Dinosaur National Monument is located near Vernal and surrounded by Uintah County on the southeastern flank of the Uinta Mountains between Colorado and Utah. This is the only place in the world where you can view and even touch more than 1,500 dinosaur bones in their final resting place.
There’s so much to see and do here that you might want to stay a few days!
Declared as a National Monument in 1915, today the Dinosaur National Monument includes 210,000 acres of wilderness across two states. It’s cultural history dates back at least 10,000 years, while the dinosaur fossils were deposited approximately 149 million years ago. Fascinating petroglyphs and pictographs found throughout the monument promote the 1,000-year-old legacy of the Fremont Indians. Many naturalists contend that Echo Park, with its stunning vertical canyons, may be one of the most beautiful places in the West.
The Quarry Exhibit Hall, located over the world famous Carnegie Quarry, reopened in Fall 2011 after an extensive retrofit. It contains hundreds of dinosaur fossils and numerous species. Dinosaur enthusiasts can view one of the few baby Stegosaurus fossils ever found, a meat-eating Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodicus and others.
Exhibits, including the 80-foot long “Wall of Bones,” reveal stories of the animals that lived during the late Jurassic period. The upper level provides an overview of the “Wall of Bones” and showcases different fossils embedded in the stone. The lower level offers a closer view and a chance to touch the bones.
Dinosaur National Monument is reached by US 40
Vernal is at the intersection of US 40 and US 191
Canyon Visitor Center is located two miles east of Dinosaur, Colorado
Quarry Visitor Center: Summer Hours - daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Winter Hours - daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Quarry Exhibit Hall: Summer Hours - daily from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Winter Hours - daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Canyon Visitor Center: Summer Hours - daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fall Hours - daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed for the winter season.
All are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Private vehicles: $25
Walk-in visitors: $15
Motorcyclists: $20
Annual Monument pass: $45
Note: During the summer season, access to the Quarry Exhibit Hall is by
shuttle bus only. The shuttle leaves the visitor center every 15 minutes.