Top 5 Things To Do In Vernal, Utah

Top 5 Things To Do In Vernal, Utah

#1 - White Water River Rafting.

Vernal, Utah and the Northeastern corner of Utah has several amazing white water river rafting options to choose from. The Green River Begins in central Wyoming and winds its way through Utah and the corner of Colorado until it eventually meets the Colorado river in Southern Utah. Just outside of Vernal there are two really popular rafting options. 

The first is a very fun one day river rafting adventure beginning at Flaming Gorge Dam traveling 7 miles to Little Hole. This stretch of the Green is most known for its world class fly fishing but is also a prime destination for white water river rafting. Our trip meets and returns to our warehouse in Vernal, Utah. What to expect on a day trip. Great guides, excellent riverside lunch, fun rapids and incredible scenery. This trip is perfect for families with young kids who are not sure about a river adventure. Take a look at our website for more information on the one day rafting trip on the Green River.

The most popular option on the Green River is the Gates of Lodore. This is a 4 day river rafting trip that floats for 44 miles through the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. Great rapids like Disaster Falls, Moonshine, Triplet Falls will excite you. Delectable meals will savor your palate, incredible scenery will take your breath away and the guides will take impeccable care of your ever need.

The Yampa River also flows through Dinosaur National Monument. This 72 mile river trip is best done over 5 days. You can take it in 4 days but we recommend the 5 day to get the most out of this adventure. The Yampa River is the 3rd hardest river trip to get a seat on in the U.S. You will want to book this adventure well in advance.

Give us a call to get the low down from Vernal, Utah's only locally owned and operated outfitter.

1-800-345-7238 you can also visit our website www.dinosaurriverexpeditions.com for more information.

#2 - Dinosaur National Monument

With over 200,000 acres to explore you can spend a lifetime visiting this gem of the park service and never see it all. If you can put a river trip into your schedule while visiting the monument you will not regret it.

Definitley make time to see the fossil quarry. You will be able to get up close and personal with the wall of bones. An amazing collection of intact dinosaur fossils and great displays.

#3 - Mountain Biking

Vernal has some world class single track mountain bike trails some within 15 minutes of downtown. McCoy Flats is the most popular riding area with a fabulous selection of trails from beginner to expert. If you are new to riding try the Cookies and Combo loop, it has gently rolling hills, great views and is beginner in fitness and ability. If you want to challenge yourself my favorite is Jackalope to Serendipity. This loop is intermediate to expert with a good climb at the beginning and some really exciting downhill to finish it out. We offer guided daily mountain bike tours pairing up with local bike shop Altitude Cycle for bike rentals. Our mountain bike guides are expert riders and very passionate about showing you there favorite trails.

#4 - Native American Rock Art

Not far out of town you will find McConkie Ranch with an astounding collection of Fremont petroglyphs and pictographs. It is an easy hike along the cliff face where you are able to get up close and personal to 700 year old rock art drawings. We offer guided daily hikes and McConkie Ranch is just one of the many places we love to show off. Give us a call and ask about our other hiking options.

#5 - Red Cloud Loop

The Red Cloud Loop is a seasonally open road that starts and ends in Vernal. This scenic drive will take you up Dry Fork Canyon to about 9,000 feet in elevation on the eastern slope of the Uintah Mountain range where you finish out the drive through a beautiful lodgepole forest. Route information is available at the local travel office or you can check there website www.dinoland.com

Whatever your interest a summer vacation to Vernal, Utah will be one that is very memorable.

Dinosaur River Expeditions

Since 1979 Vernal, Utah's #1 Outfitter

Locally Owned and Operated

1-800-345-7238

www.dinosaurriverexpeditions.com

John Wesley Powell

We love to share history on our river rafting trips. One of the people we talk about quite often is Mr. John Wesley Powell. Here is a short dissertation on his journeys down the Green River we hope you enjoy.

After 1867, Powell led a series of expeditions into the Rocky Mountains and around the Green and Colorado rivers. One of these expeditions was with his students and his wife, to collect specimens all over Colorado.^[1] In 1869, he set out to explore the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Gathering nine men, four boats and food for 10 months, he set out from Green River, Wyoming, on May 24. Passing through dangerous rapids, the group passed down the Green River to its confluence with the Colorado River (then also known as the Grand River upriver from the junction), near present-day Moab, Utah, and completed the journey on August 13, 1869.^[6]

The expedition's route traveled through the Utah canyons of the Colorado River, which Powell described in his published diary as having

". . . wonderful features—carved walls, royal arches, glens, alcove gulches, mounds and monuments. From which of these features shall we select a name? We decide to call it Glen Canyon."

One man (Goodman) quit after the first month, and another three (Dunn and the Howland brothers) left at Separation Canyon in the third. This was just two days before the group reached the mouth of the Virgin River on August 30, after traversing almost 930 mi (1,500 km). The latter three disappeared; historians have speculated they were killed by the Shivwitz band of the Northern Paiute.^[7] How and why they died remains a mystery debated by Powell biographers.

Powell retraced the route in 1871–1872 with another expedition, resulting in photographs (by John K. Hillers), an accurate map and various papers. In planning this expedition, he employed the services of Jacob Hamblin, a Mormon missionary in southern Utah and northern Arizona, who had cultivated excellent relationships with Native Americans. Before setting out, Powell used Hamblin as a negotiator to ensure the safety of his expedition from local Indian groups. Powell believed they had killed the three men lost from his previous expedition. Wallace Stegner states that Powell knew the men had been killed by the Indians in a case of mistaken identity.

1-800-345-7238
www.dinosaurriverexpeditions.com

Most asked about River Recipe

One of our most popular 

lunches on our multiday rafting trips.

This can be a vegetarian or gluten free option.

Try this recipe for one of your upcoming adventures.

Your friends at Dinosaur River Expeditions.

White water rafting guides

White water river rafting guides have a serious and tough job. They are constantly working, rowing boats, making meals, attending to guests needs. With all the work they have to do guides to find time to have some fun themselves.
A little stand up paddle boarding, swimming, at the right camp they may break out the ducky slip and slid. No matter what the trip your guides are there to show you the best trip possible.
The 2014 summer season is winding down but it is never to late to book your next adventure. We are taking reservations for the 2015 summer season. Our four and five day trips fill up quickly so if there is a date that fits your travel schedule you will want to book your trip soon. The Yampa River and Green River Gates of Lodore are amazing for everyone from young kids to the most experienced adventure seeker.
1-800-345-7238
www.dinoadv.com

Guided Day Hikes in Vernal, Utah

Traveling to Northeastern Utah is a great experience with a lot of wonderful things to see and do. Guided hiking tours are an excellent way to see some of the sites in the region. Our hikes depart daily either in the morning or late afternoon/early evening. A typical hiking tour is 4 to 5 hours round trip. The guide will bring along extra water, snacks, a first aid kit and have a wealth of knowledge to share. You will want to bring along a water bottle, camera, light rain jacket (just in case), wear appropriate shoes for hiking and clothing for the weather conditions.
Out two most popular hikes is the Dinosaur Trackway located at Red Fleet State Park and the McConkie Ranch Rock Art Site. Both hikes are intermediate in physical ability and beginner in technical hiking. Along either hike you will see great geology, plant life, birds and animals.
The McConkie Ranch site is one of the finest Native American rock art sites in Utah. Some of these ancient drawings are well over 1000 years old, left behind from the Fremont culture. This site has been featured in National Geographic for its incredible quality and quanitiy of petroglyphs and pictorgraphs.
The Dinosaur Trackway leads you through a beautiful slick rock landscape to the edge of Red Fleet Reservoir. When you arrive at the edge of the lake you will find over a 100 fossilized dinosaur footprints along the shore left in what was once a large mud flat. On this hike I would bring your swimsuit, it is always fun to take a dip in the lake while enjoying the incredible scenery.
All of the hikes we offer are family freindly and great for anyone who likes to get out of the car and explore what Utah has to offer.
Give us a call and let us help you arrange a trip. We can customize your hike with a river rafting trip or mountain bike tour.
1-800-345-7238 or visit our website www.dinoadv.com

One day river rafting in Utah

UTAH GUIDED SCENIC RIVER RAFTING TRIP http://dinoriverexp.blogspot.com/2014/08/utah-guided-scenic-river-rafting-trip.html

UTAH GUIDED SCENIC RIVER RAFTING TRIP

One of the great things about Utah is all of the outdoor adventures that are available for us to enjoy. White water rafting trips are extremely popular and we take 4 and 5 day trips out on the Green River and Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument from May through September. These trips are amazing and well worth taking. If you do not have 4 or 5 days for a river trip a one day scenic float trip on the Green River is a perfect option. When booking a trip in this area ask lots of questions about the trips, you want to have a good idea of where you are going and what to expect. Also consider that we are the only locally owned and operated outfitter in Vernal, Utah and Dinosaur National Monument. This gives us an advantage of knowledge and skill unsurpassed by our competition.
We take a seven mile tour on the Green River from Flaming Gorge Dam to Little Hole almost daily. This trip is offered from Mid May until the first week of August. We depart from our Vernal, Utah location at 9:00 a.m. followed by a beautiful drive on highway 191 to Flaming Gorge Dam where we put on the river for the days float. Typically we arrive back to Vernal by 3:30.
This trip is highlighted by incredible scenery, crystal clear water and really fun class 2 rapids. Each trip is guided with licensed and experienced guides who give interpretive talks, fix a deli lunch spread and show you an all around fantastic time. The Green River section A as this part of the river is commonly called has a mix of calm scenic water interspersed with splashy, fun rapids such as Mother in Law, Roller Coaster and Bridge Rapid to name  a few.
You will see a lot of wildlife. Birds are the most common with a variety of waterfowl, small song birds and Eagles and Osprey. Quite often Mule Deer, Big Horn Sheep, Moose and Elk  will also be seen along the river or the drive to and from the river.
The water comes straight our of Flaming Gorge Dam at approximately 56 degrees. Chilly but refreshing on a hot summer day.
For a daily raft trip you will want to bring clothes that can get wet, sturdy sandals or shoes, a light rain jacket, water bottle, sunscreen and camera. Some people like to bring a towel for the ride home. We have small day dry bags available for you to store your belongings in while floating the river.
You will have several inflatable raft options. We take an oar assisted paddle raft. This raft the guide sits in the back and rows and steers the raft down the river. If you want to help paddle you are more than welcome to. The guide will give you detailed instructions on how to paddle. We also take inflatable kayaks AKA: the ducky. This boat comes in one or two person models and you paddle yourself down the river and through the rapids. A fun option for those that are a little more adventureous.
No matter what your paddling and floating prefrence there is an option for you and your group.
Dates fill up quickly you will want to call in advance to reserve your space on a daily rafting trip. You may also want to consider our combination hiking, raft trips or mountain biking, raft trips. The Vernal area has some of the best mountain biking in the United States and some incredible hiking trails.

Call today and reserve your next adventure 1-800-345-RAFT or visit our website for more details www.dinoadv.com
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