Two-Lane Tidbit: Dinosaur, CO

In the far northwest corner of Colorado, the westernmost town in the state, Dinosaur, welcomes visitors as they head to Dinosaur National Monument. Originally named Baxter Springs for the couple that owned the town, in the 1930s the town was more frequently referred to as Artesia and was officially incorporated as such in 1947. In the 1930s, a local oil boom in nearby Rangely led to the construction of gas stations, hotels, and entertainment for the oilmen along the newly built US Highway 40. By the late 1930s, the town was home to Wiley’s Resort which housed hotels, a cafe, a dance hall, a grocery store, and a park. In the 1960s, the name was changed to Dinosaur to capitalize on its proximity to the national monument. Now just a sleepy town that is home to a few hundred residents, Dinosaur has a few cool abandoned buildings, including an old motel, and lots of large dinosaurs to greet you at the local town park.

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