Last updated: June 4, 2022
Place
Escalante Overlook
NPS / Molly Swindle
Quick Facts
Location:
Harpers Corner Road
Significance:
Scenic Overlook
Amenities
4 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible
The broad valley before you, ringed by mountains, is called the Uinta Basin. Here, animals and plants from the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Rocky Mountains come together to form a unique mix of ecosystems. The diversity of life within Dinosaur is enhanced by drastic elevation changes, ranging from 4750 to 9000 feet (1448 to 2743 m).
Some plants, like manzanita (a green, round-leafed shrub), have very specific habitat needs. The only place within the monument with the right combination of soil type, sun exposure, and moisture level to support manzanita is here at Escalante Overlook. Some species, like arrowleaf balsamroot (a yellow-flowering plant with wavy arrow-shaped leaves), are less picky and more widespread.
For the remainder of the Harpers Corner Drive, desert shrubland species such as greasewood give way to the sagebrush steppe, a grassland ecosystem characterized by the dominance of sagebrush and shrubs. As their names imply, the sagebrush sparrow and greater sage-grouse are two birds who rely on this habitat for their survival. Semi-desert woodlands characterized by pinyon pine and Utah juniper occasionally intermix with the sagebrush, attracting a variety of birds. Some of these include the Clark's nutcracker (a jay-sized bird colored gray, black, and white) and the juniper titmouse (a tiny all-gray bird with a tiny, adorable crest on its head).
Some plants, like manzanita (a green, round-leafed shrub), have very specific habitat needs. The only place within the monument with the right combination of soil type, sun exposure, and moisture level to support manzanita is here at Escalante Overlook. Some species, like arrowleaf balsamroot (a yellow-flowering plant with wavy arrow-shaped leaves), are less picky and more widespread.
For the remainder of the Harpers Corner Drive, desert shrubland species such as greasewood give way to the sagebrush steppe, a grassland ecosystem characterized by the dominance of sagebrush and shrubs. As their names imply, the sagebrush sparrow and greater sage-grouse are two birds who rely on this habitat for their survival. Semi-desert woodlands characterized by pinyon pine and Utah juniper occasionally intermix with the sagebrush, attracting a variety of birds. Some of these include the Clark's nutcracker (a jay-sized bird colored gray, black, and white) and the juniper titmouse (a tiny all-gray bird with a tiny, adorable crest on its head).