Rabbit Valley, Colorado - Dinosaur Fossils In The Wild - Elk Creek Campground, Gunnison, CO

We have moved twice since the last blog post.  We left Moab and traveled to Rabbit Valley Camping Area (BLM - Free Camping) near Grand Junction, Colorado.  The reason for stopping here was to get some service done on the truck at the Dodge dealer in Grand Junction (we haven't been near any Dodge dealers for a while and the truck was due for maintenance).   We were at Rabbit Valley for 5 days and left this morning for Elk Creek Campground near Gunnison, Colorado. Elk Creek Campground is in the Curecanti National Recreation Area.  This is an interim stop on the way to Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Our route to Rabbit Valley and then on to  Elk Creek Campground

Our site at Elk Creek Campground on Blue Mesa Reservoir  - Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest lake in Colorado with 96 miles of shoreline and an area of 14.3 Square Miles.  It is located at 7500+ ft. so we expect some chilly nights while we are here.

View through back window of camper

Meanwhile, back at Rabbit Valley, we had a cattle drive go by our campsite one evening, complete with cowboys on horses. In addition to camping, most BLM land can be used for open range grazing land for cattle - cattle roaming about the campsites is pretty common on BLM land but this is the first cattle drive we have seen.

Also at Rabbit Valley, right near the camping area was a hiking trail called the "Trail Through Time" that is an active dinosaur fossil study area where excavations are still going on.  The trail has a number of partial dinosaur skeleton fossils that were left in place as it was impractical to remove them.  The sign below shows what you are looking at in the next picture.

This one is easier to make out

This one is pretty clear in person but is so long that it doesn't photograph well

Near the campsite we found a couple of geocaches - this one was named "Bone Hunter's Tomb" - note the coffin shaped box that held the geocache

It rained much of the time we were at Rabbit Valley which caused a lot of desert wildflowers to bloom

Close-up of above

Arches National Park/Canyonlands National Park

On Wednesday we went to Arches National Park which is just 5 miles North of Moab, UT.  This is a great park and well worth seeing.

View on the drive into the park

"Three Gossips" Rock Formation

"Sheep Rock"

Balanced Rock (3600 ton boulder on a sandstone base - 128 feet tall)

Another view of balanced rock

More arches

"Double Arch"

"Delicate Arch" - you really have to earn this one - it is a 3 mile hike to see this - all uphill on the way in (1.5 mi.) - very strenuous.  You can drive to a viewpoint from across the canyon but we decided to do the hike as this is the most famous arch in the park. Note La Sal Mountains in background.

Donna under the arch for scale

"Sand Dune Arch"

"Broken Arch"

"Tunnel Arch"

Thursday we went to Canyonlands National Park which is actually closer to where we are staying as the crow flies but is about 40 miles further than Arches by road due to where the entrance is located.  Canyonlands is a great National Park as they all are but I think because we went to the Grand Canyon and Arches before we went to Canyonlands, we were not as impressed with it.

Mesa Arch (La Sal Mountains in background - near where we are staying)

La Sal Mountains in background - near where we are staying

"Upheaval Dome" - scientists are not sure if this 2 mile diameter crater is the result of a meteorite impact or of a natural geologic uplift but recent research has uncovered data that leans towards a meteorite impact

Panoramic view of the crater (click to enlarge)

Panoramic view from one of the many lookout points (click to enlarge)

Bluff, Utah - Fort Bluff, Moab, Utah BLM Camping

We moved from Mexican Hat, UT to Moab, UT this week with a two day stop at a campground with full hook-ups in Bluff, UT.  While in Bluff we visited Fort Bluff, a Mormon outpost established in 1880.  While in Moab we plan to visit Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

Our Route

Our campsite in Moab (bottom center)

The view from our camper - 12,000 Ft. La Sal Mountains in background

Fort Bluff in Bluff, UT

This wagon traveled the famous Hole In The Rock Trail constructed by the Mormons

One of the original settlers cabins that was part of the fort

Flag at half mast in memory of Barbara Bush

The Sand Island Petroglyph Panel (near Bluff) is one of the finest and largest  examples of easily accessible Anasazi rock art .   It is comprised of over 100 yards of rock art.