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What is it?
Dinosaur National Monument was not on our radar until a family road trip randomly passed by there. We saw it on the map and decided to make an effort to add it as a long stop. This is a very cool and unique National Monument. They took this mountainside that had tons of dinosaur bones in it. I mean, densely packed! They revealed all the bones on the mountainside and then built and indoor structure around it. It is temperature controlled and there are both higher and ground level viewing decks. The kids loved that there were reconstructed skeletons to look at, and also bones they could touch.
When you arrive, you arrive at the Visitor Center, and take a shuttle out to the dig site. The visitors center is also well put together with many of the activities for the Junior Ranger badge located there, the kids can work on them while they wait for the shuttle (no more than 10-15 minutes).
Inside the visitor center is also a dinosaur gift shop. If you have dinosaur loving kids, they will be in heaven in this gift shop. I saw some of the cutest dinosaur products, books, toys. It’s evident they have worked hard to curate some really neat souvenirs here.
There are also guided hikes you can do that accompany a ranger to see some of the fossils and bones that are not located in the enclosure. It was ridiculously hot when we were there, so we opted out of the hike, but in the right weather it looked like a short hike and a great learning experience.
How to get there?
This park is pretty much in the middle of nowhere on US-40 at the Colorado/Utah northern border. It is near the town of Dinosaur, and not far from Vernal, Utah. Vernal, Utah has really embraced the dinosaur theming, and has loads of activities for the dinosaur lover.
Nearby Activities
Utah Field House of Natural History – This museum hosts dinosaur dig activities, and some neat fossils. It looks like a great interactive family experience.
Dinoland Bowl – A Dino-themed bowling alley.
Red Fleet State Park – Hike over Dinosaur Tracks! Fun hiking and a good photo op!
Hotels
National Park sites are not always accompanied by stellar accommodations, however there are several travel hackable hotels near Dinosaur National Monument.
Springhill Suites Vernal – Marriott Hotel, our favorite for families
Towneplace Suites Vernal – Marriott Hotel, good room for families
Holiday Inn Express Vernal – IHG hotel, often clean and comfortable accomodations
Dinosaurland KOA – Campsite with minigolf, inflatable jumpers, and playgrounds.
Travel Hacks
You can read more about our road trip travel hacks HERE.
For the Hotels:
Marriott hotels you can book on points by transferring points from AMEX or Chase.
IHG Hotels can be booked with points transferred from Chase, or an IHG Credit Card.
For Marriott hotels in particular, it is a better value to use a Marriott card, and utilize those miles for Marriott stays. The transferrable points cards tend to be better used for other flights and hotels. However, your miles, your points! Book the trip you want!
Conclusion
While this is an off the beaten path stop, it was a thrill for our kids to see REAL dinosaur bones. They loved the park, and we are all so glad we went. If you are traveling through Utah to see other national parks, consider adding this to your list and spending a night in the cute dino town of Vernal.
