While still in Asia, Jon and I pondered what to do upon our return to the USA. We had applied for the Peace Corps, but knew that we would have a period of time between our travels and departing again. As we tossed around various ideas, there was one that kept coming back to us that we thought worthwhile to pursue.
Back at the beginning of our trip, we stopped at the Petrified National Forest in Arizona. At one of the lookouts in the park, we happened upon a volunteer who was responsible for stopping when he saw tourists and telling them about the area. We chatted with him for a while and asked about his volunteer position within the park. In exchange for a set number of hours of work per week, he was given an apartment and small stipend to cover the gas he would use to drive around the park. The concept was intriguing, but as we had international travels on our horizon, we didn’t give it much thought.
From the paved road leading to headquarters, we decended into this valley and drove through a canyon to reach Echo Park.
Fast forward to our imminent return to the USA and we decided to look into volunteering with the National Park Service. We applied for five or six different positions scattered throughout the country – tending a cabin in Oregon, helping restore an old farm in Virginia, and being campground hosts in Colorado. We didn’t hear back about most of the applications, but after a couple of weeks, received an email from the Chief Ranger at Dinosaur National Monument. He had an opening for campground hosts for August, September, and October if we were available and interested. We said yes immediately and set about making plans for our volunteer experience.
Dinosaur National Monument straddles the northwestern corner of Colorado and the northeastern corner of Utah. Approximately two-thirds of the park is in Colorado with the remainder in Utah. The park was created in 1915 and has since expanded from 80 acres to its current size of over 200,000 acres. The name comes from the quarry of dinosaur bones that were discovered in 1909 and are still being excavated today. The Green and Yampa Rivers flow through the park and were similarly situated during the times of the dinosaurs. Scientists and historians surmise that there was a flood that killed the dinosaurs living in the area. As the flood receded, the bones of the animals all settled at the bottom of the river banks. These bones were covered with thousands of years’ worth of dirt, sand, and rocks, preserving them for us to find.
The two most prevalent dinosaurs found in the quarry are bones from the Camarasaurus and Allosaurus.
While the dinosaur bone quarry is undoubtedly the main draw for many visitors, the park offers so much more than that. There is a strong history of homesteading and exploration in the area. Old homesteads, such as Josie Morris’ cabin and the Chew Ranch, remain as open-air museums for people to learn about the ways of the settlers. Stories of explorers such as John Wesley Powell who traversed the land and navigated the rivers, offer a rich insight into the determination of men to survey and discover unknown corners of our country.
The old Chew Ranch homestead still stands on the road to Echo Park.
Within Dinosaur National Monument, there are five campgrounds available for use. We would be living and working at Echo Park, arguably the most remote and secluded. Based at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers, Echo Park is named because of the canyon walls that stretch hundreds of feet above the valley. Echoes of rafters coming down the river can be heard long before they reach the campground and the stone walls reflect the sounds of the campers. Nestled between the canyon walls and rivers, it is a special, set-aside part of the park for those seeking a bit of seclusion and privacy.
The Green River stretches through the park, providing a nice spot for the aptly named Green River Campground, where we stayed for two nights before moving into our cabin.
We were apprehensive and excited to see Echo Park and our cabin for the first time when we arrived at the end of July. The Chief Ranger met us and led the way down winding, gravel and dirt roads. We quickly realized just how remote our campground was; it took us about an hour and twenty minutes to make the drive from the visitor’s center to our campground. We finally arrived and were shown around our cabin and the campground, going over the responsibilities associated with both. After an hour or so of instruction, we were left on our own to unpack and make the cabin our home for the next three months.
This is the view from above Echo Park – our cabin is in the lower part of the picture, with the Green River and Steamboat Rock in the center and upper part.