Dinosaurland, UT

The Real Jurassic Park

Utah Field House of Natural History Museum
copyright Dinosaurland Travel Region

Dinosaur Gardens
copyright Dinosaurland
Travel Region

Alhtough Jurassic Park might be in your VCR, the real action is happening in a remote corner of northeastern Utah, better known as Dinosaurland.

No, you won't have to worry about T-rex flattening your car with one misstep. The behemoths that roamed this area 150 million years ago are now extinct. But their fossilized presence is everywhere.

The central hot spot is Dinosaur National Monument. It's here that you'll find the world's largest dinosaur bone quarry of the Jurassic period, real-life footprints of the eight-foot tall Dilophosaurs, and museums that bring this ancient world back to life.

After you've seen the real Jurassic Park, head to nearby Vernal, UT for the sideshow. Big, small, stuffed, fried, or framed: If it's about dinosaurs, you'll find it here, right down to the dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets at the 7-11 Ranch Restaurant on Main Street. And if you're not careful, your kids will be begging to take home dino T-shirts, stuffed animals, and even T-rex on a stick (pull the trigger and a hungry "T" snaps its jaws).