What Makes a Wilderness?
"A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” – The Wilderness Act, 1964
Looking across the landscape of Dinosaur National Monument, it is easy to understand why many describe this area as "wild.” The Green and Yampa rivers flow for 107 miles through remote canyons that are seen by only a few thousand people every year. Dinosaur's 211,000 acres are rich with places of stark beauty and quiet reflection, interspersed with the roar of whitewater rapids. Solitude is readily available. Natural sounds prevail. The stars are unmarred by the glow of city lights.
The National Park Service recommended over 200,000 acres of Dinosaur National Monument for designation as wilderness in 1978. With a final determination from Congress still pending, this rugged landscape continues to be managed in a way that preserves its wilderness character. Today, over 90% of the monument remains undeveloped without permanent structures or roads. Even if you never explore past the pavement, how does Dinosaur's wilderness affect you?
Caption: This map is from the 1978 wilderness recommendation for
this page online
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1978.
Location. 40° 27.101′ N, 109° 0.956′ W. Marker is near Dinosaur, Colorado, in Moffat County. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Maybell CO 81640, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Fight for the Heart of Dinosaur (approx. 4.4 miles away); Twentieth Century Homestead (approx. 8˝ miles away in Utah); A Real Pioneer (approx. 8.6 miles away in Utah); A Fremont Mystery (approx. 9.4 miles away in Utah); Are We There Yet? (approx. 9˝ miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2020, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 147 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 27, 2020, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
