"Every national park and monument preserves something theoretically unique and irreplaceable. What is unique about Dinosaur is its canyon rivers." - David Bradley (from This Is Dinosaur, 1956)
"It was the first time in American history a group of citizens stopped a big government project. To be saved, a place has to be know." - Kenneth Brower, conservationist and son of David Brower {Take Part, 2015}
Dinosaur National MonumentDinosaur National Monument (Dinosaur NM) is located on the border of Utah and Colorado, in the north east corner of Utah. Originally named for the fossilized dinosaur bone quarry found there, Dinosaur NM has more than just bones. It was enlarged in 1938 to its current size of 209,000 acres. The enlargement encompassed two of the most notable canyons in the Monument today: Echo Park and Split Mountain. John Wesley Powell first explored these canyons during his 1869 expedition of the Green and Colorado Rivers. His account of Echo Park gave it its name. These canyons were not easily accessible, so most local residents believed that they would have greater value as reservoirs.
"Standing opposite the rock, our words are repeated with startling clearness, but in a soft, mellow tone, that transforms them into magic music. Scarcely can you believe it is the echo of your own voice. In some places two or three echoes come back, in other places they repeat themselves, passing back and forth across the river between this rock and the eastern wall." - John Wesley Powell {Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons, 1895} |
Dinosaur National Monument sign, 1956
{NPS Facebook, 2016} |