Dinosaur National Monument

On this day 97 years ago, October 4, 1915, Dinosaur National Monument in western Colorado and eastern Utah was established.  Dinosaur National Monument is so named because, says the National Park Service, “[d]inosaurs once roamed here.  Their fantastic remains are still visible embedded in the rocks.”  But there is more to Dinosaur National Monument than prehistoric fossils.  The area is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, some great scenery, and even petroglyphs from long-ago humans.  You can learn more about the historic and cultural resources of Dinosaur National Monument in a publication available from our library, Dinosaur National Monument Multiple Property Listing, from the Colorado Historical Society.  Other publications of interest include Dinosaur Planning Study and Dinosaur Community Survey Report, University of Colorado at Denver; Dinosaur Remains in Colorado, Colorado Historical Society; and Dinosaurs in our Backyard, Colorado Geological Survey.

Dinosaur National Monument is also home to the Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway; check out Colorado:  The Official Guide to the Scenic and Historic Byways and Discover Colorado:  Colorado’s Scenic and Historic Byways, available from our library.  (Photo of Dinosaur Diamond courtesy CDOT).