Dinosaur National Monument with Toddlers . . .
If you saw this post on Instagram, you heard that we packed up the car and made our way to Vernal, Utah. Have you ever been? It’s about a three hour drive from Salt Lake City to Dinosaur National Park–with toddlers in tow, it can feel even longer. Thankfully, I did my research, prepped everything in advance and planned a flexible day of toddler-approved fun. This is exactly how we made it happen.
Road Trip Essentials
After a quick Google search, I learned that the drive from SLC to Vernal is scenic and beautiful. I also learned that there aren’t many places to stop along the route. This means snacks are essential. I took it a step further and packed a car-friendly lunch, with a cooler full of drinks and a backpack full of snacks. We ended up eating our lunch en route, and the extra beverages + munchies tied us over until we got home around 7pm.
We also used portable DVD players + Jurassic themed movies to keep boredom at bay. Our girls LOVE Dinosaur Train. It’s an educational show on PBS and you can find DVDs of the episodes here and here. I also packed a couple dino themed books and figurines (we love this set!) just in case we needed to switch things up.
Click the photos below to shop.
Extra things to have on hand: picnic mat (in case you need to take a break/want to eat outside), blankets for impromptu nap time, an extra change of clothes for everyone, a camera and EarPods for the grownups. Jake and I listened to Harry Potter while the girls dozed on the way home.
Dinosaur Activities
Photo Op with Dinah
Dinah the Pink Dinosaur is just off E Main Street in Downtown Vernal. There isn’t any nearby parking, so a quick drive by is really all you get. You can also find her via Google Maps labeled as Dine-A-Ville Pink Dinosaur.
Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
We really enjoyed this museum, and our girls (ages 3 + 2) loved the interactive elements of the exhibits. They got to dig for prehistoric bones, touch fossils, watch a short documentary and put on their very own Jurassic show. We spent 1.5-2 hours playing and learning.
Pro-tip: Don’t miss the outdoor Dinosaur Garden. It’s filled with life-size dinosaur replicas and has a beautiful water feature. This may have been toddler highlight of the entire day!
Here’s the link for more information.
Dinosaur National Monument Quarry Exhibit Hall
PSA: Due to new COVID regulations, you have to reserve tickets in advance. You can read more about that here. There is a $1 per ticket reservation charge + you have to pay monument entry fees to get into the park. BUT I think it’s worth it.
Our girls were really excited to see prehistoric fossils and dinosaur bones actually in stone. The ‘Wall of Bones’ as it’s called is home to the remains of hundreds of dinosaurs. To simply say it’s impressive might be an understatement. There are even parts of the exhibit where you can touch and study 149 Million year old fossils!
And, the scenery around the exhibit hall feels like something straight out of the Mesozoic era. Wear a good pair of hiking boots. There are family-friendly trails to and from the Quarry Exhibit Hall that lead to the park’s visitor center.
Scenic Drives
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to enjoy any of the scenic drives this go around. The smoke from wildfires on the west coat blanketed the entire area. We do have big plans to visit again soon–my friend highly recommends driving through Flaming Gorge. She says to take the upper overlooks to fully appreciate the views! You can read all about her most recent trip in this blog post.
Are you a fan of day trips? Dinosaurs, too?
PIN IT FOR LATER
Leave a Reply