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Echo Park on RT?

tuckerman

New member
In my travels this summer, I was considering hitting up Dinosaur National Monument. Having never been there, would it be reasonable to take an RT down the dirt road to Echo Park Campground? Or should I say, unreasonable. I have a wee, but don't want to ride it that far for just one part of the trip. I know, I know, I should've gotten a GS. It's on the list!


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While I haven't personally been at the campground at the monument since late 1990's, the road was paved all the way to the monument campground (Green River CG) in UT. I am not aware of a campground called Echo Park CG on the CO side, where Echo Park road is, but that road is also paved.

There are campgrounds all around the Dinosaur National Monument (DNM), some close by, some not, most with paved access, but again some might not be, but the roads tend to be in good shape. Goggle map does show the roads and one can tell usually if the road has painted lines on it, good sign that the road is paved.

Myself, that area around DNM tends to be hot in the summer months and not too far north is Flaming Gorge, nice cool camping at the paved forest service CG and some free standing camping can be located, but with good logging roads usually around, pick a spot and enjoy. Flaming Gorge is a great place for a bike ride, I love those roads around it and run that route at least twice a year from Salt Lake area.
 
Thanks for the heads up on Flaming Gorge and I'm going to hit that up. This is the area I had heard about. It's right on the river and you can see petroglyphs on the rock walls. The pics in one of Docking Pilots trip reports made it look like a must see. Sometimes government warnings are a little hasty and not sure if I should heed this one or not.

http://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
 
I have never been to that CG before or down Echo Park RD to the Green river, so I cannot comment on the road to it. But for the most part, unless it rained recently, most dirt roads are not that bad in the inter-mountain area. This area tends to dry out pretty quick.

To be sure I would inquire at the DNM CO ranger station and get fresh updated information.

Canyon Visitor Center in Colorado
(970) 374-3000

"Park staff are available to answer questions about your trip to Dinosaur National Monument by phone, email or mail."
 
Us older riders ran rt's down plenty of gravel roads way before there ever was such a thing as a GS! My RT has been down 4x4 trails lots,it just dos'nt like mud which clogs up under the front fender but heck you just stop for 5 min. and remove the fender till you get back on the hard pack road.Taking just a GS down a dirt road for me IS a fallacy.A RT does just fine and it's a lot lower to the ground,(a airhead or a oilhead)it dos'nt matter.I have had lots of dirt bike riding before I ever got a licence for the road and I was standing up on the foot pegs way before GS's.I say just do it and be carefull and don't race,take your time. This pic I'm coming down a wooded trail that ends in the parking lot of the rock of gebraltier near devils lake that left other in the parking lot and they were amaized how well I did! Once on top there is a beautiful view on top of the rock with 3 foot wide paths next to the 200 foot cliffs that many won't walk on let alone drive a RT down no problem.
 

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This is the view once up on top and I might add it is very steep going up.There used to be a road up there but the forest took it back after the road was closed to cars more than 20 years ago.I don't need no GS!
 

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That's kinda what I've been thinking. I rode mine to Polebridge, MT, which was gravel and calcium chloride covered mud. It made a mess of the bike and was pretty slick. Got all that crap washed off at the first opportunity, but it still did a number on one of the pipes. I just didn't want to get halfway down the hill to Echo Park and run into something nasty, clearance wise.
 
For what it is worth. Just north of Echo Park road, on the north side of the Green River, is a road running from Maybell, CO to US 191 just north of Dutch John's UT - Route 318 - CO to 1364 UT (Browns Park Rd , UT).

A good part of that road, (about 20-ish miles) is dirt (CO state line toward Dutch John) and I done that on my K100LT in 2011. Dirty afterwards, yes, some washboard at places, going slow at places, loose sand/dirt, but normally going about 25-35 mph for most of it when on packed part. There was a lot of nothing on it (Browns Hole for the historic bit of outlaws), but still for the adventure, worth it.

Again for the most part, the dirt roads out this way usually are pretty good, unless it is or has rain recently in the summer months. Taking a street bike on them, it would be up to the person's skills on mostly pack dirt roads, single or two up. There could be loose dirt or sandy washes or mud holes anywhere at any time though. Slow down, lets some air out of the tires, pick your path and one should be OK on them.
 
I rode my K 1100 LT up Yankee Boy outside of Ouray. No problems.


1370648182.jpg

Folks on the 4 wheeler didn't like living on the edge. :thumb
 
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