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Dinosaur National MonumentView from Rupple Point Trail
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Dinosaur National Monument
Ruple Point Trail
Overlooking rocks and river into canyon.

NPS PHOTO/Mike Weinstein

The Ruple Point trail is the best way to get a glimpse of inaccessible Split Mountain Canyon on foot.

Length: 8 miles round trip. Not a loop.
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult.
Trailhead location: At the Island Park Overlook on the Harpers Corner Auto Tour road 27 miles north of the Canyon Area Visitor Center.
Brochure: None.
Description: Most of the trail follows rolling terrain of sagebrush and juniper. The descent at the end brings you to a breathtaking view of Split Mountain Canyon.
Special considerations: There is no shade except at the very end of the trail. The trail is hard to follow as you descend at the end. The National Geographic Trails Illustrated map of Dinosaur National Monument is available from the park bookstore.

 
View across plateau to colorful rocks in distance.
NPS PHOTO/Mike Weinstein
The hike out to Ruple Point gives just a hint of the beauty that lies at the end of the trail.
 
View into canyon with river at bottom.
NPS PHOTO/Mike Weinstein
The view at Ruple Point is well worth the four-mile hike out to the point.
Photo of paleontologist Earl Douglass.  

Did You Know?
Paleontologist Earl Douglass first came to Utah looking for mammal fossils. He returned in 1909 and discovered an immense deposit of dinosaur bones, now protected at Dinosaur National Monument. Although made famous by dinosaurs, Douglass died preferring his beloved mammal fossils over dinosaurs.

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Last Updated: July 30, 2006 at 18:08 EST