9/17/20--Ely Creek Falls, Dinosaur National Monument, Vernal, Utah; 9 miles; 200' Elevation up and down; 4 hours.

We started our journey by driving thru Wyoming to Flaming Gorge. After stopping to see the dam, we drove to Vernal and then another 45 miles to Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery (the start of the Jones Hole Trail). Ely Creek joins Jones Hole Creek about 2.2 miles down the trail. Ely Falls is a small waterfall about .5 miles from Jones Hole Creek. As we came back to the Jones Hole Trail, we decided that we would continue to the Green River (another 1.8 miles). Along the way we saw 5 big horn sheep. Upon seeing the Green River, I knew why it is called the 'Green' River--it is green. We spent the night at the Green River campground in Dinosaur National Monument Park and visited the Wall of Bones the next day.

After this hike we drove back to Vernal and had something to eat. We then went to Dinosaur National Monument and camped at the Green River Campground. It was a Thursday night so we figured we would have no problem finding a site. There were 88 sites and only 3 were open. The host said that they had been full Wednesday night, too--people from California and Colorado coming to escape the smoke and forest fires. We hit the hay so we could visit the Wall of Bones the next day.

Dinosaur bones were discovered and excavated starting in 1909. Ten species of dinosaurs have been discovered. Earl Douglass suggested that one site should be left with the bones in the stone for future generations to see. This is the wall they left intact.