• Camarasaurus skull still embedded in the quarry face

    Dinosaur

    National Monument CO,UT

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  • Ely Creek Backcountry Campsites Closed

    The Ely Creek backcountry campsites located along the Jones Hole Trail have been closed until further notice due to bear activity in the area. More »

  • Numerous Campsites Closed in the Green River Campground

    A recent tree assessment of the Green River Campground identified potential safety issues with numerous cottonwood trees, requiring us to close many of the campsites. Please plan ahead so that you are not disappointed if the campground is full. More »

Quarry Construction Background

Quarry Visitor Center before closure
Quarry Visitor Center before closure
NPS Image
 

The Quarry Visitor Center has experienced continuing problems with foundation movement since its construction on expansive soils in 1957. The building was closed in July 2006 due to the serious life and safety hazards caused by this movement.

In April 2009, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a $13.1 million investment to demolish and replace condemned portions of the Quarry Visitor Center at Dinosaur National Monument. The Quarry Visitor Center project is one of nearly 800 projects totaling $750 million that can be completed across the country with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Advanced Solutions Group, L.L.C. (ASG) out of Kaysville, Utah was selected for the project and began work mid-March, 2010. The construction is scheduled to last between 12 and 18 months. The visitor center reopening is anticipated to be fall 2011. A temporary visitor center just outside the park boundary about 4 miles north of Jensen, Utah on route 149 will serve visitors until the new facilities are open.

Get updates of progress on our construction blog.

 
cracks, shifting, and warping
Significant damage due to soil movement led to the emergency closure of the Quarry Visitor Center in July 2006.
NPS Images

Did You Know?

Picture of mormon cricket perched on a blade of grass.

Mormon crickets are wingless grasshoppers that swarm across roads through the summer in the western United States. These flightless insects can form such large swarms that the road appears to move and change colors where they cross.