We’ve had so many great trips through Utah, and I have to say that Vernal, UT has more things to do than many small towns. This is Dinoland! It’s the gateway to Dinosaur National Monument and all kinds of beautiful landscapes. That’s what you think of when you’re planning a trip to Utah: epic landscapes. And that’s just part of the fun and beauty of Vernal.
If you haven’t heard of Vernal before, don’t worry; you’re not alone. Located in the northeast corner of Utah, this is where several sedimentary rock formations all merge, making it an incredible place to see dinosaur fossils and learn all about these amazing, extinct creatures. If dinosaurs aren’t your thing, there’s a lot of hiking, kayaking and just enjoying the quirkiness. There’s plenty of things to do in Vernal to keep you busy for a few days. If you have any questions about planning your visit or exploring Dinosaur National Monument, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you have an awesome time exploring Utah!
Things to do in Vernal Utah
When you plan a Utah road trip, whether it’s to visit the National Parks or just to get away from the busy life of the city, you’ll see that there are tons of State Parks and Bureau of Land Management areas to enjoy. Access to public lands is engrained in exploring Utah, and you’ll find that Vernal is a great destination for it. You’ll stay busy!
Dinosaur National Monument
You can let the dinosaur obsessed kid in you free here in Dinosaur National Monument. There are a few main areas to visit, and then the rest of this beautiful National Park Service site is wilderness, accessible just by hiking or rafting the Green River. We actually spent four days rafting through Dinosaur National Monument with OARS, and it was an incredible way to see the canyons and wildlife of the area. Canyons are definitely the big attraction in Dinosaur National Monument even though you’d think the massive fossil deposits would be it. Both aspects are incredible. And the petroglyphs and pictographs too!!! There’s so much to see here.
Quarry Visitor Center and Wall of Bones
The main site people visit when they come to Vernal is the Quarry Visitor Center in Dinosaur National Monument. It’s famous for its amazing Wall of Bones, as there is a huge deposit of dinosaur fossils here. The partially excavated deposit tells the story of millions of years ago when the landscape looked much different, the town of Vernal didn’t exist, and a big flood washed tons of bones downriver, eventually all stacking up and depositing. Millions of years go by and sedimentary rock forms, bones fossilize, and then a paleontologist digs up full dinosaurs.
That all sounds so simple, but when you see the Wall of Bones in person and you check out the exhibits, you’ll see that this huge discovery led to millions of people getting to see dinosaur fossils up close for the first time, and a whole series of generations of young people being inspired to become paleontologists and conservationists. It’s really cool, and we loved spending the morning here.
Dinosaur Scenic Drive for Views and Petroglyphs
In the same area as the Visitor Center and Wall of Bones is the Scenic Drive. This 10 mile road leads through several petroglyph areas, crosses the Green River and shows off some of the coolest rock formations in the southern part of Dinosaur National Monument. Give yourself an hour to complete the drive, making all the stops that interest you. If you want to go for a swim, head down to Split Mountain where there’s a great day use area with access to a more calm part of the Green River. You’ll love it!
Canyon Visitor Center and Drive
Continuing south and east, cross over into Colorado where you can head into the Canyon area of Dinosaur National Monument. This gives you access to some incredible overlooks, access points to the Green River, a visitor center, and even camping in the Echo Park area. You can make this a day trip or actually spend several days enjoying the remoteness of the Canyon road and its trails.
Field House Museum
While it may not be as grand as the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman or the Museum of Science and Nature in Denver, the Field House Museum State Park is great for being ALL about dinosaurs. From fossils to life size dinosaurs inside and out, there are lots of things to see here. There’s a film, an art gallery, lots of exhibits and an active paleontology lab. If you’re visiting Vernal with a kid who’s into science or dinosaurs in general this is a great spot to stop.
Bonus: if you keep your eyes peeled, the Field House Museum has lots of small homages to Jurassic Park, including the Barbasol can used for smuggling it the dinosaur embryos in the movie
Dinosaur Murals and Photo Ops in Vernal
I’m such a sucker for a good mural, and driving through Verbal looking for dinosaur murals is one of the best things to do. You’ll find dinosaur street art, ecology murals, abstract art and more. And you cannot forget to enjoy all of the dinosaurs all around town. There are life sized dinos, realistic ones and pink ones, and then they have these whole Dinosaurs on Parade things about town with lots of businesses having sauropods painted to match their company or expertise.
Fantasy Canyon
Going beyond downtown and heading south, Fantasy Canyon is a really fun thing to do with kids or photographer friends. Being a very unique area, different from the sandstone and limestone of Dinosaur National Monument, Fantastic Canyon is a huge mud deposit that’s been eroded away, forming all kinds of mounds, gullies and hoodoos. It’s located about forty minutes from town, so be sure you have plenty of gas, water and snacks. It’s fun to wander and explore, but it’s not grand like the large formations you may be used to. If you’re doing a big road trip around Utah, Goblin Valley State Park is the same sort of geologic makeup and is on a much bigger scale.
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge
We always visit National Wildlife Refuges when we see them. The Ouray National Wildlife Refuge is really pretty and it’s a great place to visit for birdwatching and looking for pronghorn antelope. There is a scenic drive that goes through the refuge and several viewpoints, including an observation tower. If you’re pressed for time you may not want to drive all the way out here, but if you’re also visiting Fantasy Canyon it is a great idea to add on.
Moonshine Arch Hiking
Utah has so many wonderful arches, and while you may generally think of the deep red sandstone arches of Canyonlands or Arches National Park, Moonshine Arch is different. This arch is carved from Navajo Sandstone, which is actually yellow, orange and white. It’s really pretty and the hike is quite easy. You can do the hike in about 25 minutes on a week established trail, and then it’s even faster back to the car. The small caves at Moonshine Arch are cool, and the echoes make it worth the visit. Moonshine Arch is not far out, making it one of the best things to do in Vernal, Utah.
Red Fleet Dinosaur Trackway
Red Fleet State Park is about fifteen minutes from downtown Vernal and it’s full of things to do. There are several hiking and biking trails, including the Dinosaur Trackway. The Trackway is a fossilized mud bed that’s been uplifted, allowing dinosaur footprints to be set in stone, climbing the steep hill. The trail is about 3 miles round-trip… or you can rent kayaks and paddle to it from the main area at Red Fleet State Park. If you paddle over from the kayak launch and swimming area, you can pull ashore on the small beach to check out the dinosaur tracks, and then jump off the sandstone cliff into the cool water. It’s a pretty fun place and one of the best things to do in Vernal.
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area North of Vernal is really pretty. There’s a reservoir here that’s really fun to visit, but then the surrounding landscapers are just beautiful. This is NOT a part of the National Park Service, but is actually a National Forest site, included withing Ashley National Forest.
There are a few different spots to visit at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, so depending on what you’re interested in doing and how much time you have, choose one or two sites and make a day of it:
- Chepeta Lake hiking trails
- Red Canyon Rim Trial
- Visit Reg Canyon Lodge area (hiking here too)
- Tour the Flaming Gorge Damn
- Little Hole National Recreation Trail along the Green River
Rafting Day Trips on the Green River
We love rafting the Green River!! It’s one of the best things to do in Vernal either for the day or by doing a multi day rafting trip. Day rafting trips are available either in Dinosaur National Monument or from Flaming Gorge Dam, both of which leave from Vernal and both are on the Green River. Even if you’re not big into rafting, the Green River is a great option for beginners. It’s mostly class II and III rapids, and the canyons you move through are something else! Rafting is one of the best things to do with kids because it’s fun, will keep people cool, and the environment is so exciting to explore.
Check out OARS Rafting here: Dinosaur Day Rafting OR Flaming Gorge Day Rafting
Nine Mile Canyon
There are lots of petroglyphs and pictographs all throughout Eastern Utah, but many are quite inaccessible. If you drive out to Nine Mile Canyon, this is one of the best sports to get to see these ancient markings up close. The Fremont peoples occupied the land around Vernal and all through the Southwest and even up into Alberta, Canada, and they left behind quite the visual record, even if the images and stories remain untranslated.
Where to Eat in Vernal, Utah
Vernal is a very chill, low key city, and that goes for the dining too. Not being fancy doesn’t mean not being delicious, so while you may have some more upscale restaurants in Salt Lake City or Moab, Vernal is great too. BBQ and pizza are the two primary offerings in town, but you’ll also find some Asian food, lots of Mexican food and of course, burgers.
Dinosaur Brew Haus
I love to stay on theme, and with so many things to do in Vernal focusing on dinosaurs, it makes sense to enjoy Dinosaur Brew Haus. Inside it’s a fun saloon style bar with a restaurant side. It’s got awesome burgers and heat prices. They have a good kids menu, and the service is fast. Try the burger with the roasted green chili; it’s delicious.
Vernal Brewing Co
Also on theme, Vernal Brewing Company looks like a National Park visitor center. When we first pulled up I actually didn’t think it wasn’t a visitor center for Dinosaur National Monument. Once inside, it’s clearly a brewery and they have a great menu. Their pizzas are the perfect size for two people, and again, they’ve got good prices. I like that dining isn’t crazy expensive in Vernal, as a lot of towns near National Parks usually price gouge, but not here.
Where is Vernal, Utah?
Vernal, Utah is located in northeastern UT very near the borders of Colorado and Wyoming. Most of Dinosaur National Monument is actually in Colorado, but the biggest attractions for it are in Utah. Vernal is considered the high desert, so it’s very arid and your body will feel the dryness if you’re not used to this sort of climate. Most of the things to do in Vernal are outdoors, so keep the climate in mind as you get ready for each day’s adventures. Also, if you’re sensitive to elevation, the town itself sits at around 5800 feet in elevation, and I think you can really feel it.
Getting to Vernal, UT
So how do you get to Vernal? The easiest way is to drive, either as part of a Utah road trip or from Salt Lake City. Yes, SLC is the main airport you’ll fly into for visiting Vernal and Dinosaur National Monument, and then once on the grind it’s about a 3 hour drive. There is a small airport in town if you want to book a flight from SLC, but I think the drive is really pretty, and much more budget friendly.
If you’re looking at putting Vernal and the rest of Dinoland in a bigger road trip plan, this is a great addition to a Western Wyoming trip through Lander, Thermopolis and Cody. You can keep with the dinosaur theme as you move into either Wyoming or Colorado as the Morrison Formation, where the fossils are, covers all three states.
Weather in Vernal – Summer Heat, Winter Chills
I mentioned that Vernal is the high desert. This means the air is very dry and the summers are very hot. Spring and late fall are the most temperature times to visit, and since so many things to do in Vernal are outside, you’ll likely enjoy the greenery as these seasons have a bit more moisture and lower temperatures.
In summer, plan for it to be up to 100° F in the heart of the day with the temperature dripping into the 50s in the middle of the night and into the early morning… before going right back up to being HOT. If you include some rafting it’ll keep you cool.
In the winter, Vernal can get really cold and even snowy. It may not get snow in the way that Zion NP or Bryce Canyon NP do, but it’ll get some good dustings. The temperatures can easily sit in the 20s and 30s F in the winter. Just remember to pack for the forecasted weather, not what you hope you’ll get.
Where to Stay in Vernal, Utah
I’m not going to claim to be an expert in Vernal, UT hotels but I can tell you there are lots of options for national travel brands (Holiday Inn, Best Western Plus, Springhill Suites…). You can find a wide ranges of brands and budgets. We enjoyed our stay at the Dinosaur Inn and Suites, because I can’t resist anything dinosaur themed. It’s not actually themed with dinosaurs unfortunately, but it’s still a great stay.
The Dinosaur Inn and Suites has a variety of room types and a great outdoor swimming pool area, complete with lounge chairs. A highlight of staying here is actually the hot breakfast that’s included. It’s not done continental style, but it’s actually counter-served with biscuits and gravy, eggs, breakfast meats, cinnamon rolls, waffles and more. They even offer breakfast burritos. It’s a great value.
Book the Dinosaur Inn & Suites here!
So do you think Vernal sounds like a fun place to visit? I love the landscapes, all of the wonderful dinosaur stuff, the National Park site and the fun rafting you can do here. It’s really pretty and I think is a great place to visit with kids, and there are plenty of things to do. If you have any questions about visiting Vernal or need more recommendations for things to do in Utah, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re more than happy to share more and help you plan an unforgettable Southwest trip!
