Must See Things to Do in Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur National Monument is a bit off the beaten path but well worth the journey! This 210,000 acre national monument is spread across the northern Utah and Colorado border with a visitor center in both. The main entrance and visitor center is in the Utah portion of Dinosaur National Monument, and this is where visitors can experience an up close encounter with the world famous fossil beds. The history of the dinosaur bones found in this area and the abundance of remaining dinosaur bones is truly a sight to see. I wouldn’t consider myself a dinosaur fanatic but I was still extremely excited and impressed by this amazing display of such mystical creatures.

And the beautiful landscapes encompassed in Dinosaur National Monument are also well worth exploring. It’s a very naturally rich area with gorgeous geology, lush canyons and the rushing Yampa River cutting through colorful dramatic canyons. In this article, we’ll cover some of the main things to do in Dinosaur National Monument that we were able to squeeze into one day. But keep in mind that the opportunities don’t stop there!

For dispersed camping outside of the monument, check out this article: Camping Near Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center

The visitor center is a good place to start a day of adventure in Dinosaur National Monument. Located just past the national park entrance booth, the visitor center is a great place to get information about the many things to do in Dinosaur National Park.

The Dinosaur National Park visitor center has shaded picnic tables and indoor restrooms as well as informative exhibits. You’ll find informative exhibits about the past and present as well as itinerary suggestions and park rangers available to guide you on your visit. There is also a gift shop.

The visitor center also provides a shuttle that departs about every 15 minutes taking guests to and from the infamous Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall. A notice will be played in the visitor center to announce when the shuttle is about to depart.

And lastly, the Fossil Discovery Trail is accessed from just outside the visitor center.

Fossil Discovery Trail

Fossil Discovery Trail is a short hike that should be on your list of things to do in Dinosaur National Park. The trail is 1.8 miles round trip or can be done as a one way hike by taking advantage of the Quarry Shuttle (see below).

Fossil Discovery Trail is a cool little interpretive trail that provides information and evidence from the area’s past. Along the way there are a variety of different fossils to check out. But the most impressive part of the hike is seeing actual dinosaur bones and pieces still in the Morrison Formation. They can be a little tricky to spot at first.

Be glad that you did Fossil Discovery Trail before visiting Quarry Exhibit Hall because that was just a sneak peak of what’s about to come!

Suggested Hike and Quarry Combo

We suggest accessing Fossil Discovery Trail from the visitor center. The hike will eventually lead to the Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall. And since the trail is entirely exposed, the Quarry is not only an incredible must see destination in Dinosaur National Park but is also a nice opportunity to cool down from the hike.
After you’re finished up at the Dinosaur Quarry, hop on the free shuttle which will return you to the visitor center where you began.

• begin the Fossil Discovery Trail hike at the visitor center
• end the hike at the Dinosaur Quarry
• after the quarry, take the free shuttle back to the visitor center

Quarry Exhibit Hall

Quarry Exhibit Hall is the single feature in Dinosaur National Park that makes the entire visit worth the effort. Once you enter the building, you come face to face with a wall of approximately 1,500 exposed dinosaur bones! Coming face to face with this wall feels almost unreal while at the same time it makes dinosaurs suddenly feel incredibly real.

The remains found in this part of the Morrison Formation include several different dinosaur species such as Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodocus and Stegosaurus. You can make out bones such as spines, ribs, skulls, vertebrae and femurs. And there’s even an interactive computer that allows you to choose a bone of interest and find out exactly what bone it is.

And of course there are a number of interesting exhibits in the Quarry Exhibit Hall as well. You can learn about the initial discovery of dinosaur bones in the area, how they were excavated, why there are so many bones in one spot and so much more.

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To add to the experience, there are also several opportunities where you can touch real dinosaur fossils from 150 million years ago. If you have more questions, ask the park rangers. When we visited, we were lucky enough to get tons of cool facts from a ranger who really knew her stuff!

Truth be told, this is about the extent of the dinosaur-ness to Dinosaur National Park. But there is still a lot more to see and things to do throughout the park.

If you’re on a dinosaur kick and are interested in more dinosaur focused things to do there’s plenty of options in the area.

Try these:

• Dinosaur Trackway Trail
• Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
• Dinosaur Land

Otherwise, continue along Cub Creek Road to discover more things to do in Dinosaur National Park.

Swelter Shelter Petroglyphs

Just a short 0.9 mile drive from the visitor center there’s a turn off for a chance to see petroglyphs. Park on the right, cross the road and follow the short trail to the wall. Here you’ll see a nice display of petroglyphs left behind by the Fremont People.

Desert Voices Trail

Continue along the main road for 1.7 miles and turn left into Split Mountain Campground. Follow the road back to the parking area near Green River. Desert Voices Trail begins over by the boat launch.

Desert Voices Trail is a moderate 1.7 mile round trip hike with no shade. If you’re up for it, there is a 0.3 mile connector trail that links this hike with the Sound of Silence Trail. The combination of the two trails creates a 5.5 mile loop hike.

Desert Voices Trail is a pretty hike along a red dirt trail that meanders through beautiful scenery. This trail is very peaceful and full of great views of the dramatic, colorful landscape.

One Trailhead – Two Cool Box Canyons

From Desert Voices Trail, continue about a mile back to the main park road, UT-149. Turn right onto UT-149 and after 5.4 miles turn left onto Josie Cabin/Josie Ranch Road. Follow this well maintained dirt road for 1.7 miles to the parking area.

From here, there are two trailheads that access two cool box canyons in the sandstone of Split Mountain. A box canyon is a canyon with steep walls on three sides with only one way in or out. Both box canyons can be accessed from this parking area.

Good to know: there are vault toilets at the trailhead.

Box Canyon

Box Canyon Trail is an easy half mile roundtrip hike. The short trail follows a path through the trees into the steep walled canyon. At the trails end, take a moment to enjoy the natural beauty.

Hog Canyon + Homestead

Hog Canyon Trail is an easy 1.5 miles roundtrip hike with beautiful scenery the entire way. The trail leads through a beautiful flower filled green meadow with red rock formations far out in the distance. Walk along the path passing rock formations and leading through the trees as you approach the tall canyon walls.

Enjoy the scenery and shade of Hog Canyon before heading back.

Once back at the beginning of the trail, check out the peaceful log cabin and learn about Josie Morris’ homestead. The strength and strong will of the woman who called this area home is really impressive.

Cub Creek Petroglyphs

After checking out the box canyons and homestead, there’s another cool stop on the way back to the main road. About one mile from the homestead, there is a pull off along the dirt road. Stop here and follow the trail up to see more of the interesting petroglyphs of the Fremont People.

The petroglyphs are really neat and the surrounding scenery is also beautiful.

Other Things to Do in Dinosaur National Monument

There are numerous other stops along the main park road with more to see and do within the park. The above stops are what we fit into our one day in Dinosaur National Park – but if you’ve got the time, don’t stop there! Here are a few other things to do in Dinosaur National Monument:

• camping
• river rafting
• numerous other hiking trails
• scenic drive
• overlooks
• wildlife viewing

Thanks for Reading About Things to Do in Dinosaur National Monument!

Driving up to this remote corner of Utah was definitely a trip. But we were glad that we were able to experience such an incredible example of natural history! If you’d like to read about some of other hiking adventures, check out the links below:

• Backpacking Oh Be Joyful Pass + Blue Lake
• Big Loop Hike in Chiricahua National Monument
• Hiking Long Lake Loop + Mt Elwell
• Dinosaur Trackway Hike

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