Rial Chew Ranch Complex, Historic ranch complex in Dinosaur National Monument, Moffat County, Colorado.
Rial Chew Ranch Complex is a collection of early 20th century buildings located within Dinosaur National Monument. The site includes a main house, cabin, root cellar, corrals, and multiple storage buildings that together formed a working farm system.
The Chew family established this ranch in 1900 and operated it for several decades. The property continued functioning under special permits until the early 1970s before eventually becoming part of the monument's management.
The buildings show how ranchers lived and worked in this region, with structures built for daily livestock and field management. The arrangement of structures around the living areas reflects the demands of farm life in remote areas.
The ranch lies within Dinosaur National Monument in Moffat County, Colorado, near the confluence of Pool Creek and the Green River. Access is via monument roads; check current conditions at a visitor center before setting out. The site is unstaffed, so bring water and sun protection.
The cabin at the site may have been built by Harry Chew at Blue Mountain and later moved to the ranch by Jack Chew, Rial's father. The Chew family held the ranch under a special use permit after Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1919, and stayed until the permit expired in the early 1970s.
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