and out each day, and we thanked them profusely for that! The 'groover' provided us with endless amounts of conversation material throughout the day, and we learned a new way to commune with nature!
Fortunately, all the guide companies and independent rafting groups go to such lengths to be good stewards of the land, that the campsites are pristine. The baches were so inviting that we slept out under the stars on our last night. Each night we marveled at the thick blanket of stars in the sky, and the Milky Way carving out a path right down the middle of our solar system. The innumerable shooting stars offered a spectacular light show. If we turned off more lights, as a culture, would we appreciate our relationship to the planet, and by extension the universe more deeply? Would we treat our home with more respect and kindness? On this trip we were humbled by Mother Nature's beauty yet again.
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| Mitten Park Fault as viewed from Harper’s Corner |
On our final day, we traveled passed the Mitten Park Fault at Harper's Corner. Here, the layers of the earth's crust that normally run horizontally have turned upwards. A bit farther down river we floated past Split Mountain Anticline. Our trip couldn't have been better in any way. It's true, to really know Dinosaur is to travel the rivers. Get on the water for a day or week, and be sure to bring the family!
What is your favorite river in the Intermountain west?
