Traveling with Kids: Dinosaur National Monument

Visiting Dinosaur National Monument is a great family activity for little ones who love to roar as well as well as grown-ups who are interested in history and geology.

Dinosaur National Monument, located near Vernal, UT, is a perfect family getaway for kids of all ages. It’s just a three-hour drive from the Wasatch Front where we live, so it makes for an easy overnight trip—or even a long day trip if you’re ambitious.

We’ve visited several times with kids ranging from toddlers to tweens (ages 2–11), and it’s been a success every time. From towering fossils still embedded in rock walls (soo cool!) to kid-friendly hikes and hands-on exhibits, there’s plenty here to keep the whole family engaged.

A Family’s Guide to Dinosaur National Monument

Here’s what we’ve learned over multiple trips to Dinosaur National Monument: smart tips and favorite stops to help make your family adventure smooth, educational, and fun.

Explore the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum

If you’re staying overnight, you’ll probably be sleeping in Vernal, about 25 minutes west of Dinosaur National Monument. Since you’ll likely be driving right by, it’s worth stopping at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. The actual exhibit space was smaller than I expected, but it has some great hands-on displays where kids can uncover dino bones, play with pretend fossils and models, and walk through big dioramas from different ancient eras.

There’s also a short, old-school geology movie that was surprisingly interesting, and the place is usually pretty empty, which is nice if you have little kids who might want to wander around during the movie.

The highlight, though is the dinosaur garden outside the museum. It is filled with giant replicas of various dinosaurs, so you can help your kids understand how big dinosaurs really were! Plus, they make for cute photo ops (like above). Plan to spend about an hour here—long enough to explore without feeling rushed.

Dinosaur National Monument Park

Next head out to the main attraction: Dinosaur National Monument. Start at the visitor center, and make sure to grab a Junior Ranger Program booklet from the visitor center, which lets kids complete fun, educational activities either at home or in the park. After completing the program, they take a pledge and receive an official Junior Ranger badge—a proud moment for any kid. We do this at most of the parks we visit, and my boys have quite a collection of badges from all over the country now!

Related: Everything you need to know about the Junior Ranger Program

Do you see the giant bones in the wall right behind my boys in the picture above? You are encouraged to touch them! Cool, right?

Quarry Exhibit Hall

From the visitor center, you can take the free shuttle up to the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Over 1,500 dinosaur fossils have been partially excavated from a single wall of rock, a project that took 40 years. Many bones are still in their natural setting, and some are even touchable! Kids love feeling the real dinosaur bones, and I was comepletely in awe, too. I mean, these are REAL dinosaur bones. In the rock. Where they’ve been for millions of years!

Even if your little ones have short attention spans, you can rotate between short explorations of the fossil wall and breaks outside for snacks or play.

Kid-Friendly Hikes

Even if your kids aren’t big hikers, there are some short, fun trails that are perfect for families. It’s really fun to play paleontologist and search for fossils along the rock formations. We have seen imprints from clams, and even several bones that were partially exposed. The coolest was a large chunk of vertebrae sticking out of the rock. Here are some easy hikes to consider:

• Fossil Discovery Trail (1.2 miles, easy): Connects the visitor center and the quarry. Along the way you can spot smaller fossils and great rock formations. Pro tip: Take the shuttle from the visitor center up to the quarry. Then, take the Fossil discovery trail back down. This allows you to hike only one direction (downhill) and still enjoy all the cool things to see along the trail. This is what we did the last time we were there, and I highly recommend it!
• Swelter Shelter Trail (0.25 miles, easy): A quick walk to see ancient petroglyphs—short enough for toddlers but fascinating for older kids.
• Cub Creek Area: Features more petroglyph panels and plenty of space for kids to roam and explore safely.

Tips for Visiting With Kids

• Best Ages: We’ve had success with kids ages 2–11. Toddlers enjoy the quarry wall and dinosaur garden, while older kids will have more stamina for hikes, petroglyphs, and Junior Ranger activities.
• Accessibility: The Visitor Center and Quarry Exhibit Hall are stroller- and wheelchair-friendly. Trails are rocky, so carriers or walking kids are better for hikes.
• When to Go: Spring and fall offer cooler temperatures. Summer can be hot and dry.
• Food: There’s no food in the monument itself, so pack a picnic or plan a stop in Vernal.
• Timing: We usually spend about a half day in the park itself, plus an extra hour for the museum.

Have you been to Dinosaur National Monument with kids? Share your tips in the comments below!