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