Colorado · National Monument trail

Sound of Silence Trail Stop 9

in Colorado

Hidden within these hills are clues of their origin. Look for ripple marks on some of the rocks, and imagine the lapping sound of waves, a message from the past. You are now walking through the remains of a shallow, watery environment from 250 million years ago called the Moenkopi Formation.

Muds and sands were deposited in thin beds on the edges and bottoms of watery areas. Reptiles and amphibians moved stealthily along shorelines and through these shallow waters, in a time before the dinosaurs. Invertebrates burrowed in the muds of the floodplains, and ammonites (a type of mollusk) swam in the seaways.

Although the weathered soils of the Moenkopi Formation may look inhospitable, flowering plants like Desert Paintbrush, Pale Evening Primrose and the dramatic Prince’s Plume grow here. What are these plants telling us? These soils are high in selenium, which the Prince’s Plume utilizes so that it is unpalatable and even toxic if consumed.

States: Colorado
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid nearest city: Salt Lake City, UT · 138 mi · ~4.0 hr drive
Centroid coords: 40.4501°, -109.2881°

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-9.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 9 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.