Vernal, Utah

Throughout most of the southwest, the overall theme seems to be the geology. It's a place where the earth lays itself open for inspection, and you can get a true sense of the age of our planet, and the Millennium upon Millennium it took to build it. In most cases, the creatures that have come and gone are a simple side note, almost an afterthought to the extreme ages that have passed.

In northern Utah, however, there's a town called Vernal that seems to focus on a different theme. While surrounded by some of the most magnificent geologic structures in all the southwest, Vernal focuses on what may have been the grandest creatures to ever walk this planet's surface. Those were the great dinosaurs that lived 60 million years ago.

Vernal is located east of Salt Lake City along Utah's Highway 40 (not Interstate 40), south of Interstate 80 that runs from Salt Lake into Wyoming. While not necessarily a destination (dinosaur enthusiasts might dispute that this is not a “destination”), Vernal is a great place to stop for a few days and learn a bit about these giant creatures.

The first stop should beUtah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. Located in downtown Vernal, this new facility offers 2.7 billion years worth of living and geologic history. Focused on the younger enthusiast with children's labs simulating an actual dinosaur dig, this facility also represents a significant learning opportunity for everyone.

The next stop near Vernal should be Dinosaur National Monument. It's located about 16 miles southeast of Vernal along Highway 40. In 1957, this facility constructed a building along a quarry wall that housed dinosaur bones. Over the years, this foundation of the building was found to be unstable, and the building is currently closed because of its unsafe condition. There is still an opportunity to see actual dinosaur fossils by taking a short ½ mile hike from the temporary visitor center. The main exhibit is expected to open again in three or four years.

In addition to the fossil exhibits, this is a great place to see some very well preserved rock art, left by the Fremont Indians who lived in the area until around 1,200 A.D. This can be seen by taking the “Tour of the Tilted Rocks”, which leads about 12 miles back into the back country to the Josie Morris Cabin. This auto tour takes you past some of the best examples of rock art in the southwest. Two things to know: this auto tour is not for large motor homes. If you are pulling a trailer, leave it parked before taking this trip, and if you travel in a motor home, take your tow vehicle.