Dinosaur National Monument announced Friday that the Yampa Bench Road has fully reopened. According to their press release, Yampa Bench Road experienced significant damage from a recent thunderstorm. Early on August 3rd, a thunderstorm passed over the Yampa Bench Road area. Later that day, monument staff received notice from visitors that they encountered a washed-out area on the road. A subsequent patrol of the road revealed significant road damage in several areas. In the interest of public safety, the road was closed from the monument’s east boundary to the junction with the Echo Park Road pending repairs. Monument and Moffat County road crews worked efficiently and collaboratively to repair the road. The Yampa Bench Road is an 18-mile unpaved road that travels above the Yampa River. High clearance vehicles are advised for this road under normal conditions. The Echo Park area including the Echo Park Campground remained open throughout this closure but had to be accessed from the Harpers Corner Road. This closure did not affect visitor access to the Quarry Visitor Center or the Quarry Exhibit Hall where visitors can see the dinosaur fossils.
