Dinosaur National Monument expanding services for summer

DINOSAUR I “With the arrival of spring, Dinosaur National Monument will offer expanded services for visitors. We are seeing more people enjoying the monument everyday with the warmer weather and we are looking forward to a busy season ahead,” acting monument superintendent Mark Foust announced Friday.
On the Utah side of the monument, the Quarry Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The visitor center features exhibits, a film, sales outlet for the Intermountain Natural History Association and also serves as the departure point for car caravans to the Quarry Exhibit Hall with the wall of dinosaur fossils and exhibits about dinosaurs.
Caravans leave from the visitor center at scheduled times throughout the day. Starting May 3, a shuttle will transport visitors between the visitor center and exhibit hall on Saturdays and Sundays. Beginning May 17, the shuttle will run daily through Sept. 7. For more information on seeing the dinosaur fossils, please visit the monument website or call 435-781-7700.
The Split Mountain Group and Green River campgrounds will begin offering water starting Friday, and camping fees will be charged.
For the Green River Campground, the fee is $12 per night, per site. The Split Mountain Group Campground has four group sites that can each accommodate up to 25 people and six vehicles. The fee for Split Mountain is $25 per site, per night. Reservations are accepted for sites at Split Mountain and Green River Campgrounds through the online system managed by Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777 (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. MST).
Split Mountain and Green River campgrounds are located approximately four miles east of the Quarry Visitor Center on the Cub Creek road. More information on camping in the monument can be found at www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/camping.htm
On the Colorado side of the monument, the Harpers Corner Road will open Friday for the season. The Harpers Corner Road is a scenic 32-mile one-way drive that leaves U.S. Highway 40 two miles east of Dinosaur. The Canyon Visitor Center, located at the start of the Harpers Corner Road, will open on weekends starting April 12 and daily beginning on May 10.
The Gates of Lodore Campground, located 106 miles north of the Canyon Visitor Center on the Green River, and the Deerlodge Park Campground, located 53 miles east of the Canyon Visitor Center on the Yampa River, will have water available starting May 3. On May 16, water will be available at the Echo Park Campground, located 38 miles north of the Canyon Visitor Center. Once the water is turned on, camping fees at all three campgrounds will be $8 per site, per night.
Scheduled opening dates are subject to change dependent on weather.
Entrance fees for Dinosaur National Monument are as follows: $10 per vehicle, valid for up to seven days; $5 per person for someone on a motorcycle or bicycle. Frequent visitors to the monument may want to purchase a Dinosaur Annual Pass for $20, a great value for those who come often or bring family and friends when visiting the area. For more information, visit the fees and reservation section of the park website (www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm), which also includes rates for commercial and non-commercial groups and how school groups can request an academic fee waiver.
Remember that Dinosaur’s weather is unpredictable and can change rapidly. Visitors should always be prepared for a range of conditions. Wildlife like deer, elk and bighorn sheep may be seen along the rivers. Please be alert for animals crossing the roads, particularly at dawn and dusk.
For more information on Dinosaur National Monument, call 435-781-7700. One can also visit us on the web at www.nps.gov/dino, find us on Facebook or follow DinosaurNPS on Twitter.