Dinosaur Diamond

Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway
Dinosaur Diamond highlighted in red
Route information
Length	486 mi[1] (782 km)
Existed	2002–present
Component highways	US 191 US 40 SH 64 SH 139 I-70 / US 6 / US 50 SR-128
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
Scenic Byways National National Forest BLM NPS
Colorado State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
Utah State Highway System Interstate US State Minor Scenic

The Dinosaur Diamond is a 486-mile (782 km)^[1] scenic and historic byway loop through the dinosaur fossil laden Uinta Basin of the U.S. states of Utah and Colorado.^[2] 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;^[3] and
• The 134-mile (216 km) Dinosaur Diamond National Scenic Byway in Garfield, Mesa, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado.^[4][5]

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.