Colorado · National Monument trail

Sound of Silence Trail Stop 5

in Colorado

The rounded bluffs of Nugget Sandstone towering above you are remnants of a vast desert that once covered much of what is now the western United States. Thin diagonal layers called cross-beds formed as wind blown sand dunes moved across the desert 200 million years ago. The steep fronts of these dunes were hundreds of feet high.

Trace fossils in the Nugget Sandstone include the tracks of scorpions, spiders, and Brasilichnium, an early relative of mammals. Bones from an early Triassic dinosaur have also been found in this rock layer.

States: Colorado
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid nearest city: Salt Lake City, UT · 139 mi · ~4 hr drive
Centroid coords: 40.4427°, -109.2800°

About Dinosaur National Monument

National Monument

This trail is inside Dinosaur National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/sound-of-silence-trail-stop-5.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Sound of Silence Trail Stop 5 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.