Why this ride
The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,300 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway: Dinosaur Colorado to Moab
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 421 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 16
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Dinosaur Colorado
The little town of Dinosaur, Colorado, has streets named for its famous residents: Brontosaurus Boulevard, Stegosaurus Freeway, Triceratops Terrace. It lies in the arid country of the far north-west corner of the state, just east of the Utah line, in the Uinta Basin, a land of red rock, juniper and dust. The surrounding hills are banded in pink, grey and rust, and the sky is huge. Rangely, about twenty-four kilometres east, is the nearest sizeable settlement and the practical place for fuel and supplies.
Read the complete Dinosaur Colorado write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dinosaur Colorado is where the day begins. Next is Vernal.
2. Vernal
The town has about eleven thousand people, with a long main street, a few motels and diners, and a museum of natural history with a collection of dinosaur skeletons, including a life-size model garden with creatures that appear to lurk beside the road. The surrounding country is red and tan rock, sagebrush, and dry river valleys, with the high, snowy Uinta Mountains standing to the north.
Read the complete Vernal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Vernal comes up about 55 km into the recorded legs. Next is Moab.
3. Moab
Moab sits in a green strip of valley beside the Colorado River, surrounded by red sandstone cliffs, and it is the main base for exploring the canyon country of southeastern Utah. At about 1,200 metres, it is a small town of five thousand people, though in the busy seasons it feels much larger. Arches National Park lies just five kilometres north, Canyonlands is a short ride southwest, and the roads in and out are as scenic as any in the country, with long views of red rock, blue sky and the La Sal Mountains, which stay capped with snow into early summer.
Read the complete Moab write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 421 km.
Leg by leg
Dinosaur Colorado to Vernal
Dinosaur Colorado → Vernal is 55 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Vernal to Moab
Vernal → Moab is 366 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.