Dinosaur National Monument
from Vernal, Utah

1. What Dinosaur National Monument Is — and Which Side You Want

Dinosaur National Monument straddles the Utah–Colorado border, and it has two visitor centers in two different states. This trips up more first-time visitors than anything else about the park.¹

• Quarry Visitor Center — Utah side, reached via Utah State Highway 149 from Jensen. This is the side with the dinosaur bones.¹
• Canyon Visitor Center — Colorado side, near Dinosaur, Colorado. Canyon and river scenery, no quarry.¹

The fossils — the reason most people come — are on the Utah side, at the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where roughly 1,500 dinosaur bones remain embedded in the cliff face rather than removed to a museum. If you have driven to Dinosaur, Colorado expecting the wall of bones, you are about two hours from it.

Disambiguation. This page is about Dinosaur National Monument in Uintah County, Utah and Moffat County, Colorado — the one reached from Vernal and Jensen, Utah. It is not Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas, Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, or Dinosaur Ridge in Colorado, all of which are separate places with similar names.

2. How Far It Is From Vernal

From 1935 South 1500 East, Vernal, UT 84078, the route is east on US-40 to Jensen — roughly 13 miles — then 7 miles north on Utah State Highway 149 to the Quarry Visitor Center.¹ Total is approximately 20 miles; call it half an hour with the turn. Distances here are approximate; the verified leg is the 7 miles from Jensen to the visitor center.¹

Jensen itself is a waypoint rather than a destination — it has no lodging, groceries or full services, which is why visitors to the Utah side base in Vernal. If you are approaching through Jensen specifically, our Jensen, Utah page covers that leg and what the community does and does not have.

There is no lodging, fuel or food service inside the monument. Fuel and provision in Vernal before you drive out.

3. Fees and How You Reach the Exhibit Hall

Entrance is by pass, and the National Park Service publishes the amounts:²

• $25.00 — one private vehicle (15 passengers or fewer) and all occupants, valid 7 consecutive days²
• $20.00 — motorcycle, valid 7 days, admits up to 2 motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers²
• $15.00 — per person without a vehicle (cyclists, walkers). Youth 15 and under free²
• $45.00 — annual Dinosaur pass, valid one year through the month of purchase²
• $80.00 — America the Beautiful annual pass, covering federal sites nationwide²

Getting to the Exhibit Hall. Parking at the Exhibit Hall itself is limited, so access depends on season: in summer a free shuttle carries visitors from the Quarry Visitor Center up to the hall, while outside peak season you can generally drive.¹ Shuttle operation and hours change year to year — confirm on the Park Service site before you set out rather than relying on this page.

4. Things To Do on the Utah Side

• Quarry Exhibit Hall — roughly 1,500 dinosaur bones still in the rock face, the reason the monument exists
• Tour of the Tilted Rocks — a 10-mile scenic drive along Cub Creek Road, beginning at the Quarry Visitor Center and ending at Josie's cabin. Guidebooks are sold at either visitor center or at a self-service post near the entrance station³
• Cub Creek petroglyphs — Fremont rock art distinguished by unusually large lizard figures, reached by a short but steep 0.2-mile trail³
• Josie Bassett Morris homestead — Josie settled at Cub Creek in 1914 and lived there independently for about 50 years; the cabin, chicken coop, irrigation remnants and orchard trees survive³
• Split Mountain and the Green River — river access, rafting put-ins and the eroded Split Mountain formation

5. Seasonal Planning

• Summer — peak season. Expect the shuttle to the Exhibit Hall rather than driving,¹ and expect company on the Cub Creek drive. Campground reservations are advised.⁴
• Spring and autumn — quieter, and you can often drive to the hall. Campground water and flush toilets are seasonal at the Utah-side campgrounds.⁴
• Winter — the quietest time at the quarry. Services reduce and road conditions vary; check current conditions with the Park Service before travelling.

6. Permits, Camping and Regulations

We link these rather than restate them, because fees, hours and river-permit rules change:

• Park hours, fees, shuttle operation and current conditions — Dinosaur National Monument, National Park Service
• Camping — Green River Campground has 83 sites at about 4,750 ft, listed at $24 per night, with reservations advised in peak season; Split Mountain Group Campground is open year round for groups. Book via Recreation.gov⁴
• Fishing licences on the Green River — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

7. Planning Your Visit

How many days should you allow?

The Exhibit Hall plus the 10-mile Cub Creek drive with stops³ is a comfortable full day. Add a second day if you want the Colorado side, a river trip, or unhurried hiking. One night in Vernal covers a single quarry day; two nights is the realistic minimum if you want more than the fossils.

Can you combine it with Ashley National Forest?

Yes, and it is the natural pairing from a Vernal base. The monument is east through Jensen; Ashley National Forest is north on US-191. Opposite directions, so plan them as separate days rather than one loop.

What should you plan for?

• Buy fuel and food in Vernal — Jensen has no full services and the monument has none
• Carry water — this is high desert; the quarry area is exposed
• Mobile coverage — treat it as unreliable once you leave US-40. Cell service at the Utah-side campgrounds is described as seasonal.⁴ Download directions before leaving town
• Arrive with a pass or means to buy one — see the fees above²

8. Staying in Vernal

Vernal is the practical base for the Utah side of the monument: it is the nearest town with lodging, groceries, fuel and restaurants, about 20 miles west of the Quarry Visitor Center. There is no lodging inside the monument and none in Jensen.

Best Western Vernal Inn is at 1935 South 1500 East, Vernal, UT 84078. For a monument trip, what usually matters is an early breakfast before the drive out, somewhere to park, and a kitchenette if you are packing lunches for a day with no food service.

• Free hot breakfast — before the drive out to the quarry
• Kitchenettes available — pack lunches for a day inside the monument
• Free parking, including trucks and trailers
• Pet friendly — ground-floor rooms available
• Weekly Rates — Call for Price — nightly from $108 (+ tax); see weekly rates

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Dinosaur National Monument, National Park Service — two visitor centers and their states, Quarry Visitor Center location 7 miles north of Jensen via Utah State Highway 149, seasonal shuttle versus private vehicle access, monument address and telephone. nps.gov/dino
2. Fees & Passes, Dinosaur National Monument, National Park Service — entrance fee amounts and validity periods. nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/fees.htm
3. Cub Creek Area and Tour of the Tilted Rocks, National Park Service — 10-mile drive, guidebook availability, Cub Creek petroglyph trail, Josie Bassett Morris homestead history. nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/cubcreek.htm
4. Recreation.gov — Green River Campground and Split Mountain Group Campground site counts, elevation, nightly fee, seasonal services and reservation windows. recreation.gov

Fees, hours and shuttle operation are set by the National Park Service and change. Confirm before travelling. Last reviewed February 2026.