6 Best Sights in Vernal, Dinosaurland and Eastern Utah

An impressive array of Native American petroglyphs and pictographs adorn the 200-foot-high cliffs in Dry Fork Canyon, making the 22-mile round-trip drive from Vernal well worth your time. Two trails leading to the rock art are on McConkie Ranch, a privately owned property that asks only for a $5 per vehicle donation and respect for the site. Make sure to bring sturdy shoes because both short paths have steep and rough spots. If you call the ranch's number, Jean McConkie McKenzie, who was born and still lives here, will show you her collection of arrowheads and antiques. Her mother, Sadie, first opened the rock art to the public in 1930.

Around 150 million years ago, this was the stomping ground of dinosaurs, and you can see rock samples, fossils, Fremont and Ute nation artifacts, and a viewing lab where you can watch paleontologists restore actual fossils. The biggest attraction for kids is undoubtedly the outdoor Dinosaur Garden with its 18 life-size models of prehistoric creatures, including a T. rex and a woolly mammoth. The Field House also doubles as a visitor center for all of Dinosaurland, so stop here for maps and guides for the entire area.

If you're looking for a glimpse of the Wild West, head to Browns Park. Lying along a quieter stretch of the Green River and extending into Colorado, this area features plenty of high-desert scenery, a national waterfowl refuge, and a history complete with notorious outlaws of the late 1800s. You can explore several buildings on the John Jarvie Historic Ranch site and visit the museum, where a video details the ranch's history. Buildings date from 1880 to the early 1900s, and there's also a cemetery containing the graves of a few men who met violent ends nearby. In addition to his ranch, Jarvie ran a post office, store, and river ferry, and his spread was a major hideout on the so-called Outlaw Trail. The area also includes several campgrounds, OHV (off-highway vehicle) trails, and river-rafting opportunities. Reach Browns Park by driving 65 miles north of Vernal on U.S. 191, then 22 miles east on a gravel road, following signs to the ranch.

This museum provides a window into the daily lives of the pioneers. The large collection of artifacts (most donated by descendants of the area's early settlers) range from a working loom to guns to a mortician's tools. Most everything is displayed in period rooms, including a shop, a house, and a doctor's office.

In late June and early July, enjoy musicals, melodramas, or comedies under the stars. Shows typically run Monday through Saturday.

Inside the Uintah County Heritage Museum are collections of Fremont and Ute Indian artifacts, including baskets, water jugs, and beadwork, as well as pioneer items like carriages, guns, saddles, and old-fashioned toys. Be sure to check out the wooden cataract boats built by local river-running legend A. K. Reynolds. They're still in great shape considering they date back to the late 1940s. The most off-beat installation is a collection of kitschy handmade porcelain dolls modeled after the nation's First Ladies, from Martha Washington to Nancy Reagan.