The Tour of the Tilted Rocks is an excellent introduction to the many facets of Dinosaur National Monument. Cindy's articles about outdoor adventures have appeared in numerous regional and national publications. Pro Tip: The expansive Dinosaur National Monument has other remote and rugged scenic drives as well, including the 18-mile unpaved Island Park Road, and the 18-mile unpaved Yampa Bench Road. Since it was first excavated in the 1920s, some 12,000 bones belonging to at least 74 dinosaurs have been unearthed at Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, now the site of Jurassic National Monument . Kids can marvel over the facility's educational and awe-worthy full-scale dinosaur casts, real dinosaur fossils, interactive displays and hands-on exhibits. Leg 3: Flat Tops to Vernal. You can see the remains of numerous different species of dinosaurs including Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus along with several others. The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience near Caon City opened in July 2016, centering around a 16,000-square-foot, custom-built museum. For more information, see ourPetroglyph and Pictograph Viewing Guide. My kids would love to see Dinosaur National Monument. The biggest drawback to backcountry hiking is the large amount of water youll need on hot summer days, a gallon a day per person minimum! Fill out the form below to receive a free travel planner and get all the info you need to get the most out of your trip to Uintah County, Utah The Origin of Adventure! It is a three-hour drive from Salt Lake City, Utah, and a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Denver, Colorado. Standard hours during the rest of the year are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It has been one of our go-to vacations since our kids were little. Dinosaur National Monument isn't just a fun excursion for kids, everyone can learn something at this prehistoric monument. I SO WANT TO GO HERE! Hiking and dinosaurs what a kids dream. These are special areas where there are strict limits on light pollution so as to protect the incredible night-sky view of the stars above. Day Trip 8: Sheep Creek Canyon & Spirit Lake. Where to stay Vacation Homes. The nearest sizable town on the Utahn side is Vernal (population: 10,291), while the nearest town to the Colorado side is Dinosaur, Colorado (population: 312), which boasts diverting dinosaur-named streets but few motels or eateries. To get to the monument, take US 40 to Vernal, which is located at the intersection of US 40 and US 191. 10.6 Tour of the Tilted Rocks Scenic Drive. They have already pulled 13 full dinosaurs from this area. The hall is built into the side of a rock wall that had been partially excavated, revealing a massive cluster of dinosaur bones and fossils still embedded in the rock. Hard to reach views can be seen by taking a whitewater rafting tour. The Green River at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. My son would love this. This is a free park at the top of Rapid City where the kids can climb around on dinosaurs. Take a bike ride along the road from Island Park to Rainbow Park. Awesome, you will love the SeaWorld experience! Parks: 8. The Colorado side of the Dinosaur National Monument is open less frequently. 5280 Publishing, Inc. The Tour of the Tilted Rocks is an excellent introduction to the many facets of Dinosaur National Monument. Tip: At sunrise or sunset, take the 1-mile (one-way) trail at the end of Harpers Corner Road to see the sun light up the tops of Whirlpool, Lodore, and Yampa canyons. The dinosaur quarry is just past that and can be reached by car, but consider hiking theFossil Discovery Trailthat leaves from the visitor center or better yet, go on an interpretive hike led by a ranger to really learn and understand what you are looking at as you walk back in time 80 million years! She built her own cabin and lived there for the last 50 of her 90-year life. Day Trip 7:Vernal Walking Tour. In 1909, a man named Earl Douglas discovered just how important this piece of land would eventually be. It is literally on my to-do list and every time I read about it I wonder why I havent gone yet! Denver, CO 80202. Montana has some fantastic bodies of water including lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. (Josie and her sister, Ann, were friendly with Butch Cassidys Wild Bunch boys, who used this remote place as a stopping-over point on the Outlaw Trail.). If you wanted to drive over to Colorado where another visitor center is located, you would want to plan an entire day. Check out the NPS website for more information. On the Utah side of the monument, visitors can interact with a deposit of real dinosaur fossils called the Wall of Bones. So you could easily spend a day or two exploring. Dinosaur National Monument is a place that I would like to visit. Dinosaur, Colorado is where the entrance to Dinosaur National Monument is on the Colorado side. It is off the beaten path but there is enough to do in the area to make a fun weekend trip! SeaWorld San Diego invited us to experience the park firsthand so we could help you plan your trip. Required fields are marked *, 2023 Planning Away - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, Address: 11167 Aspen Peak Dr South Jordan, UT 84095. The Jurassic World Live Tour will be invading MVP Arena in Albany this fall for 3 adrenalin-pumping days. The drive from Grand Tetons to Yellowstone takes about 2.5 hours, and cuts through the heart of both of the National Parks. From the dinosaur quarry to roads end (at Island Park), the trip is about 31.5 miles one-way. Lizard figures are not common at other sites. The monuments easy to moderate day hikes are a great way for families to experience the area. Dinosaurs once roamed here. There is also a petroglyph panel farther down the road after it turns to gravel. We stayed here a week exploring Dinosaur National Monument. As with most national parks and monuments, visitor centers should be the first stop for visitors. More real fossils and footprints are available for viewing at The Quarry Exhibit Hall. The incredible amount of, Earl Douglas and his team eventually unearthed thousands of fossils, establishing this area around Vernal, Utah as one of the hotspots for paleontological research worldwide. Sound of Silence Loop Trail. If you're new here, I would love for you to subscribe Please join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. The Lark Quarry Dinosaur Stampede forms part two of our Dinosaur Trail Queensland tour through the Outback. Dinosaurs once roamed at Dinosaur National Monument. Today, you'll cross the border into Utah. Direction Map Travel Time LatLong Flight D Flight T HowFar Route TripCost. The amount of time you spend when visiting Dinosaur National Monument really depends on how much of the park you would like to see. Explore this 9.8-mile point-to-point trail near Jensen, Utah. No matter when you visit Dinosaur National Monument and how long you stay, theres always something new to discover at this striking and historic monument. Location:about 37 miles from the Canyon Visitor Center along the Harpers Corner Scenic DriveDifficulty: easy walk, few feet from the parking area; driving on this road is hit or miss. The Wall of Bones inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall, Sunrise over Whirlpool Canyon from Harpers Corner, Rafting past Tiger Wall on the Yampa River, Rafting in Dinosaur National Monument past Mitten Park Fault near the convergence of the Yampa and Green rivers. The answer is that paleontologists discovered the bones just where you see them today. (Keep in mind there are no dinosaur fossils on the Colorado side of the monument, only on the Utah side, so see them while you are here.). Read More 15 Awesome Tips For Legoland CaliforniaContinue. You can get close and examine the ancient writings. I bet theyd still love this place today, even though theyre 18 and 22! The trail offers an amazing opportunity to see real dinosaur and other prehistoric fossils and petroglyphs in and on rock walls as you hike through a series of steep ridges, but be prepared for desert hiking and slippery-when-wet conditions. Go Josie, total rebel of her time. So, if you ever get the opportunity to visit at night, dont forget to look up! Do you love or do your little ones love dinosaurs? It was shaded and relatively easy. From the dinosaur quarry, take the Tour of the Tilted Rocks or a . Dinosaur fossils are not found near this visitor center. As you float down the river, youll pass right by Steamboat Rock, a huge monolith in the center of Dinosaur National Monument that towers over the water. " in 2 reviews. If you want to save this information for later be sure to Pin this to Pinterest. Though Dinosaur National Monument is not known for a large system of hiking trails, the monument contains several day hikes to suit just about everyone. On my recent July visit, I was also wowed by the scenic drives, the varied hiking trails, the ancient petroglyphs, and the lovely river scenes. There are picnic tables and bathrooms available in this area as well. Dinosaur skull on Wall of Bones in Dinosaur National Monument Photo: David Brossard/Flickr. Swelter Shelter is the most accessible of five Fremont peoples petroglyph viewing areas. Join rangers and volunteers for a tour of the sky, participate in . Tour of the Tilted Rocks. We thank, Read More Amazing SeaWorld San Diego Vacation (SeaWorld San Diego Tips)Continue, Are you thinking about taking an Oahu family vacation? There are, Read More The 8 Best Family Resorts On Oahu (Including The Best Honolulu Resorts for Families)Continue, Do you want to get some amazing souvenirs from Disneyland? Dinosaur fossils are visibly embedded in rock at this national . Dinosaur National Monument is only 20 minutes away (19 miles). Adventure Port, the park's newest themed land, opening in 2023. There are no services on this road. Regardless of the destination, her goal is to find the perfect scenic hike, city walk, beach stroll, or road-trip jaunt, and bring it to life in her blog. Dinosaur becomes the fifth internationally recognized Dark Sky Place in Colorado, the twelfth in Utah, and the second in Uintah County. Dinosaur National Monument is 210,000 acres! X. Experienced rafters of wild rivers should plan well in advance to enter the permit lottery at www.recreation.govfor a rare chance to self-guide. That is so awesome that you have been able to go! Pro Tip: During the summer months, an open-air shuttle is available to take visitors on a short trip from the Quarry Visitor Center to the Quarry Exhibit Hall and back. 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