This “quarry,” now enveloped
by a large visitor-friendly structure, is in the midst of some
drastic canyons and ridges. The 200,000 acres of the National
Site stretch into neighboring Colorado and offer miles and miles
of colorful views.
The main attraction here is the actual monument itself, a shrine
to the largest collection of Jurassic skeletal structures ever
uncovered. There is now an adjoining museum that provides keen
insight into the dig itself, and the careful study of Earl Douglass.
Traversable mainly by car, the surrounding land is quite jagged,
smoothed only by the Yampa and Green Rivers. The drives are striking
though, and well worth the extended trips. Red sandstone climbs
skyward and towering cliffs line the primitive roads.
So take a veritable trip through time and start to grasp the history
of this once harrowing watershed. There is no camping allowed
here, National Park rules, but you can follow the Green River
slightly North for lodging at Flaming Gorge.
