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Okay, last year’s vacation was at Disney World. The year before it was Disneyland. And the year before that was… Disney World. Ready for a change? How about visiting a dinosaur this time?

The state of Utah is home to the largest concentration of dinosaur exhibits in the United States, so no matter where in Utah you visit, you’re probably a day’s drive away from walking the path of a prehistoric dinosaur.

Vernal, in northeastern Utah, is known as “Dinosaurland” and is home to the world’s largest quarry of prehistoric dinosaur bones from the Jurassic. Although currently closed for repairs, the Dinosaur National Monument Quarry has on display more than 2,000 dinosaur fossils embedded and exposed in sandstone. The Quarry boasts of providing more complete dinosaur skeletons, skulls and bones than any other quarry in the world. Visitors to Dinosaur National Monument have more than 200,000 acres of land to hike, fish, camp, and go river rafting.

If you want to see life-size dinosaur replicas, the Utah Field House Museum of Natural History near Vernal has a dinosaur garden with 17 life-size dinosaur replicas, including a 20-foot-tall tyrannosaurus. You can also see exhibits of reproductions of ancient fossil skeletons, archaeological and geological exhibits, fluorescent minerals, and other aspects of the nearby Uinta Mountains and Uinta Basin.

While Dinosaurland near Vernal is considered “the” dinosaur vacation spot, there are other areas in Utah where dinosaur fossils can be seen. Also located in northeastern Utah is the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, one of the best fossil sites in the world. 147 million years ago, the quarry is open daily during the summer and on shorter hours during the spring and fall.

Some of the other notable dinosaur locations around Utah are:

Ogden, Utah

Ogden is located thirty-five miles north of Salt Lake City on the banks of the Weber River and is home to many dinosaur exhibits, including Ogden’s Historic Union Station Gem and Mineral Museum at 2501 Wall Ave. Here you’ll find one of the oldest dinosaur eggs in the world, with an estimated age of about 120 million years. That’s right, this egg is not for scrambling. The egg, however, was not discovered in the Utah area, but rather in China and later donated to the museum. There are various dinosaur bones, eggs, and footprints from North America on display.

Another good dinosaur exhibit near Ogden is the Museum of Ancient North American Life at Thanksgiving Point. You’ll find more here than near Ogden, where the world’s largest dinosaur museum, the Museum of Ancient North American Life, is located. Featuring over 60 mounted dinosaur skeletons and thousands of ancient fossils. You’ll also find a six-story movie theater screen, which features 3-D movies and specialty films.

Moab, Utah

If your travels take you to Moab, you have some wonderful opportunities to see dinosaur fossils up close. Just 13 miles north of Moab, you can hike The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, a self-guided trail where you can walk among dinosaur fossils and actual dinosaur footprints left in sedimentary rocks.

Moab has two exhibits with exhibits on archaeology, paleontology, and dinosaur bones. These are the visitor center at Dead Horse Point State Park north of Moab on SR 313, and the Dan O’Laurie Museum, 118 East Center Street.

For a truly unforgettable family vacation, a Utah dinosaur hike is a must. Remember, though, that fossils are protected, meaning you can’t remove them from the environment. The only thing you should eliminate from your Utah hikes is your own trash. Be sure to leave all fossils and plant life intact.

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