PROOF ROAD TRIPS DINOSAURS & DESERTS SALT LAKE CITY TO ROCKY MOU NTAI N NATIONAL PAR K AN D BACK 1,140 miles G R E AT S A LT LAKE Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area 80 WYOMING 80 Vernal 15 Provo 40 Glenwood Wolcott Springs Price 70 U TA H Salina 70 15 70 191 Arches National Park 70 Colorado National Monument Green River Canyonlands National Park Fruita Grand Junction Moab Carbondale Palisade 133 80 Estes Park 34 Kremmling COLORADO 191 Castle Dale Steamboat Springs Hot Sulphur 40 Springs Craig 40 6 15 Rocky Mountain National Park Dutch John Dinosaur National 191 Monument Salt Lake City 25 Lyons Boulder 131 Denver Vail Frisco 91 Aspen Leadville 24 Paonia Black Canyon of the Gunnison Delta National Park Montrose 50 92 Dinosaurs and Deserts Loop Explore some of the country's most amazing red-rock landscapes and soaring granite peaks on this 1,140-mile tour. PHOTO BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE PHOTOS BY COURTESY S ome of the least-crowded and most beautiful red-rock canyons, rivers and recreational opportunities await you on this fantastic road trip. Start in Salt Lake City where a thriving performing arts scene and records detailing your family tree await. Then, leave the city behind as you head east to Flaming Gorge Country. Discover dinosaur bones and tracks, along with fantastic water recreational opportunities. A highlight is floating on the crystal clear Green River just below the Flaming Gorge Dam in your own raft. Stop in Craig, Colo., and explore the area and Dinosaur National Monument. In Grand Lake, you'll find a charming town just a five-minute drive from Rocky Mountain National Park. Afterwards, head west to visit Colorado National Monument and Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. CAVE ARCH IN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK IN UTAH MYROCKYMOUNTAINPARK.COM RMJ2018_RoadTrips_DinosDeserts_PROOF.indd 65 65 12/7/17 10:45 AM
ROAD TRIPS DINOSAURS & DESERTS SALT LAKE CITY TO DUTCH JOHN, UTAH 238 miles, 3 hours and 32 minutes Desert Oasis Head to Flaming Gorge to cool down in a stunning setting. Cool down in the heat of summer by renting a stand-up paddleboard at the Flaming Gorge National Recreationl Area in Utah. You won t even have to worry about waves from motorized vehicles. There are actually a number of wakeless paddling trails near the dam and near Sheep Creek Overlook, so you can paddle in solitude for a couple miles in canyons that rise anywhere between 100 and 1,000 feet. It s really spectacular, says Ryan Kelly, Flaming Gorge marketing director. It s a great way to get that deep canyon experience without going on a commercial trip downstream. Below the Flaming Gorge Dam runs a mellow stretch PADDLEBOARDING AT FLAMING GORGE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA of the Green River that's great for family river floating. Rent a raft and float seven miles downstream to Little Hole takeout where a pre-arranged shuttle can pick you up. Or rent a houseboat and spend several days exploring the 91-mile-long reservoir. On the Utah side, every road is designated a scenic byway or scenic backway. A backway is a back road, not a major highway. These roads make for wonderful scenic drives, but they also are great road bike rides. A fantastic 20-mile road bike loop in Sheep Creek Canyon is 13 miles of scenic backroads and 7 miles of scenic byways. For great scenery, visit Red Canyon Overlook, the most Instagramm ed spot in the area with incredible views of the reservoir as it snakes around the canyon walls. PHOTO COURTESY FLAMING GORGE COUNTRY BY MARC PISCOTTY 66 ROCKY MOUNTAIN JOURNAL 2018
Where are the cool hikes? The best paddling? The mountain bike trails that hardly anyone knows exists? Lean on the locals. Not every trail is marked clearly in the area, so locals are happy to share tips and specific directions. The uncrowded trails may take you by surprise and have you planning your next trip a bit differently. One of the comments we ll get often as people stop here between the parks is, 'We wish we had spent more time here,'" Kelly says. It s a breath of fresh air. It s not crowded. It s national park quality scenery like the Red Canyon Overlook, which is absolutely spectacular. Farther south, you'll find Red Fleet State Park where you can walk a 1.5-mile trail to 200-million-year-old dinosaur tracks. Go early in the morning or later in the afternoon as the tracks are difficult to see when the sun is directly above you. To learn more about the ancient history of the area, head to the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, Utah. A giant Diplodocus stretching 90 feet from tail to tip will greet you at the door. Inside, get an engaging hands-on primer on what's been going on for the last several million years. Learn how dinosaurs roamed the area and how to tell fossils apart from pebbles. You can even visit the Fossil Lab to see how scientists work with dinosaur bones. Learn more and download a map of the wakeless stand-up paddleboarding trails at flaminggorgecountry.com. MYROCKYMOUNTAINPARK.COM 67
ROAD TRIPS DINOSAURS & DESERTS DUTCH JOHN, UTAH, TO CRAIG, COLO. 165 miles, 3 hours Jurassic Journey An uncrowded national park and animals from prehistoric times and today meet in Moffat County. BY JADE LANG DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT Tucked in the northwestern corner of Colorado with views that rival those of the Grand Canyon, Moffat County is your next destination en route to Rocky Mountain National Park. A little off the beaten path and away from the crowds, Moffat County encompasses the towns of Craig, Maybell, Hamilton, Massadona and Lay and is home to two-thirds of Dinosaur National Monument. The monument is a breathtaking collection of river canyons, fossils and petroglyphs. Inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall, visitors can see more than 1,500 dinosaur fossils on a cliff wall and touch fossils from 149 million years ago. The Green River and Yampa River converge in the middle of Dinosaur National Monument, and the canyons are a sight to see, especially by river raft. It s absolutely gorgeous, says Tom Kleinschnitz who co-owns with his wife Adventure Bound River Expeditions that runs river trips on the Green and Yampa rivers. Its views match or are better than the overlooks at some places in the Grand Canyon. On the monument's eastern edge is Deerlodge Park where visitors can see hundreds of elk year-round. There are times in the middle of the winter where they ll bunch up into a herd of 800 to 1,000, Kleinschnitz says. So that s an opportunity for people to really take incredible pictures. If you seek more wildlife, head east to Maybell then north to the Sand Wash Basin area where one of the largest wild mustang herds still roam. Their biology can be traced back to horses brought over by early explorers from the Old World. Visit the Moffat Tourism Association at 1111 W. Victory Way in Craig, or at visitmoffatcounty.com. PHOTO BY ISTOCK 68 ROCKY MOUNTAIN JOURNAL 2018
A Grand Time COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT Just 30 miles from the Utah border, Grand Junction has evolved from a western backwater to the heart of Colorado s outdoor recreation and wine country. PHOTOS BY DEPOSIT (MONUMENT, GRAPES, WINERY), WIKIMEDIA COMMONS (TRICERATOPS) 1.5-.17 BILLION YEARS AGO Geological features begin forming the Colorado National Monument, but the monument isn't established until 1911. Stay at the Saddlehorn Campground, perched above the canyons, and stroll to the visitor center. 140 MILLION YEARS AGO Dinosaurs thrive, leaving behind footprints and bones. See fossils at the Dinosaur Journey Museum in Fruita or on the 1.5-mile Trail Through Time located 26 miles west of Grand Junction. 10 MILLION YEARS AGO Hard volcanic basalt seals the top of Grand Mesa, the world s largest fl at-top mesa with an area of 500 square miles, laying the foundation for future outdoor fun. Today travelers can camp, bike and fi sh in summer and ski Powderhorn Mountain Resort in winter. WINERY IN MESA VALLEY 200 A.D.-1300 The valley s fi rst residents, the Fremonts, pave the way for future inhabitants. 1400-1881 The Utes move in, following migrating herds. Three hundred years later, Spanish and Mexican soldiers, priests and explorers visit. The U.S. gains control from Mexico in 1848. In 1881 the Utes are forced on a reservation. 1880s City founder George A. Crawford plants grapes on 60 acres near Palisade. Prohibition wipes out Colorado's wine industry. 1970s TO TODAY Grapes are planted, giving rise to today's vibrant wine scene. Go to Rapid Creek Cycles in Palisade to pick up a wine/orchard map and a cruiser bike with a basket large enough to fi t your purchases. Or stop at the Grand Junction Visitor Center, 740 Horizon Dr., or visitgrandjunction.com for a valley wine map and advice. MYROCKYMOUNTAINPARK.COM 69
ROAD TRIPS DINOSAURS & DESERTS GRAND JUNCTION, COLO., TO MOAB, UTAH 112 miles, 1 hour and 44 minutes Moab's Top Seven With so many things to do in Moab, choose among our favorite seven things to do with family. PORCUPINE RIM TRAIL MOAB GIANTS DEVILS GARDEN IN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK CANYONLANDS PETROGLYPHS DELICATE ARCH PHOTO COURTESY DISCOVER MOAB (PORCUPINE RIM), DAVID KRAUS (MOAB GIANTS DINOSAUR), DEPOSIT (DELICATE ARCH, PETROGLYPHS), ADOBE (DEVILS GARDEN) 70 ROCKY MOUNTAIN JOURNAL 2018
1. DELICATE ARCH See this iconic arch on a 3-mile roundtrip hike. At 64 feet high and 45 feet wide, it's Arches National Park s largest freestanding arch. Along the way, you ll pass the Wolfe Ranch cabin and Native American petroglyphs. Arrive early to get a parking spot and to avoid heat and crowds. 2. ZIP LINE ADVENTURE Get your adrenaline fix at Raven s Rim Zip Line Adventures. Your day starts when you climb aboard an off-road, four-wheel-drive vehicle to drive to the high desert of Moab. There are six zip lines and a suspension bridge to test just how brave you are. The office is at 998 N. Main St.; ravensrim.com. 3. RAFT THE COLORADO RIVER See the red rock canyons from a different point of view on a halfday rafting trip on the Daily section of the Colorado River. Gentle rapids make this outing fun for everyone. Kids must be 40 pounds or heavier to go on area river trips. 4. COURTHOUSE WASH You don t need to go to a museum to see ancient Native American art. Easily accessible from town, the Courthouse Wash art panel is 19 feet high and 52 feet long.vandals defaced these drawings in 1980, but archaeologists restored the panels only to discover older drawings behind the white shields held by figures. Head north on Hwy. 191 and cross the Colorado River Bridge. Drive.5 miles to the parking area. 5. NEGRO BILL CANYON TRAIL For a beautiful hike along a year-round stream, do this 4-mile roundtrip hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge. Spanning 243 feet, the natural bridge is the nation s sixth-longest. Avoid the poison ivy near the bridge. Take Hwy 191 out of Moab and turn right onto Hwy. 128. Drive for three miles. The trailhead will be on your right. 6. SEE CANYONLANDS BY NIGHT & DAY Catch a rare glimpse of Utah's incredible red canyons, ancient petroglyphs and towering cliffs when you go on a flat water Colorado River boat tour. Canyonlands by Night & Day offer a number of trips, but consider the Sunset Jet Boat Tour, a 36-mile roundtrip adventure highlighted by the vibrant colors of desert rocks changing with the sinking sun. Or opt for the longtime classic Canyonlands by Night & Day Sound and Light Show. It's a laser-free, old-fashioned light show on canyon walls. Dinner is served on both tours in a dining area overlooking the river. Each trip has limited space, so it's best to make reservations in advance. Learn more by stopping in at 1861 N. Hwy. 191 or at canyonlandsbynight.com. 7. MOAB GIANTS Walk among life-sized dinosaurs on Moab Giant s incredible outdoor walking trail. Or head indoors to the Tracks Museum to learn about fossilized footprints. Both are part of an interactive museum, featuring great exhibits as well as a 3-D movie that covers everything from the Big Bang Theory to the age of the dinosaurs that began 220 million years ago. You also can get your hands dirty and dig up dinosaur bones along the trail outside. To get to Moab Giants, drive nine miles north of Moab on Hwy. 191. Learn more about the greatest things to do in Moab at the Moab Area Travel Council's website, discovermoab.com. BEST BOAT TOURS on the Colorado River! Call 435-259-5261 Sunset Jet Boat w/ dinner Discover the beauty of Moab with a reputable tour company you can trust. Offering water, land and air tours of the entire Moab area with knowledgeable and experienced guides. Create unforgettable vacation memories with Canyonlands By Night & Day. OFFERING MOAB WATER, LAND & AIR TOURS! www.canyonlandsbynight.com MYROCKYMOUNTAINPARK.COM 71
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