funtravlr

Is this park worth the trip? Any thoughts, ideas please! I read their main exhibit building is closed and want to decide whether to go there after we leave Grand Junction and Colorado National Monument.

emalloy

If you are interested in Native American rock art, it is fantastic. When we were there last year the VC on the Utah side, near Vernal was still under construction. The day we were there they were not doing ranger led walks up by the dinosaur tracks/bones, so I can't comment on how that would be or if the construction is done as it seems to have been going on for a very long time. If you would like to see pictures of some of the rock art go to www.flickr.com/photos/emalloy2009/sets in the 2010 set.

usroadman

We did a quick ride through on the main access road a few years ago when we were passing by on US-40. All we saw was scenery, nothing dinosaur related (like you said, building was closed). The nice thing about the park was that even in mid-summer there was nobody there (saw maybe 10 other cars in the 2 or so hours we were there). I love that feeling of seclusion, but don't think I'd make a special trip from Grand Junction. The views from the main road are nothing compared to what you'll see at Colorado NM. I've read that some of the canyons are more impressive than the route we took, but unless someone else visited and strongly endorses, I'd opt for something around Moab, UT instead.

Gretchen

You are going from Denver to Grand Junction by your other postand ask "what to see". I think a little more info would help.
There are great dinosaur sites very near Denver in Morrison if you want that. Near CO Springs in Woodland Park there is a really good museum where you can see them working or restoring the bones of some artifacts.
Is there an end point to Grand Junction in particular?

funtravlr

Grand Junction is the furthest we are going with tentative plans to head north to Dinosaur, then head back east through Craig, Steamboat Springs and follow 40 back down to 1-70. Only have 5 days including flight days out of Denver. My husband has always wanted to go to Dinosaur but I am skeptical if its worth it.

emalloy

Go to www.nps.gov and search for Dinosaur NM. Last time I checked, construction on the VC was not due to be complete until October 2011. The site will give you an idea if it would be worth the trip.

Gretchen

Just curious--haven't been to Dinosaur, but several years ago took our grands on a "dinosaur" tour. I looked at things --maybe that, and thendiscovered that the Denver environs are dinosaur central in Colorado. We did day trips from Denver, since DS lives there. There is a wonderful site near the Royal Gorge that we didn't get to, but that would certainly give two superb sights/sites in one area. There were oceans over Denver!! REally hard to believe. Dinosaur Ridge just on the edge of Denver has some WONderful tracks, and a small museum. There is more at Morrison--near where Red Rocks is.

tomfuller

My Colorado map shows a Dinosaur Journey Museum just west of Grand Junction in Fruita.
If you want to see dinosaur tracks in the wild (no museum) I can tell you how to find them about 23 miles north of Moab UT which is closer than going all the way to Dinosaur National Monument.
There is also a nice prehistoric museum in Price Utah.

funtravlr

Thanks for all the replies. I will surely look into some alternatives.