Ouray National Wildlife Refuge and Fantasy Canyon

 South of Vernal, Utah, are a couple of sites we decided to visit.

The Ouray National Wildlife Refuge is an area along the Green River set aside to provide a stop for migrating waterfowl.

The bluffs along the river are part of the Morrison Formation.

We saw many migrating Sandhill Cranes along the river.

There were also several Pronghorns.

A few miles from the refuge is Fantasy Canyon, a small BLM managed site where sandstones and mudstones are rapidly eroding into intricate and fantastical shapes.

Dinosaur National Monument - Part 4

We visited a couple of sites within the monument where ranches had once existed.

Josie Morris Cabin
Josie Bassett Morris homesteaded in 1913 and lived here for 50 more years.

Her chicken coop

In the parking area was this cute trailer.
(likely built by Hobbits)

At the end of the Island Park Road is the site of the Ruple Ranch, homesteaded in 1882.

 A ranch outbuilding

Corrals

Fall color at the ranch site

Dinosaur National Monument - Part 3

 Scattered over much of Utah are many panels of Native American rock art attributed to the Fremont Culture.  Some examples within Dinosaur National Monument, possibly as old as 2,000 years, are documented and relatively easy to access.

Swelter Shelter Site

An unpublished site we happened upon

Cub Creek area

McKee Spring site

 

 

Dinosaur National Monument - Part 2

 Dinosaur National Monument has some spectacular scenery and interesting geology.  Many areas also had nice fall color during this visit.

This is Split Mountain.
The Green River winds right through the middle of it.

 

 

Split Mountain Campground near where the Green River exits the mountain

 

A little further downriver is the Green River Campground.

Typical monument scenes

 

 

Fall color reflected by the Green River

This outcrop clearly shows the "cross-bedded" layers of a petrified sand dune.

This formation is called "Turtle Rock".

There are many exposures of the Morrison geologic formation in Dinosaur National Monument.  The Morrison Formation contains these striking colorfully layered hills and is famous for containing Jurassic age dinosaur fossils.

Along the Island Park Road

The Island Park area along the Green River

A great lunch spot!

Mouse seen during our lunch stop

A pair of chipmunks "nose-to-nose"