Take a Dinosaur-Themed Roadtrip for the Ages

Many people have no idea how connected the American West is to Dinosaurs. If you are a fan of the ancient giant lizards or fancy yourself an amateur paleontologist, you can plan a whole vacation around dinosaurs.

There is a great route from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Denver, Colorado, that takes you through some of the best dinosaur sites that the United States has to offer.

No matter which end of this trip you start on, you will find dinosaurs when you arrive at the airport, and you will have them to say goodbye to when you go! If you start at Salt Lake City International Airport, you will find Ally.

The 15-foot skeleton represents the Allosaurus, which has been found more in Utah than anywhere else in the world. If your starting point is the Denver International Airport, there are plenty of dinosaur exhibits, including real fossils found during the building of the airport.

Let’s take a look at the mandatory dino-stops on this family friendly road trip!

The Ogden’s George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park (Ogden, Utah)

One mandatory stop on any dinosaur road trip is The Ogden’s George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park. Here, you can fully explore the world that dinosaurs once dominated. They have a huge sculpture park, interactive displays, and exhibits.

The best part of the Dinosaur Park is live fossil digs and a dinosaur-themed playground for kids.

Dinosaur National Monument (Vernal, Utah)

Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument preserves dramatic canyons, ancient petroglyphs, and one of the richest dinosaur fossil beds in North America.

Visitors can explore rugged landscapes, scenic drives, hiking trails, and fascinating prehistoric remains that reveal millions of years of natural history. Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and several other types of dinosaurs are confirmed to have been here.

Red Fleet State Park (13 miles North of Vernal, Utah)

In the heart of Utah’s Dinosaurland, Red Fleet State Park combines outdoor adventure with prehistoric discovery.

Visitors can hike to remarkably preserved dinosaur tracks dating back nearly 200 million years, enjoy boating and fishing on the reservoir, and camp beside striking sandstone cliffs and wide open desert scenery

Quarry Visitor Center (Jensen, Utah)

The Quarry Visitor Center serves as the starting point for exploring the famous fossil wall at Dinosaur National Monument Quarry Exhibit Hall.

Inside, visitors can view nearly 1,500 exposed dinosaur bones from the Late Jurassic period, including fossils from Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, and Allosaurus, while interactive exhibits, ranger programs, and even touchable fossils bring the prehistoric world to life.