Where can you go for dinosaur bone fossils, ancient petroglyphs, fabulous high desert scenery, and a billion years of geology? My husband and I recently returned from a road trip to Vernal Utah, where we found all of the above and more! We followed Interstate 80 from the Bay Area, stopping at Kings Beach CA (north shore of Lake Tahoe), Elko NV (home of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering), and Salt Lake City UT on the way and back. This was our first long road trip since 2018, and we were eager to hit the road! This post covers some of the highlights from our time in Vernal.
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Dessert Voices Trail in Dinosaur National Monument
[Note: click on a photo to see a larger image.] |
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Our route from the Bay Area in California to Vernal Utah on I-80
(Google timeline) |
Dinosaurs
The Dinosaur National Monument straddles the border between Utah and Colorado. On the Utah side is the Quarry Visitor Center, which prepares you for dinosaur emersion (and sells maps and postcards); and the Quarry Exhibit Hall, which is a vein of unexcavated dinosaur fossils encased in situ in mudstone and housed in a modern two-story structure. A two-level ramp enables you to experience the fossils from high and low vantage points, just as paleontologists encountered them in the field back in 1908 (except in air conditioned comfort). Interpretative displays provide fascinating information about the climate and ecosystem at the time dinosaurs roamed the area.
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| Stegosaurus at the Quarry Visitor Center |
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| Quarry Exhibit Hall |
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| Top floor of the Quarry Exhibit Hall |
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| 1500 fossilized dinosaur bones remain in situ |
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| Disarticulated Stegosaurus bones (I think) |
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| Exhibits with some smaller fossilized bones |
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| Grateful that I won't run into this guy |
On the Colorado side is the Canyon Visitor Center with additional perspective (and more postcards - they have become difficult to find). The scenic Harper Corner Road drive provides overlooks of dramatic scenery as well as access to the Green River, where Major John Wesley Powell once explored and modern river rafters now seek adventure. On the day that we visited, we encountered very few fellow travelers (one of the benefits of travelling in the fall)!
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| Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum (Vernal Utah) |
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| Dinosaur in the lobby |
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| Stegosaurus in peril |
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| Wall of plant fossils |
The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal provides additional perspective with assembled dinosaur skeletons, exhibits, paintings and a journey back in geological time. I especially liked the wall of plant fossils and the life-size dinosaur models that seemed to roam inside and outside the museum.
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| Hollywood raptor for Jurassic Park |
We experienced many dinosaur sightings in and around Vernal, which added to the fun. Definitely a kid-friendly environment!
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| Dinosaur sightings in Vernal Utah |
Petroglyphs
I was especially captivated by the many petroglyphs and pictographs in Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah side. We learned that petroglyphs are etched in stone and pictographs are painted with pigment. The images are attributed to the Fremont people, who lived in the area between 200 and 1300 A.D according to the National Park Service.
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| I'm not going to say that looks like a astronaut ... |
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| Petroglyphs at Swelter Shelter |
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| Petroglyphs and pictograms |
The images are so intriguing and many are easily accessed after a short hike from the Cub Creek Road. Seeing the lizards required a hot uphill hike, but was well worth it. Favorites include the people in various garb (possibly ceremonial, but we do not know), mountain goat, man playing a lute, and lizards. Intriguing are some of the shapes such as swirls and sun circles.
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| Petroglyph site along Cub Creek Road |
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| Celestial signs? Parachuting human? |
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| Mountain goat and human forms (very chic) |
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| Human forms and a distinct style |
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| Lizard petroglyphs |
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| Hike to the lizard petroglyphs |
Beautiful Scenery
When you need a break from fossils and petroglyphs, simply lift your eyes to the breathtaking high-desert scenery that surrounds you. The views are sweeping (you can almost see herds of sauropods roaming the hills and heading for lush grazing by the river). Vast plains, rocky mountains and outcrops, miles of land as far as the eye can see.
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| Swelter Shelter |
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| Green indicates water - the Green River! |
The Green River snakes throughout Dinosaur National Monument, supporting plants and animals alike. We saw birds and lizards and lovely flowers and plants adapted for the dry climate.
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| Camp with a view near the Green River |
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| The Green River runs just beyond the clump of trees |
The temperature was hot and dry during our stay, but dropped at night. The leaves were on the verge of turning yellow and red, but not quite there.
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| Juniper berries |
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| Fall flowers near Dinosaur National Monument |
We stopped at one of the camps near the river, where river runners start their journey, come ashore to camp and resupply, or end their trip. Vegetation close to water is lush and green, with lots of deep shade. We saw a small monument for Major John Wesley Powell and his expedition, who came through the area in 1869.
Seeing the river rafters and camps near the river reminded me of how Cousin Chris (of Glam Camper fame) led river rafting tours down Westwater Canyon in Utah for Western River Expeditions one summer. My Aunt Charlotte Jean, Uncle Tom and my Grandma Char took one of his tours. According to Chris, Grandma Char was 85 at the time, and was the oldest passenger that Western River Expeditions had taken on a class 5 whitewater trip. Chris reports that she did every hike! It's no wonder that Grandma Char lived to be a month shy of 105!
Geology
Geology plays a big part in the beautiful scenery. Dinosaur National Monument is unique because a billion years of geology is represented - with an ancient inland sea laying down sediment, tectonic plate activity pushing up rock and strata, water wearing down rock, and sand and sediment solidifying. All of these processes are represented in the surroundings.
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Dinosaur's Rock Layers - exhibit in the Quarry Visitor Center
(the lighting isn't great, but you can get an idea of the geological timeline) |
According to signage and park writings, a billion years of geological history is exposed for viewing in this area, making it unique around the world. The Tilted Rocks (Cub Creek) and Journey Through Time (Harper Crossing) driving tours exposed us to many of the layers and formations.
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| Panoramic view near the Quarry |
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| Split Mountain along Cub Creek Road |
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| Two colors of rock in the same range |
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| Rocky outcrop in the distance |
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| Signs of upheaval |
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| Red and white rock strata in the distance |
More than once we wondered how rocks in the landscape were formed, or how a grouping of disparate rocks ended up together, and then scrambled to see what we could learn.
And More
We also enjoyed seeing the Josie Morris cabin, where the rancher lived her whole life. It looked charming and lovely in early fall with the cottonwood trees just starting to turn yellow. Not sure how appealing the isolation would be in the dead of winter, but she loved it.
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| Josie Morris cabin - Tour of the Tilted Rocks |
Dinosaur National Monument is a designated Dark Skies area, so we decided to do some night photography on our last evening in the area. We had spotted a pullout along the Green River that was perfect. My husband wanted to try out night settings on his new camera. Unfortunately, it was also a full moon, so we weren't sure about the outcome. The night was beautiful with the full moon playing on the water, and the air filled with the sounds of Canadian geese honking and a heron fishing in the reeds nearby (bird sounds were identified by the Merlin app). I used my Android's Night Sight setting, and was pleased to capture the scene and possibly the Big Dipper.
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| Dark Skies night shoot along the Green River |
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| I'm claiming this as a shot of the Big Dipper |
Betty's Cafe became our favorite breakfast place. We shared a dinosaur-sized cinnamon roll one morning that was delicious (but we still needed a to-go box)!
Learn More
As you can probably tell, we enjoyed our time in Vernal Utah and Dinosaur National Monument. We love to travel in the fall when the crowds are reduced, foliage starts to turn colors, and temperatures can range from hot during the day to cold at night. I highly recommend Dinosaur National Monument, with or without kids or grandkids in tow!
- Exploring Dinosaur National Monument, by Bert Gildart and Jane Gildart (The Globe Pequot Press, 2002). I used this book to plan our trip, and while we were exploring the area. I bought a 20 year-old edition from Thriftbooks and the information still stands up. For current updates about weather and road conditions, we relied on Google and the National Park Service app.
- Indian Uses of Native Plants, by Edith Van Allen Murphey (Meyerbooks, 1990 and earlier). The author was a plant hunter in Mendocino County and the Great Basin, and was a contemporary of Lester Rowntree). She includes common, botanical, and indigenous names for plants, and describes plant usage. I found some information for contemporary indigenous Ute tribes of Utah. I'm always looking for information about dye sources.
- National Park Service publications - available at the visitor centers and the Quarry:
- Harpers Corner Trail Guide (© Intermountain Natural History Association, 2016; published by NPS).
- A Guide to the Fossil Bones at the Quarry Exhibit Hall (© Intermountain Natural History Association, 2016; published by NPS).
- Sound of Silence Trail Guide (© Intermountain Natural History Association, 2017; published by NPS).
- Tour of the Tilted Rocks: Auto Guidebook for the Cub Creek Road (© Intermountain Natural History Association, 2015; published by NPS).
- National Park Service web site. Search for "Dinosaur National Monument". You can also download the NPS app from Google Play or Apple Store to your mobile phone. Lots of maps, information about hikes, activities, and things to do, and alerts about road and weather conditions. You can also use the app to dream ahead for your next national park adventure!
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