Teams
Forum List
Toggle sidebar

Utah / Colorado Vacation Ideas

throwittoblythe

throwittoblythe

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2006
3,397
3,736
113
Minneapolis, MN
I'm taking the family to NW Colorado / NE Utah later this summer. I'm wondering if anyone has ever been there and MUST or MUST NOT things to see/do.

The focus of the trip is Dinosaur, CO. My daughter is 7 and is really in that phase so that is the one thing we have to do. We'll be staying in Vernal, Utah, just west of there. We'll have 5 days in Vernal.

Things on our list:
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Horseback riding in the national forest
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir hiking/picnic

We also have a 3 year old. So no serious/challenging hikes are in our future.
 
  • Like
Reactions: isutrevman
throwittoblythe said:
I'm taking the family to NW Colorado / NE Utah later this summer. I'm wondering if anyone has ever been there and MUST or MUST NOT things to see/do.

The focus of the trip is Dinosaur, CO. My daughter is 7 and is really in that phase so that is the one thing we have to do. We'll be staying in Vernal, Utah, just west of there. We'll have 5 days in Vernal.

Things on our list:
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Horseback riding in the national forest
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir hiking/picnic

We also have a 3 year old. So no serious/challenging hikes are in our future.
Click to expand...
I live in that general area; Steamboat Springs, Colorado, definitely within NW Colorado.

I've been to Dinosaur; definitely a must-see and a really cool spot. You can easily make a whole day of it, especially with a young family.

I haven't really spent much, if any, time in Vernal itself, so I don't have much to offer there for suggestions. I haven't been to Flaming Gorge myself, but I've heard good things about it from some people who have been up there.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: throwittoblythe
Have taken kids to Colorado and Utah but not those specific areas.

Their favorite place in CO was Mesa Verde National Park but that is considerably south of your destination.

If you drive by Fort Collins, they did like touring the Air Force Academy. Also the Discovery Museum.

If you are near Grand Junction, my kids liked the math and science museum and the water park/laser tag/ go kart place which isn’t a bad way to let them blow off some energy.

On drives to California, they have spent a lot of time at Arches NP.

Big on hiking and star gazing in CO. Your kids may be a little young for much hiking. Mine enjoyed the Estes Park/Rocky Mountain NP area for hiking and fishing. There is an amusement park too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throwittoblythe
throwittoblythe said:
I'm taking the family to NW Colorado / NE Utah later this summer. I'm wondering if anyone has ever been there and MUST or MUST NOT things to see/do.

The focus of the trip is Dinosaur, CO. My daughter is 7 and is really in that phase so that is the one thing we have to do. We'll be staying in Vernal, Utah, just west of there. We'll have 5 days in Vernal.

Things on our list:
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Horseback riding in the national forest
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir hiking/picnic

We also have a 3 year old. So no serious/challenging hikes are in our future.
Click to expand...


If you are taking I70 out to 13.........make some time for the Glenwood Springs Caverns Adventure Park.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throwittoblythe
carvers4math said:
Have taken kids to Colorado and Utah but not those specific areas.

Their favorite place in CO was Mesa Verde National Park but that is considerably south of your destination.

If you drive by Fort Collins, they did like touring the Air Force Academy. Also the Discovery Museum.

If you are near Grand Junction, my kids liked the math and science museum and the water park/laser tag/ go kart place which isn’t a bad way to let them blow off some energy.

On drives to California, they have spent a lot of time at Arches NP.

Big on hiking and star gazing in CO. Your kids may be a little young for much hiking. Mine enjoyed the Estes Park/Rocky Mountain NP area for hiking and fishing. There is an amusement park too.
Click to expand...
Air Force Academy is in Colorado Springs, CSU in Ft. Collins.

If you go highway 34 across the continental divide, Devils Backbone State Park just west of Loveland is a simple, easy hike for a young family.
 
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: psycln11, carvers4math and throwittoblythe
throwittoblythe said:
I'm taking the family to NW Colorado / NE Utah later this summer. I'm wondering if anyone has ever been there and MUST or MUST NOT things to see/do.

The focus of the trip is Dinosaur, CO. My daughter is 7 and is really in that phase so that is the one thing we have to do. We'll be staying in Vernal, Utah, just west of there. We'll have 5 days in Vernal.

Things on our list:
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Horseback riding in the national forest
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir hiking/picnic

We also have a 3 year old. So no serious/challenging hikes are in our future.
Click to expand...
"The focus of the trip is Dinosaur, CO. Then five days in Vernal.". Gosh, be sure and post some photos.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throwittoblythe
ISUChippewa said:
I live in that general area; Steamboat Springs, Colorado, definitely within NW Colorado.

I've been to Dinosaur; definitely a must-see and a really cool spot. You can easily make a whole day of it, especially with a young family.

I haven't really spent much, if any, time in Vernal itself, so I don't have much to offer there for suggestions. I haven't been to Flaming Gorge myself, but I've heard good things about it from some people who have been up there.
Click to expand...
So what are the highlights of dinosaur nm that you’d suggest if you make a day of it?
 
Go to Cali and see the dinosaurs from The Wizard and PeeWees Big Adventure.
 
Funny. At the same time you posted this we ere at the Dinosaur Visitor Center/Dig site in Utah. Also staying one night in Vernal. Tomorrow we will explore further and view the petroglyphs and pictograph sites before heading south to Arches/Moab/Grand Junction area.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NWICY and throwittoblythe
MuskieCy said:
Air Force Academy is in Colorado Springs, CSU in Ft. Collins.

If you go highway 34 across the continental divide, Devils Backbone State Park just west of Loveland is a simple, easy hike for a young family.
Click to expand...
Yep that’s my brain fart. That and maybe 5 AFBs and my oldest two just just had to go to what is now Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station cause Stargate SG-1, not that they would let them see much. But then we went through Fort Collins and the Museum of Discovery to see relatives in Cheyenne, WY.
 
CYKXBUT2 said:
Funny. At the same time you posted this we ere at the Dinosaur Visitor Center/Dig site in Utah. Also staying one night in Vernal. Tomorrow we will explore further and view the petroglyphs and pictograph sites before heading south to Arches/Moab/Grand Junction area.
Click to expand...
Crazy! Let me know how it was!
 
throwittoblythe said:
I'm taking the family to NW Colorado / NE Utah later this summer. I'm wondering if anyone has ever been there and MUST or MUST NOT things to see/do.

The focus of the trip is Dinosaur, CO. My daughter is 7 and is really in that phase so that is the one thing we have to do. We'll be staying in Vernal, Utah, just west of there. We'll have 5 days in Vernal.

Things on our list:
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Horseback riding in the national forest
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir hiking/picnic

We also have a 3 year old. So no serious/challenging hikes are in our future.
Click to expand...
It's 4 hours to the south of Vernal, but Moab has two of the most beautiful national parks I've ever seen. Arches is the famous one but Canyonlands is my favorite. Canyonlands feels like you have a Grand Canyon on both sides of the road and it has very easy hiking trails kids can do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NWICY and throwittoblythe
cyman05 said:
So what are the highlights of dinosaur nm that you’d suggest if you make a day of it?
Click to expand...

Definitely check out the Visitor's Center; it has all of the fossils that give the place its name. It is pretty damn cool to see all of the fossils of the near mythical beasts that captivate kids (including myself) from a young age.

But outside of that there's a lot of cool history. There is a self-guided driving tour of the whole place that you can make a day of, and some nice hiking trails as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cyman05
throwittoblythe said:
Crazy! Let me know how it was!
Click to expand...
The Dinosaur/Visitor Center near Vernal were fantastic, but the section north of Dinosaur, CO was closed for a fire about 20 miles up, so didn't get to see anything there.
Arches was also awesome. Went in Tuesday evening and early (5am) Wednesday morning as I didn't have the ticketed reservations. When I left the park at 11am there were about 100 vehicles waiting to get in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throwittoblythe
You must log in or register to reply here.

Help Support Us

Become a patron
Top Bottom