White River Museum

 The White and Yampa river valleys and the mountains of eastern Utah and western Utah were the territories of the White River Ute tribe but by 1878 they had been forced onto a reservation west of Meeker, Colorado. The incompetence of the Indian agent and a shortage of food and other promised supplies lead to an uprising which culminated in the tribe being relocated to an already established Ute reservation in Utah. 

The land was soon put to use by settlers who began large ranching and farming operations. Some ranches are now managed by the forth generation of the original settlers and it appears that they and other area residents saved everything and donated it to the museum. The rambling rooms of the museum are crammed full. Most of it is not categorized but the museum staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions. 

The museum is housed in a 1880 barracks built for U.S. Army officers who resided in the town after the uprising. The army left after three years when they were no longer needed and the building was sold to the town. 

The museum is fairly accessible but there are two dangerously steep ramps that bridge changes in elevation between the rooms. Some of the exhibits have narrow passageways. 

Parking is on the street. The sidewalks do not have curb cuts. Museum  40.0386, -107.91361

 

Rio Blanco Lake Camping

It's always a good idea to do your own research when deciding on a camping spot. I use Campendium often because I like the reviews and photos that other campers post. Lake Blanco looked like a good spot to spend a night but I didn't read everything on the Campendium page which could have resulted in a large fine. 

 Most of the reviewers stayed in the parking lots at the boat ramp or picnic area but a few followed the dirt road and parked on the south side of the lake. All of this is part of the Rio Blanco Lake State Wildlife Area. We found a level spot in the lot next to the boat ramp and settled in for the night. We didn't notice the small print at the bottom of the welcome sign until the next morning. 

I looked it up on the state website, and yikes, we could have been fined $139.50 each for not having passes. A yearly pass for a youth/senior pass is only $11.73 so there's little reason to risk getting a fine. Scroll down on the website to find more wildlife areas. I can't find a filter for camping but each area has the information.

It is possible to stay near the lake for free by going south on the dirt road west of the lake then east onto BLM land designated by the brighter yellow on this map. Camping 40.09119, -108.20791

 

 

Dinosaur National Monument - Colorado

Harpers Corner Road Scenic Drive is the main attraction in the Colorado section of Dinosaur National Monument. There aren't any dinosaur bones in this section; to see the dinosaur bones you must go to the section in Utah. 

The scenic drive is 31 miles one way with a trail at the end that runs along a ridge - easy but not accessible. The road climbs from US 40 and passes through high desert, sagebrush covered plateaus with pull offs to view the canyons. Many of the interpretive signs and viewpoints can be seen without leaving your vehicle.

We were treated to the spring wildflower bloom. :)

Two paved accessible trails with great viewpoints start at Plug Hat Butte Picnic Area. The picnic area trail makes a loop and connects to the unpaved Bull Canyon View Trail which is accessible with assistance. The Bull Canyon Rim Trail that branches off from the Canyon View Trail may also be accessible with assistance since it travels along the fairly flat rim but we did not try it. 

 

The Plug Hat Trail, across the road from the picnic area, is an out and back trail that travels along a ridge and has easily accessed views. 

Iron Springs Bench Trail, almost to the end of the scenic road, is the only other trail that's paved. It's considered accessible but it's steep. It has a wonderful view at the end of a short climb. 

 

Only a small section of Harpers Corner Road is actually in the monument. The surrounding land is a patchwork of BLM, undeveloped private land, and remote ranches. We planned to camp on BLM land off of Blue Mountain Road/Route 16 but decided the large pull on Route 16, just off of Harpers Corner Road, would do fine for a night. There's very little traffic on Harpers Corner Road so we had a quiet, restful night. Monument  40.24323, -108.97383

Dinosaur National Monument - Utah

The monument covers 210,844 acres, stretching from eastern Utah into western Colorado. The major attractions- the Quarry Exhibit Hall and Harpers Corner Road scenic drive - are both easily accessed from US 40. Roads also go to launch points for river trips on the Yampa and Green Rivers and a couple of dirt roads run west to east through the monument but 90% is managed as a wilderness. 

The section in Utah contains a visitor center, the dinosaur quarry discovered in 1909, a scenic drive with trails and petroglyphs, Josie Bassett Morris's homestead, and two campgrounds.  

 The visitor center has a short video and exhibits about the monument. The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. During the summer season a shuttle bus that goes to the Quarry Exhibit. The shuttle is not accessible so visitors may drive their own vehicle to the quarry. The quarry parking lot is small and there may not always be an available space. 

The Quarry Exhibit has two levels and features a huge slab of the Morrison Formation with over 1,500 fossilized dinosaur bones. A long ADA ramp accesses the balcony level but there's also access on the ground level. The entire slab can be seen from the ground level and most of the exhibits are on the ground level.

Pick up a road guide for the Cub Creek Scenic Drive at the visitor center or at the start of the drive. The drive has 15 stops with scenic views, petroglyphs, and trails. Most of the stops have interpretive signs that can be viewed without leaving your vehicle. The pull offs are large enough for short RVs. None of the trails are accessible but most of the scenic views and some of the petroglyphs can be seen from your vehicle. The two short dirt spur roads are not suitable for RVs.

The last two miles are well maintained dirt road, suitable for short RVs. The road dead ends at a small parking lot at the homestead site of Josie Bassett Morris. Josie was very independent and lived alone for fifty years raising cattle, pigs, chickens, geese, and growing fruits and vegetables. The site has her log house, outbuildings, and two trails. We were hoping that some portion of the site would be accessible but the trails are too rough and the house has a fence around it with a narrow zigzag opening. 

We camped at Green River Campground in site 67 in C Loop. C Loop appears to be an original loop with small parking pads so very few people were camping in it. It's the only loop that is always first come first serve. Site 41 is the only accessible site and is well laid out with a large parking pad and pavement under the table which extends to a high fire ring and a low grill. A paved path goes to the vault toilet. Monument   40.43828, -109.30809