Dinosaur Nat'l Monument Sees Increasing Visitation

From KJCT News: Dinosaur Nat'l Monument Sees Increasing Visitation
DINOSAUR, Colo. -- Park visitation numbers are rising at Dinosaur National Monument.

From 2010 to 2011, roughly 16,000 more people took in the sights at the new Quarry Visitor Center.

“Visitation increased from 198,544 visits in 2010 to 214,291 in 2011, a 7.93% increase," announced Superintendent Mary Risser. "For just the month of December, we recorded 1,629 visitors at the new Quarry Visitor Center, compared to 144 at our temporary facility the previous year."

"Many of these visits came during the weeks around the holiday, as area residents brought family and friends visiting from out of town to the new facility.”

Dinosaur National Monument covers more than 210,000 acres along the border of Colorado and Utah. In addition to the world famous dinosaur fossils, the monument also features two rivers renown for white-water rafting and boating, numerous petroglyph sites and other evidence of human habitation extending back over 7,000 years.

It also boasts an array of plant and animal life, campgrounds, trails and scenic drives.

“While there is no way to predict what the monument’s visitation may be in the future, having the dinosaur quarry open to visitors again definitely increases the monument’s draw,” commented Risser. “We are preparing for what we hope will be a busy summer.”

For more information about Dinosaur National Monument, visit its website. You can also find the monument on Facebook and Twitter or call (435) 781-7702 with any questions.