Why this ride
A one-way ride of 462 km, Grand Junction to Vernal - roughly 6 h 21 in the saddle. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,300 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway: Grand Junction to Vernal
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 462 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 21
- 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: planning record, not independently verified geometry.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distances and riding times are planning figures. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Grand Junction
Grand Junction sits where the Gunnison River flows into the Colorado, in the high desert of western Colorado, and it takes its name from that meeting of waters. Red sandstone mesas close it in on one side, the Book Cliffs on the other, and in between is a fertile valley full of orchards and vineyards. Peaches from nearby Palisade are famous in Colorado, and the town of Palisade has become a small wine region, with tasting rooms among the fruit farms. Orchard Mesa, a short way south, is part of the same agricultural belt.
Read the complete Grand Junction write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Grand Junction is where the day begins. Next is Dinosaur Colorado.
2. 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 comes up about 338 km into the recorded legs. Next is Vernal.
3. 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
The route ends here after 462 km.
Leg by leg
Grand Junction to Dinosaur Colorado
Grand Junction → Dinosaur Colorado is 338 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Dinosaur Colorado to Vernal
Dinosaur Colorado → Vernal is 124 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.