DINOSAUR — Superintendent Mary Risser announced that Dinosaur National Monument’s Harpers Corner Road, which begins two miles east of Dinosaur on US 40 and runs 31 miles north into the monument, will close to the public on Jan. 1. The first five miles of the road up to Plug Hat Butte will remain open and plowed throughout the winter to allow public access to the Plug Hat parking area for snowmobile and cross-country ski enthusiasts.
The road closure entails locking two gates on the Harpers Corner Road above and below Moffat County Road 16 and the gate at Plug Hat Butte Picnic Area.
Cross-country skiing and snowmobile use are allowed on the closed portion of the road beyond Plug Hat Butte. Snowmobiles are not allowed off the road surface and may not go past the Echo Park Road turn-off 21 miles north of Highway 40.
The Split Mountain campground on the Utah side of the Monument will remain open for the entire winter. The campgrounds at Rainbow Park, Deerlodge and Echo Park remain open but snowfall may prevent access to those campgrounds as the winter season progresses. Campgrounds have vault toilets but no running water. No fees are charged at these campgrounds during the winter season.