Increased visitation at national monument

DINOSAUR I “Since the opening of the new Quarry Visitor Center and Quarry Exhibit Hall in October, Dinosaur National Monument has experienced an increase in park visitation over 2010’s numbers,” announced Superintendent Mary Risser. “Visitation increased from 198,544 visits in 2010 to 214,291 in 2011, a 7.93 percent increase. For just the month of December, we recorded 1,629 visitors at the new Quarry Visitor Center, compared to 144 at our temporary facility the previous year. Many of these visits came during the weeks around the holiday, as area residents brought family and friends visiting from out of town to the new facility.”
“While there is no way to predict what the monument’s visitation may be in the future, having the dinosaur quarry open to visitors again definitely increases the monument’s draw,” commented Risser. “We are preparing for what we hope will be a busy summer.”
Dinosaur National Monument covers more than 210,000 acres along the border of Colorado and Utah. In addition to the world famous dinosaur fossils, the monument also features two rivers renowned for whitewater rafting and boating, numerous petroglyph sites and other evidence of human habitation extending back more than 7,000 years, an array of plant and animal life, campgrounds, trails and scenic drives. For more information about Dinosaur National Monument, visit us on the web at www.nps.gov/dino. You can also find us on Facebook or follow DinosaurNPS on Twitter. Call us at 435-781-7702 with any questions or for additional information.