Dinosaur Diamond
The Dinosaur Diamond is a 486-mile (782 km) scenic and historic byway loop through the dinosaur fossil laden Uinta Basin of the U.S. states of Utah and Colorado. The byway comprises the following two National Scenic Byways:
- The 328-mile (528 km) Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway in Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, and Grand counties, Utah; and
- The 134-mile (216 km) Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway in Garfield, Mesa, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado.
Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway | |
|---|---|
Dinosaur Diamond highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 486 mi (782 km) |
| Existed | 2002–present |
| Component highways | |
| Major junctions | |
| East end | US 50 / SH 340 Grand Junction, Colorado |
| West end | US 6 / US 191 Price, Utah |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Utah, Colorado |
| Counties | UT: Carbon, Duchesne, Grand, Emery CO: Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa |
| Highway system | |
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The highway forms a diamond-shaped loop with vertices at Moab, Helper, Vernal and Grand Junction.
Notable features along the Dinosaur Diamond include Dinosaur National Monument, the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Colorado National Monument, and several national forests.
The path of Interstate 70 (I‑70) in Colorado is derived from two previous highways, U.S. Highway 6 (US 6) and US 40. US 40 was an original piece of the U.S. Highway system commissioned in 1926. The portion now numbered US 6 came about in 1937 when the route over Vail Pass was paved. The first route through the path of I-70 in Utah was the Old Spanish Trail, a trade route between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. The trail was in common use before the Mexican–American War in 1848.