A green and tree shaded community in an otherwise dry plain, Vernal is an attractive small town with some 8,000 residents. It serves as a good base for visiting nearby Dinosaur National Monument, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and the Uinta Mountains. It offers a decent selection of motels and has numerous small restaurants, cafes and fast food joints.
Vernal also has a small, well-done prehistory museum, a nice tie-in to the Dinosaur National Monument, a couple of movie theaters and water slides for the kids. Three state parks are within a quick drive of Vernal, namely Steinaker, Red Fleet and Starvation State Parks, all centered around reservoirs. Red Fleet is also known for its well-preserved dinosaur tracks.
Vernal is located along Highways 191/40 in the northeast corner of Utah. It is southeast of the Uinta Mountains, 20 miles west of Dinosaur National Monument and 35 miles south of Flaming Gorge.
To learn more about Vernal, select a topic of interest from the left-hand column, or request a free Vernal area travel planner by mail.
