State Parks
Vernal
Vernal’s Own Mighty Five!
Move over Southern Utah—the North has its own Mighty Five. While the world-famous "Wall of Bones" at Dinosaur National Monument is the anchor of any trip to the Uinta Basin, the true "insider" experience is found by venturing into the four incredible State Parks that surround it. From the 200-million-year-old tracks at Red Fleet and the sandy "Vernal Beach" at Steinaker to the Jurassic giants at the Field House and the high-speed waters of Starvation, these five parks form a prehistoric playground like nowhere else on Earth.
Whether you’re here to touch a 149-million-year-old fossil or paddleboard over ancient history, the Vernal Mighty Five offers a hands-on connection to the past and an adrenaline-fueled gateway to the present.
Dinosaur National Monument
The Wild Heart of the BasinThe Experience: Stand inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall in front of a vertical wall of 1,500 real Jurassic fossils, still encased in the mountain just as they were found. It is the only place on the planet where you can reach out and touch a 149-million-year-old dinosaur bone still resting in its original riverbed.
The Adventure: Take to the water for a world-class river rafting trip through the Gates of Lodore or down the Yampa River. These legendary rapids cut through billion-year-old canyons, offering a perspective of the Monument that can’t be seen from any road.
Utah Field House of Natural History
The Prehistoric LaboratoryThe Experience: Step into the Dinosaur Garden, an outdoor prehistoric world where you come face-to-face with life-sized replicas of a 90-foot Diplodocus, a fierce T-Rex, and a massive Woolly Mammoth.
The Adventure: Head to the Paleo-Prep Lab to see science in motion. Watch through the glass as real paleontologists meticulously remove rock from fossils recently discovered in the local hills.
Red Fleet State Park
The Jurassic ShorelineThe Experience: Play detective on the Dinosaur Trackway Trail, which leads you to over 200 footprints left in the Nugget Sandstone. These aren't behind glass; they are right there in the rock beneath your feet.
The Adventure: Don’t just hike—paddle to the past. Rent a kayak or paddleboard and cruise across the turquoise reservoir to reach the track site. It’s the ultimate way to access the fossils while staying cool in the Utah sun.
Steinaker State Park
The Basecamp of GiantsThe Experience: Explore the ridges of the Morrison Formation—the same "dino-rich" rock layer that made the National Monument famous. At night, look up to experience a certified International Dark Sky Park where the Milky Way shines with prehistoric clarity.
The Adventure: Hit "Vernal's Beach" for the ultimate high-desert cool down. Whether you are wakeboarding, paddleboarding, or fishing for trophy trout, the sandy shores make this the region's premier summer hangout.
Starvation State Park
The Legend of the BasinThe Experience: Discover a landscape of dramatic contrasts, where jagged rock alcoves and hidden coves provide a lush escape from the high-desert heat. The sheer scale of the reservoir makes it feel like a private "Little Lake Powell" with a rugged, storied edge.
The Adventure: Take your prehistoric hunt to the next level on the 3D Archery Course. Hike through the sagebrush and test your aim against life-sized dinosaur targets hidden in the terrain. Afterward, hit the water for some of the best jet skiing and trophy walleye fishing in the West.
