The Gates of Lodore is not the only beautiful natural attraction of Dinosaur National Monument that has little to do with dinosaurs. The Harper's Corner area is another featured place in Dinosaur National Monument well worth seeing even if no dinosaurs are involved.
The drive to the Harper's Corner Trail's trailhead involves turning off of U.S. 40 onto Harper's Corner Road just east of the small town of Dinosaur (formerly known as Artesia), Colorado.
There are multiple pull-offs and parking lots for various overlooks on the way up Harpers Corner Road on the way to the Harpers Corner Trail.
The Dinosaur National Monument Harpers Corner Road webpage states, "The Harpers Corner Scenic Drive is a 31-mile (50 km) one-way auto tour route from the Canyon Visitor Center to Harpers Corner. Dinosaur fossils are not located in this section of the park."
The Harper's Corner Road page also states, "As the road gains in elevation, the scenery reflects the changing ecosystems.The last 12 miles (19 km) include several striking viewpoints and overlooks, some as high as 2500 feet (762 m) above the Green and Yampa rivers. All overlooks along the route are wheelchair accessible. The Harpers Corner Road is also the jumping-off point for several paved paths and hiking trails."
It's also important to note these warnings on the Harpers Corner Road webpage (I added emphasis): "Fuel, food, water, and other services are not available along this route. Vault toilets are located at picnic areas and a few overlooks along the route. The nearest services are in Dinosaur, Colorado, two miles west of the Canyon Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 40."
The similar page "Drive the Harpers Corner Road" talks about characteristics of Harpers Corner Road that appeal to visitors (my emphasis): "While there aren't any dinosaur fossils in this section of the park, Harpers Corner Road offers a perfect getaway for those looking to escape noise and crowds. The road is lined with striking viewpoints and overlooks into Dinosaur's scenic canyon country. The last section includes views from as high as 2500 feet (762 m) above the Green and Yampa rivers. Harpers Corner Road is also the jumping-off point for several paved paths and hiking trails. All overlooks along the route are wheelchair accessible."
Although we've seen potentially scarier drives in other mountainous areas such as the Million Dollar Highway and even Rocky Mountain National Park, this drive might make someone not used to mountain driving a bit nervous. The road conditions are described on the "Drive the Harpers Corner Road" webpage: "The road is accessible for most RVs and trailers. It is winding and ascends nearly 1,600 feet (484 m) in elevation. Low gear is required near the Plug Hat Butte Area. Steep drops away from the road are visible in several places."
We visited on Father's Day weekend (June) and the road conditions were great, but Dinosaur National Monument's page "Harpers Corner Road" warns that "Harper's Corner Drive is closed at Plug Hat Butte when heavy snow falls" and adds that "the road reopens in spring when conditions allow."
Speaking of the Plug Hat Butte area, it offers an easy 1/2-mile loop trail with some striking views.
The webpage for Plug Hat Trail describes this trail: "This level trail on top of a butte affords excellent views of the surrounding landscape and provides an introduction to the pinyon pine-Utah juniper community. The trail is paved and wheelchair accessible. Some assistance may be needed. A wheelchair-accessible picnic area is located across the road from the trailhead."
There is a useful map of Harper's Corner Road on the "Drive the Harpers Corner Road" page:
The "Drive the Harpers Corner Road" page states that this drive takes most drivers "about 45 minutes to an hour to drive the Harpers Corner Road one-way, without stops." It adds, "Round-trip, this road usually takes a minimum of 1.5 to 2 hours to drive." However, with several difficult-to-resist overlooks and trails along the way, I suspect most people spend more time than that in the area. Another great overlook along the route is Canyon Overlook.
As beautiful and dramatic as the views are from the overlooks and trails on Harpers Corner Road, the main motivation for taking this road is the Harpers Corner Trail at the end of the road.
The Dinosaur National Monument webpage "Harpers Corner Trail" describes this 3-miles (1.5 miles each direction) hike as "moderate."
The "Harpers Corner Trail" page also provide this description of the hike, "Trail starts with a short descent but is then fairly level with a few moderate ups and downs. The end of the trail features an overlook with sweeping views of the river canyons with the Green River 2,500 feet (762 meters) below."
The Harpers Corner Trail Guide is available at the trailhead and a $1 USD donation is encouraged in exchange for the guide. About the trail, the guide states, "2 miles (3.2 kilometers) round trip" and "allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the walk." The guide features descriptions of 16 points that are marked on the trail with small brown posts with corresponding numbers.
The views along both sides of the Harpers Corner Trail are spectacular.
There are, of course, birds and other wildlife to be seen.
The trails ends at a point where a guard fence is in place to prevent visitors from falling off the side while overwhelmed with dramatic views all around them.
The Harpers Corner Trail Guide briefly describes this trail: "Welcome to the canyon country of Dinosaur National Monument. In 1938 President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the original monument by adding overr 200,000 acres of land encompassing the Green and Yampa River Canyons, including the Harpers Corner area."
The dramatic nature of the vistas at the end of the Harpers Corner Trail cannot be captured adequately by camera. Seeing these views while feeling the relatively strong breeze is exhilirating.
As I mentioned in the post about the Gates of Lodore, Dinosaur National Monument feels like a national park. The fact that it has two visitors centers adds to that sense. The Canyon Visitors Center is located where U.S. Highway 40 and Harper's Corner Road meet.
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