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Show 14 Fall 2000 Discover Dinosauiiand . . -p ' . -ir'-mn -w " ' " - -- - f . ' " - ' ' :V, 4- - AN V " ,'.V Tourists from San Diego wisely carry extra water along Harper Comer Trail and stop to enjoy the view into Echo Park. Plug Hat Butte is an excellent place to stop and enjoy a hike, a picnic and a great view of the Colorado Plateau. Echo Park is eastern delight of Dinosaur Monument By Virginia Harrington Feature Writer Explore Harpers Corner and Echo Park, the eastern delight of Dinosaur National Monument Before beginning a trip through Harpers Comer and Echo Park, be sure the gas tank, radiator and oil are full and pack plenty of drinking water. A picnic lunch is also a good idea as there are no services available once leaving the main highway. Leave Vernal going east on Highway 40 to Dinosaur, Colorado. On the eastern edge of town is the turnoff to the eastern portion of Dinosaur National Monument, which contains Harpers Corner and Echo Park. Stop in the visitor's center for brochures, information or just a friendly chat. Within minutes after turning left onto IWCH ONE DAY RIVER TRIPS Rainbow Park to Split Mountain Campground. Remote and scenic. Gourmet build your own masterpiece lunch. Departs daily from Vernal. - ADULTS - $66 Plus Tax CHILDREN 12 and under $56s THREE TO SIX DAY - RIVER TRIPS - Green and Yampa Rivers, Cataract Canyon, Middle Fork of the Salmon 55 East Main P.O. Box 1 150 Vernal, Utah 84078 (435) 789-4316 After Hours 790-4612 I Toll Free 1-800-342-8243 Harpers Corner, peace and serenity settle over the landscape. There are no telephone poles or power lines to mar the horizon. The sky is huge, the vista broad and varied. var-ied. Birds of all sizes flutter, soar and flap, from humming birds to quail to pheasants and hawks and even peregrine falcons. Watch carefully and you might even see an eagle or two. On the right are the blackened stubs of trees destroyed by a lightning fire in 1972. New growth is visible throughout the area, evidence that natural fires can renew the area as well as cause destruction. The Colorado Plateau on the left grows in beauty as the road leads deeper into the Monument. Bluffs of many colors rise in . the distance until suddenly Plug Hat Butte looms directly ahead. Be sure to pull off the road into the picnic area at Plug Hat and take the easy, flat, 15 minute hike through the juniper and pifion pines. Informational signs along the paved trail ' help interpret the flora and fauna of the area. The view overlooking Plug Hat and the Colorado Plateau is spectacular from this trail. Moving on, the Escalante Overlook comes into view. Turn left for parking and a good look at this region which was used for shelter by Native Americans for centuries. cen-turies. The area was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1776. Be alert for animals on the road. Not only is this open grazing country for cattle, but deer and antelope are also plentiful. Prarie dog towns are visible off in the distance dis-tance and on rare occasions even a marmot : might be seen loping along the road. . As the road rises, the trees change from pine to aspen, which thrive in the higher elevations, especially on the cooler north-facing north-facing slopes. In mis area is also the Canyon Overlook, a view of the Yampa and Red Rock Faults that formed a "stair- way" in the sandstone. The Green River ; lies 2,600 feet below the road. - Soon the Uinta Mountains come into view far off in the distance, soaring to 13,000 feet. These mountains make a love ly backdrop to the canyons of Harpers Corner. There are four more parking areas for overlook stops before reaching the end of the road. The first of these overlooks Echo Park's first ranch, the Chew family homestead, where the Yampa, Red Rock and Mitten Park Faults meet The second is the Island Park Overlook with a view of Diamond Mountain and Split Mountain Gorge. The third is the Iron Springs Bench Overtook, with fantastic layers of rock standing on end in this geological phenomenon. phenom-enon. Finally there is the overlook into Echo Park itself. This cliff rimmed meadow mead-ow is called a park because of the peaceful, peace-ful, relaxing nature of the area. At the end of the road is Harpers Corner, named after the rancher who used the canyon walls as a natural corral for his livestock. The trail in the area is rugged in spots, with rocks and tree roots covering the path and several steep climbs. The trail is two miles, round trip. Be sure to carry water. The view is worth the hike, and the smell of pine is nature's perfume. Returning along Harpers Corner Scenic Drive, the road down into Echo Park turns off to the left This road is ungraded dirt, filled with rocks and pits. It is extremely slippery when wet and even a four wheel drive vehicle should not make the trip during dur-ing rainy weather. However, if the road is dry and the vehicle vehi-cle is high clearance, it is worth the shaking shak-ing and rattling to put the truck in first gear and slowly make your way down the steep road into the Park itself. , Once down into Echo Park, watch for petroglyphs at the site of the Chew ranch. Walk into Whispering Cave and look for the initials PL, supposedly carved into the rock by an outlaw hiding in this rugged countryside. The Echo Park Road ends, near the Yampa and Green River junction with Steamboat Rock looming over a campground. This is a primitive campground camp-ground but clean drinking water is available avail-able at the site. - The Yampa Bench Road goes off to the ' See Echo Park on page 1 5 |