National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Dinosaur National Monumentpetroglyph at McKee Springs
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Dinosaur National Monument
Scenic Drives

Tour of the Tilted Rocks

Tour of the Tilted Rocks is an 11-mile (one-way) auto tour route along Cub Creek Road, starting near the Temporary Visitor Center north of Jensen, Utah. Guidebooks are available for a small fee at either visitor center, or at a self-service post near the beginning of the route.

Features along the route include:

  • petroglyph and pictograph panels
  • Josie Bassett Cabin - a log cabin built in 1913
  • excellent views of geologic features and formations
  • views of and access to the Green River
  • hiking trailheads

Wildlife can often be seen, including mule deer, prairie dogs, and many bird species.

The last two miles of the route are unpaved but well maintained. The last three to four miles are unplowed in the winter and are generally not passable by car.

Fuel, food, and other services are not available along this route. The nearest services are in Jensen, seven miles from the Temporary Visitor Center at the start of the auto tour.


 

Journey through Time

The Harpers Corner Scenic Drive is a 31-mile (one-way) auto tour route from the Canyon Area Visitor Center to Harpers Corner. Guidebooks are available for a small fee at either visitor center, or at a self-service post just past the Canyon Area Visitor Center parking lot.

Dinosaur fossils are not located in this section of the park.

The route goes by colorful Plug Hat Butte, which contains a wheelchair-accessible trail and a picnic area. As the road continues to gain elevation, the scenery reflects the changing ecosystems. The last 12 miles include several striking viewpoints and overlooks, some as high as 2500 feet above the Green and Yampa rivers. Steamboat Rock hides the confluence of the two rivers from view at the Echo Park overlook. A one-mile (one-way) trail at the end of the route leads to a vista with nearly 300 degree views into Whirlpool, Lodore, and Yampa canyons.

Fuel, food, and other services are not available along this route. The nearest services are in Dinosaur, Colorado, two miles west of the Canyon Area Visitor Center on Highway 40. Harpers Corner Drive is closed at Plug Hat Butte on January 1 of each year, or when heavy snow falls. The road reopens in the spring when conditions allow.

Raft going through rapids.  

Did You Know?
Whitewater rafting is a popular way to experience the remote canyon areas at Dinosaur National Monument. You can take a licensed commercial rafting trip or you can tackle the river on your own, provided you have a permit, the correct equipment and the necessary experience.

Last Updated: January 17, 2009 at 14:48 EST