Dinosaur National Monument

It takes a concerted effort to reach the Gates of Lodore Campground in Dinosaur National Monument, but the payoff is a peaceful, historic setting with a river out your tent or RV door for evading summer's heat.

As the country endeavors to become more and more energy independent, new techniques for extracting oil and gas from beneath the landscape are greatly expanding the footprint of energy exploration in the country. These efforts have greatly increased the production of oil and natural gas in the United States, and they also are creating problems when the drilling operations turn up on the doorsteps of national parks.

With April having arrived, facilities are opening and visitor center hours are extending at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado.

Group campsites at Dinosaur National Monument's Split Mountain Campground in Utah can now be reserved on-line for spots during the peak months of mid-April through early October.