Show Y it l r Echoes from the tho dust darst Green and Yampa to become big tourist attractions Echoes from the Dust feature is selected from the files of the Vernal Express and as they appeared on the date noted at the top of each feature BY U t. M. M CUSTODIAN For years so well known for its fossil quarries Dinosaur National Monument in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado is today gaining even more for primeval wildernesses in vast hinterlands seldom visited by man It is doubtful if a network of roads will ever make portions of this back country accessible to the motorists but for hikers and horseback riders the region holds unlimited for out door recreation The Monument covering acres includes the deep meandering Hampa Canyon closely associated with cattle rustlers and outlaws of days and of ancient Indian lore The colorful Canyon of Ladore cut by the Green River on its way to join the Colorado winds through the scenic region of unusual merit ROADS TO CANYON Portions of the Yampa Canyon may be reached by motor over unimproved roads by way of Elk on U U. S. S Highway 40 westward along ridges covered with pinon pine and juniper The road to the Mantle Ranch Hanch and Castle Park in a scenic section of the Monument leaves the country road 17 miles west of Elk Springs and drops down the head of Thanksgiving Gorge to toa toa toa a broad plateau above the Yampa River The route follows westerly along sagebrush flats and over juniper clad ridges to Hells Canyon where it turns down the canyon to the mouth emerging in the Mantle Ranch and Castle Park sections Along the way there are several points from which the Yampa River may be observed winding its way along the bases of the cliffs rising vertically from 1000 to 1600 feet above stream bed The Yampa River rising in the Rabbit Ears and Toponas country of northwestern cut a gorge through a high plateau related to the Uintah Mountains To negotiate the tortuous course the river makes numerous bends at places almost doubling back bick on i il lf lf tr INDIAN DWELLINGS U The area in general was once the home of prehistoric Indians and several caves in which aborigines found shelter stored food and supplies and perhaps constructed crude homes have been located by scientists and local ranchers One of there caves has been excavated by bythe bythe bythe the National Park Service in cooperation with the University of Colorado Metal signs and markers are now in place in Cliff Cave near the Mantle Ranch Hanch in Castle Park to aid in inthe inthe inthe the interpretation of the early Indi Indian n life in the region Archeological excavation or the pot hunting activity by general public is not permitted and is subject to the restrictions and penalties provided in he ht Antiquities Act passed by Congress in 1906 That legislation restricts excavations excavations ex of federal land to trained archeologists and scientific under permit from the Department of Interior Whether the excavated cave can be successfully left open to the general public depends upon the respect and treatment accorded the excavated excavated excavated ex ex- ex- ex walls storage bins and other exposed materials If vandalism results from public visitation it will be necessary to fence this and future excavations ex ex- excavations or completely backfill backfill back back- fill them depriving the visitor the opportunity of viewing the exhibit in place During the 1941 season the first phase of an archeological reconnaissance as completed and is to be followed by similar work in future years in an effort to determine what part archeology archeology ar ar- ar should play inthe long range development of the area SCENIC GREEN GHEEN RIVER Scenically there is much to be said for the area in particular reference to tile the Green River which for centuries has been cutting culling its way through great earth uplifts The stream the largest tributary of the Colorado River flows from Irom the Wyoming Wind River Haver Mountains and has accomplished accomplished ac ac- ac some of its greatest work in he Canyon of the Lad Ladore ore Between precipitous cliffs of horizontal strata representing millions of years of geologic time the Green is on its turbulent turbulent tur tur- tur bulent way southward to join the Colorado Major Wesley Powell named many of the scenic points along the canyon and a number of them are arc still officially recognized by their first titles such as Disaster Falls FaUs recalling to memory the hazardous trip over 70 years ago At Disaster Falls in the heart of the canyon Major Powell one of his boats when the current dashed it against the rocks of his boats when the current dashed it against the rocks For several miles the River flows through its confining walls until it reaches the mouth of the Ladore Canyon where its waters mingle with those of the Yampa near Steamboat Rock The Green continues its rushing course thru Pats Hole a lonely valley of weird beauty where a hermit Pat Lynch a Civil War veteran lived for nearly half a century far from the haunts of man The Green flows more slowly after it passes Echo park through Whirlpool Canyon past Jones Hole Creek Island Park and emerges where it leaves the monument boundaries ROAD nOAD TO LADORE CANYON The Ladore Canyon may be reached by a road from Highway 40 at Maybell Colorado to Greystone Colorado The head of the canyon is approximately 15 miles west of Greystone post post- office An unimproved road comes within a few minutes walk of the canyon where the river enters the steep red sandstone cliffs to start its Ir winding inding course through theMon theMon- The Green River Inver emerges from the Split Mountain Gorge ten miles north of ot Jensen from which village lIage a dirt road leads along the river to Monument head headquarters quarters Blue nIue Mountain w which forms forma apart a apart part of the southern boundary is traversed by a fair road from Wolfe Creek on Highway 40 at a point 15 miles west of Elk Springs then following along the mountain until it again Joins High way 40 about 13 miles e cast of Jensen Twelve miles from the highway a road of sorts leads ina in ina ina a northwesterly direction towards Harpers Corner where after a short hike one may seethe see seethe seethe the Green River in its deep gorge and Island Park JONES A few miles below Echo Park along the Green River Jones hole Creek has its with that stream The creek reek is only three miles in length but it offers scenery along its route It is crystal clear filled with water cress and is isone isone isone one of the best trout fishing streams region It may be reached from Island Park over overa a seven seven mile trail which drops suddenly into the creek bor bor- bordered bordered dered with dome shaped sandstone sandstone sandstone san san- cliffs and high walls hundreds of feet above the valley floor Another route follows Diamond Mountain to a point five miles from the creek A trail descends a ridge coining coming to the source of the creek which gushes out from beneath a huge boulder Although Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1915 by presidential proclamation to preserve and protect an 80 acre area surrounding an ancient of fossilized bones of Dinosaurs rs and other prehistoric monsters the area only received its first permanent custodian the writer August 1941 For a number of years the writer was a district ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park The monument was increased to its present size in 1938 adding to the national importance of the area Development has been held to ton toa a minimum but through current plans and studies a long range development program is consideration to provide for future needs ten and twenty years ears from now PROPOSED DINOSAUR UIt MUSEUM However little actual work can be expected until after the end of the current national defense emphasis At that time National Park Service officials hope that funds will be available for necessary improvements at the monument Including development development devel devel- of the quarry and the construction of a museum to replace the present temporary structure Grazing of livestock on monument lands is one of the current uses of the lands and to plan properly for this type of tuse Luse the National Park Service has received an allotment of Soil and Conservation funds to carry carryon on range of forage types in th lh area rea a It is planned to carry out this work during the present fiscal year in cooperation with the US U.S. Grazing Service of the Department of the Interior Studies made by the Bureau of Reclamation over the past several years in exploration of several potential dam sites inthe in inthe inthe the area to provide irrigation tion and power in Utah may have considerable bearing on the type of development to be undertaken un un- undertaken by the National Park Service within the area park officials say Planning will progress more rapidly as soon as the course of of Reclamation activity is determined DIFFERS FROM WESTERN PARKS In keeping with the annual growing public interest in western national park areas Dinosaur National Monument can be expected to play an important part in the provision of something different for the recreation seeking visitors who would glimpse the wilderness area in which the Indian cattleman and outlaw had roles in pioneering history to say nothing of the prehistoric reptiles and monsters which lived millions of years ago and found their resting place in the present monument area As in past years visitors to the partially excavated quarries may avail themselves of the services of a guide at a small fee to see fossilized bones in the same place where nature deposited them long ago A temporary museum is open without charge to the public The 1941 travel year ending September 30 1941 brought a total of visitors most of whom were from outside of the immediate vicinities of Vernal and Jensen With the proper public support it is pointed out there is no reason why this figure should not continue to grow as the facilities for providing for visitors increase |