Last summer we attended a family reunion near Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which is on the border of Utah and Wyoming. We camped near Flaming Gorge, spent some time at the reservoir, and visited Dinosaur National Monument. I’ll talk about Flaming Gorge another time, but today I’m sharing five things to do at Dinosaur NM. Now, there’s more than five things to do there, but too many options can be overwhelming, so I keep the number of activities I share to a manageable number. 😉

We didn’t see and do everything we’d planned, so this is just one more place we’ll head back to when we’re in the area again. If you’re planning the next road trip or camping trip you’ll take once life gets back to normal, keep Dinosaur NM in mind as a destination.

Like all National Parks, Dinosaur NM was closed, but is slowly re-opening. As of May 13, 2020, the roads and trails are open, but visitor centers and exhibits are closed. Water is not available and restroom access may be limited. If you do choose to visit Dinosaur NM, be sure to practice Leave No Trace principles so no one has to clean up after you (it’s so sad to see what people do to our parks). Check this page for updates on closure information.

If you prefer to stay home for a bit longer, check out this site for Virtual National Park activities. And this site has more activities for kiddos and the whole family. You can even download the Dinosaur NM Junior Ranger booklet and get a head start on filling it out.

Where is Dinosaur National Monument?

Dinosaur NM straddles the Utah/Colorado border, on the northern end of both states. The closest city to the Utah side is Vernal and the closest city to the Colorado side is Craig.

What is Dinosaur NM?

In 1909, a paleontologist discovered eight vertebra belonging to an Apatosaurus at what is now known as the Dinosaur Quarry. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson designated 80 acres around the Dinosaur Quarry as Dinosaur National Monument. The size and boundaries have been added to and adjusted several times in the years since.

Today Dinosaur NM covers nearly 211,000 acres (330 square miles). Elevation varies from 4,740 feet to 9,006 feet. There are four paved roads in the park; the rest are dirt or clay. Some words to describe it would be sprawling, isolated, and majestic.

When we visited Dinosaur, we only explored the Cub Creek area. There are other areas to explore, but expect to spend some time driving to them.

Where to stay while visiting Dinosaur NM?

There are six campgrounds in the national monument. Be sure to check the map and make sure the campground you make reservations at is near where you will be spending most of your time. Not all campgrounds are suitable (or even accessible) for RVs, and reservations can only be made for three of them. Most sites in the campgrounds are first come, first served. Also, like many NPS campgrounds, there are no hookups for RVs and water may only be available seasonally.

Backcountry camping is also available for those who prefer that route. Permits are free, but required. There are designated backcountry camping sites, but you can also camp at large (basically wherever you want, as long as you follow certain location restrictions). Black bears live in the monument, so plan accordingly.

We stayed at the Manila KOA near Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which is about a one and half to two hour drive away. While this allowed us to visit Dinosaur NM as well Flaming Gorge, the drive time did eat into our play time. For our group, staying at the KOA was the best option. Some rented cabins, some brought tents, and we brought our RV. We wouldn’t have been able to do that at one of campgrounds in Dinosaur.

Important details to know

Normally, there is a $25 fee per vehicle, or use your National Parks Pass. I believe entrance fees are currently waived since the park is not fully staffed. Be sure to check this page for updated info before you go.

Because it’s not close to much of anything, be sure you have plenty of gas in your tank, bring plenty of water, and dress for the heat and sun.

5 things to do when visiting Dinosaur National Monument

1. Fossils!

I mean, you can’t go to Dinosaur NM without looking at the fossils.

There are two visitor centers in the NM, one on the Colorado side and one on the Utah side. Visitor Centers have informative displays, a film, and park staff to answer your questions and give recommendations. The Quarry Visitor Center offers shuttles to the super-cool Quarry Exhibit Hall. This is in the Utah side of the NM.

The Quarry Exhibit Hall is a large, enclosed area that showcases a wall of dinosaur bones-approximately 1500 of them! Plan ahead- the last shuttle is at 5pm. We didn’t have a lot of time to explore the exhibit hall and visitor center before they closed, so we waited until after then to check out the petroglyphs in the area.

2. See the Petroglyphs and Pictographs

Petroglyphs and pictographs can be found on the sandstone cliffs of Dinosaur NM. Pictographs are patterns painted on the rock, petroglyphs are patterns chipped or carved into the rock. Petroglyphs are more common in Dinosaur NM, and there’s some pretty cool ones. Many are close to the road and require just a short hike to get to.

This page has a list of five sites for observing petroglyphs and pictographs, as well as a map to easily plan your route. Four out of the five are on the Utah side of the NM.

3. Go for a Hike

The Fossil Discovery Trail is a 1.2 mile trail from the Quarry Visitor Center to the Quarry Exhibit Hall. It has a number of spots with signs indicating where fossils can be seen. We did not have time for this hike when we visited, which was just one of the hazards of traveling and exploring in a large group. It’s definitely on our list of things to do when we go back.

There are other trails on both sides of the monument. You can find a list here, which indicates which side of the NM the trail is, as well as the length of each trail.

4. River Rafting

Rafting trips are a great way to see/explore the canyons of Dinosaur NM. Commercial rafting companies offer 1 day and 4 or 5 day rafting trips. You can find more info here. If you’re an experienced rafter with your own gear, you can enter the permit lottery. Find more info about the permit lottery, and the associated fees, here.

5. View the Night Sky

Because it’s so remote, Dinosaur NM doesn’t have a lot of light pollution. This makes it one of the best places in the US for stargazing.

Stay in one of the campgrounds in the monument for the best views. Since we didn’t, we missed out, again. Ranger-led night sky programs are held at Split Mountain Campground.

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If these activities don’t interest you, there’s also fishing, bicycling, horseback riding, scenic drives, and more. Have you been to Dinosaur NM? What was your favorite thing to do? Have anything to add to this list? Please share!