Mountain Biking

Dinosaurland in eastern Utah offers a great variety of single and double-track trails crossing bare sandstone, desert canyons, alpine meadows and forests. And when summer temperatures are sizzling in southern Utah, Uinta Mountain trails are cool and refreshing. Best of all, there are no crowds — you often have the trails all to yourself.

Bike Dinosaurland and you’ll discover spectacular scenery as you peddle around Flaming Gorge Reservoir, along the Green River, into the Uinta Mountains or around Dinosaur National Monument.

One of the most scenic bike trails in this area follows the Red Canyon rim overlooking Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The rim is about 1,700 feet above the reservoir and views are incredible, with the canyon’s red walls offset by pine trees and the lake’s deep, blue water.

The Flow Trail at the Red Fleet Complex is one of our favorite trails in Dinosaurland. Beautiful red rock cliffs and up and down drops will leave riders laughing and smiling for miles.

Popular Biking Trails:

There are three main mountainbiking trail areas that encompass the majority of the area’s most popular trails. With beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails, bikers of all experience levels will find adventure along these paths.

McCoy Flat Trails

This mountain biking trail system is located 10 miles west of Vernal Utah. Around 40 miles of interconnecting loops originate from a trailhead on the McCoy Flats road. The terrain is desolate “badland” of various types.

Some of the popular trails in the McCoy Flat trail system include Combo, Fire Sale, Jackalope, More Hoes, Retail Sale, Serpendipity, and Slippery When Wet.

Halfway Hollow Trails

This is an up and coming trail area and more trials are being added. Enjoy beginning to intermediate rides on CorkScrew, Racetrack, and Skull Falls.

Red Fleet Trail Complex

The trails north of Red Fleet Reservoir form a continuous interconnected system. The trails offer a wide variety of experiences from technical open rock to undulating desert ribbon.

Popular trails include Jazz Chromoly and Handsome Cabin Boy.

For more detailed info on mountain biking trails in the Vernal area, visit: www.dinoland.com/play/trails

River Rafting

The Green River, located between the Gates of Lodore and Split Mountain, is one of the country’s world-class river rafting destinations. It is home to extremely intense Class III and Class IV rapids, great camping, amazing hiking trails, and the most incredible scenery found in the western United States.

The river runs from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area near Vernal, Utah, to Dinosaur National Monument, and then through some of Utah’s most rugged and remote landscape... before finally meeting up with the Colorado River at Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. There are several sections of the Green River that can be rafted, kayaked, or canoed.

The Green River rafting season extends from early April through October.Besides producing great rapids, this season guarantees river runners will see a spectacular wildflower show—everything from flowering cacti and Indian paintbrush to desert primrose blossoms.

For a more low-key rafting experience, there is an easy whitewater rafting route below the Flaming Gorge Dam that also happens to be one of the world’s finest tailwater fisheries for rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout.

Who To Raft With:

Whether you choose a relaxed float or a heart-pounding adventure, your family has a choice of guides and outfitters to get you down the river in style.

Adrift Adventures

9500 East 6000 South
Jensen, UT 84035
800-824-0150
www.adrift.com

Dinosaur River Expeditions

2279 N Vernal Ave
Vernal, UT 84078
800-345-RAFT
www.dinosaurriverexpeditions.com

OARS Dinosaur River Expeditions

221 North 400 East
Vernal, UT 84078
800-342-8243
www.oars.com/destination/dinosaur

Please note that permits are required for private boating within the Dinosaur National Monument boundaries. Call the National Park Service at 970‑374‑2468 to secure your permit early in the season.

What about Fido?

Need a safe place for your furry family member while you are out exploring Dinosaurland? Dinosaur Trails Kennel offers a convenient and safe option for your pet.
www.dinosaurtrailskennel.com

Fishing

Add an afternoon of fishing to your itinerary at one of our many popular fishing spots. Both beginners and experts will appreciate the beauty and sport that Dinosaurland has to offer. Catch record-breaking trout at Flaming Gorge, fly-fish at Jones Hole, or cast a line into our 600 lakes, streams and rivers.

The word is out. People travel to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area from around the globe to fish for record-breaking trout and kokanee salmon. When they arrive, diverse and colorful landscapes greet them — and then stick around for the entirety of Flaming Gorge Reservoir’s 91‑mile length.

A drift boat can be used effectively to find some of the reservoir’s lurking monsters. The most effective method to target bigger fish is to use sinking lines and streamers along the defined structure of the many large rock walls.

Probably the most exciting way to fish the Gorge is to find one of its shallow bays and go out for a long wade. In the knee-deep water, the experience can feel very similar to stalking saltwater flats for bonefish.

But whatever method you choose, fishing Dinosaurland is the ‘reel’ deal.

Popular Fishing Spots:

Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Flaming Gorge Reservoir contains rainbow trout, brown trout, lake (mackinaw) trout, smallmouth bass, kokanee salmon and catfish. This is a popular ice fishing area for lake trout. Record lake trout have been taken from this water.

Green River

The Green River contains rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout. From the Dinosaur National Monument downstream, this river principally contains channel catfish and carp. Northern pike have also found their way into the river and are sometimes caught near the mouth of Ashley Creek.

Starvation Reservoir

Starvation Reservoir contains brown trout, walleye and smallmouth bass. This reservoir is located within Starvation State Park and its elevation is 5,620 feet.

Additional Popular Fishing Spots:

Ashley Creek, Browne Lake, Brush Creek, Bullock Reservoir, Cottonwood Reservoir, East Park Reservoir, Jones Hole Creek, Matt Warner Reservoir, Moon Lake, Oaks Park Reservoir, Old Fort Ponds, Pelican Lake, Red Fleet Reservoir, Steinaker Reservoir, Uintah River, Whiterocks River, and Yellowstone River.

For weekly fishing report, directions, and additional fishing spots, visit: www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots

Dinosaurs

photo description

Did you know that when dinosaurs ruled the earth, many of them did so from Northeastern Utah? Dinosaurland is home to several state parks, a national forest, the Dinosaur National Monument and countless opportunities for outdoor adventure.

Dinosaur National Monument is located near Vernal and surrounded by Uintah County on the southeastern flank of the Uinta Mountains between Colorado and Utah. This is the only place in the world where you can view and even touch more than 1,500 dinosaur bones in their final resting place.

Declared as a National Monument in 1915, today the Dinosaur National Monument includes 210,000 acres of wilderness across two states.

It’s cultural history dates back at least 10,000 years, while the dinosaur fossils were deposited approximately 149 million years ago. Fascinating petroglyphs and pictographs found throughout the monument promote the 1,000-year-old legacy of the Fremont Indians. Many naturalists contend that Echo Park, with its stunning vertical canyons, may be one of the most beautiful places in the West.

Things to Do in Dinosaurland:

		Dinosaur National Monument See more than 1,500 partially exposed dinosaur bones at Quarry Exhibit Hall. And visit the various displays and videos in the visitors center for an introduction to the area.
		Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum Discover the prehistoric world as you dig for fossils, explore the Dinosaur Garden, and watch real dinosaur bones being removed from rock in the Paleontology Lab.
		McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs These incredible Native American petroglyphs are world renowned and found all along the 200-foot-tall “Navajo Formation” sandstone cliffs.
		Moonshine Arch One of Vernal’s best kept secrets and a stunning example of Utah’s famous natural arches, this massive arch is about 85 feet in length and about 40 feet above the ground.
		Fantasy Canyon Some of the most unique geologic features in the world are found here. The delicate and fragile features of these 38‑50 million year old rocks have lead to this area becoming known as “Nature’s China Shop.”