Visitors increase at center

DINOSAUR I “Since the opening of the new Quarry Visitor Center and Quarry Exhibit Hall last October, Dinosaur National Monument has experienced an increase in park visitation over 2011’s numbers,” announced Superintendent Mary Risser. “For the first six months of 2012, the monument recorded 111,784 recreational visits. In 2011, we recorded 75,997 recreational visits by the end of June. That is a 47 percent increase over last year when the quarry was closed.”
Recreational visits to the monument for the month of June alone totaled 44,847. “Our busiest months are still to come. Historically, when the Quarry was open, the months of July and August usually saw 50,000 to 60,000 recreational visits per month to the monument.”
“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. “Despite gas prices, the economy, above-normal temperatures, and fires in many western states, people are still traveling and coming to the monument. Uintah County Travel and Tourism based in Vernal, Utah and Moffat County Tourism in Craig, Colo., have both been wonderful partners in helping spread the word about the monument and letting people know that the dinosaur quarry is open again.”
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 renown for white-water rafting and boating, numerous petroglyph sites and other evidence of human habitation extending back over 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.