Explore
Vernal
Parks, Museums, and Prehistoric Sights
Explore National Monument & State Parks
About 20 miles east of Vernal, roughly a 25-minute drive, Dinosaur National Monument is the centerpiece of any Dinosaurland itinerary. Entry is $25 per vehicle and covers seven days on both the Utah and Colorado sides of the monument. At the Quarry Exhibit Hall, more than 1,500 dinosaur bones remain embedded in the cliff face exactly where they fell 149 million years ago, the only place on Earth where you can touch a real fossil still in its original rock. Beyond the quarry, 210,000 acres of canyon country stretch across the Utah-Colorado border with over 20 hiking trails, ancient petroglyphs, whitewater rafting on the Green and Yampa rivers, and some of the darkest night skies in Utah. Give it a full day at minimum. Most visitors wish they had given it two.
Local tip: Arrive before 9 AM in summer to beat the crowds at the Quarry Exhibit Hall. The Fossil Discovery Trail is an easy 1.5-mile walk where you can see bones in their natural setting with far fewer people around.
Plan your visit to Dinosaur National Monument
State Parks
Vernal is surrounded by three state parks that offer red rock scenery, world-class fishing, certified dark skies, dinosaur trackways, and some of the most accessible water recreation in northeastern Utah.
Red Fleet State Park is about 10 miles north of Vernal, a 10-minute drive, with a day use fee of $20 per vehicle. Crimson sandstone formations rise from a vivid turquoise reservoir like the prows of ships. Boat, swim, fish for largemouth bass and bluegill, or hike the 1.5-mile Dinosaur Trackway Trail to find 200-million-year-old footprints preserved at the water's edge. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available on site.
Steinaker State Park sits just 7 miles north of Vernal, about a 7-minute drive, with a day use fee of $15 per vehicle. A calm reservoir with a sandy beach and water skiing by day, Steinaker transforms at night into one of the clearest stargazing destinations in the region. It holds certified International Dark Sky Park status and offers some of the finest Milky Way views in northeastern Utah. One of the most underrated parks in the state.
Starvation State Park is about 45 miles southwest of Vernal, a 45-minute drive, with a day use fee of $20 per vehicle. One of Utah's most scenic and spacious reservoirs, it is best known for trophy Walleye fishing that draws anglers from across the region. The park also offers wide-open water for boating and paddleboarding, rugged high-desert camping, and is open year-round including for ice fishing in winter.
Museums
Three museums within walking distance of each other in downtown Vernal cover 500 million years of natural history and the full sweep of human settlement in the Uinta Basin. Two offer free admission.
The Utah Field House of Natural History is located in downtown Vernal with admission at $8 for adults and $4 for children. A 90-foot Diplodocus skeleton, fossils recovered from within 80 miles of Vernal, and an outdoor Dinosaur Garden with 17 life-sized sculptures make this the ideal first stop before heading to Dinosaur National Monument. Plan on at least an hour, more if you have kids.
Located in downtown Vernal with free admission, the Museum of Uintah County preserves the cultural record of the Uinta Basin from its earliest inhabitants through the present day. Exhibits cover Native American artifacts, pioneer history, the oil and gas era, and the story of the Outlaw Trail once traveled by Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch.
Also in downtown Vernal and free to visit, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum is housed in an 1887 rock building that is itself a piece of local history. The collection preserves handcarts, textiles, photographs, and personal histories of the families who established Vernal in the late 19th century.
Looking for more adventure?
See the full list of available outdoor activities and recreation in the area.
Natural and wilderness areas
Beyond the parks and monuments, Dinosaurland borders some of the most remarkable wild country in the American West. These are the wider landscapes that give every activity in the region its remarkable setting.
Ashley National Forest
Ashley National Forest begins just west of Vernal and is free to access. Covering 1.4 million acres of diverse mountain terrain surrounding Flaming Gorge and the Uinta Mountains, it is home to hundreds of miles of trails, high-altitude fishing lakes, and some of the finest backcountry in Utah. Most visitors barely scratch the surface.
High Uintas Wilderness Area
The High Uintas Wilderness Area is located northwest of Vernal and is free to access. Utah's largest designated wilderness and highest mountain range, it holds hundreds of alpine lakes and peaks over 13,000 feet, including Kings Peak at 13,534 feet, the highest point in Utah. Travel here is non-mechanized only, which keeps it quiet, remote, and genuinely wild.
Explore the High Uintas Wilderness
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge is about 30 miles from Vernal, a 30-minute drive, and is free to visit. Best visited from April through October, nearly 12,000 acres of wetlands and cottonwood forest line the Green River and support over 200 bird species. A 12-mile self-guided auto tour winds through wetland, marsh, and grassland habitats, making this one of Utah's top birding destinations and an easy half-day trip from Vernal.
Fantasy Canyon
Fantasy Canyon is about 27 miles south of Vernal and is free to visit on BLM land. Wind and water spent millions of years sculpting ancient Lake Uinta sediments into hoodoos, pillars, and formations that genuinely look like nothing else on Earth. A short self-guided trail winds among them. Bring a camera and a picnic. Almost nobody is there, which is part of what makes it worth the drive.
Historic and cultural sites
Long before the settlers and long after the dinosaurs, this landscape was home to remarkable people. The Fremont people carved their stories into canyon walls. Outlaws and ranchers carved their lives into the frontier. The evidence of both is still here and still worth finding.
Petroglyphs
Fremont and Ute petroglyphs and pictographs are found on sandstone cliffs throughout the region, with the most extensive panels at McConkie Ranch in Dry Fork Canyon, about 10 miles northwest of Vernal. Most sites are free to visit. Please view from a distance and do not touch the rock art as the oils from skin can permanently damage these fragile records.
Old West Historic Sites
John Jarvie Ranch on the Green River, Josie's Cabin inside Dinosaur National Monument, and Swett Ranch near Flaming Gorge together tell the story of the pioneers, ranchers, and outlaws who shaped this remote corner of the American West. Most are free to visit and make for excellent half-day side trips from Vernal.
Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery
Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery is located northeast of Vernal and is free to visit. A working federal hatchery raising Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and Kokanee Salmon in a spectacular canyon setting, it doubles as a trailhead for the 4-mile Jones Hole Trail, which follows a creek to a waterfall and ancient petroglyphs. A quiet and genuinely rewarding stop that most visitors overlook.
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
A 91-mile reservoir carved through red rock canyon country, about 40 miles from Vernal. World-class fishing, boating, whitewater rafting on the Green River, and some of the most dramatic scenery in the region. Learn more from our guide to visiting Flaming Gorge.
Start Planning Your Uinta Basin Adventure
From 200-million-year-old dinosaur fossils to pioneer homesteads to dark sky reservoirs, Vernal and Uintah County offer the kind of destinations most people did not know they were looking for until they found them. Our free Travel Guide has everything you need to plan your trip, including lodging, dining, an events calendar, and printable maps.