Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum and Red Fleet State Park
Media passes and State Park managers will be available any time before or after the conference to help you with your stories.
Contacts:
Park Manager Steve Sroka
Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/field-house
435-789-3799
Park Manager Mike Murray
Red Fleet State Park
http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/red-fleet
435-789-4432
Dinosaur National Monument
Temporary Visitor Center
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
http://www.nps.gov/dino/
435-781-7700
So much time is revealed in the Uinta Basin, even more geologic time than in the Grand Canyon. Within an 80-mile radius of Vernal, evidence of the entire Earth’s history is visible. At its center is the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. The 22,000-square foot museum was built to preserve and reveal the wealth of prehistory found within this amazing area.
Outside the museum, and providing the greatest appeal to passing visitors, is the Dinosaur Garden, a prehistoric zoo of full-size replicas. The garden includes a 20-foot Tyrannosaurus with six-inch, knife-like teeth, a horned Triceratops, six-ton Stegosaurus, winged Pteranodon and other full-size prehistoric animal replicas.
Arrange a trip with the museum’s paleontologist to a quarry to search for ancient fossils. Chip away at rocks to uncover plant, stick, and bug fossils.
Within a short drive from the museum is Red Fleet State Park. A short hike at the park reveals numerous dinosaur tracks. These tracks are believed to be more than 200 million years old. Paleontologists can tell from these tracks preserved in Navajo sandstone that the dinosaurs were three-toed (tridactyl) and walked on two legs (bipedal). The tracks range from three to 17 inches. A second site of about 40 dinosaur tracks of four to five inches, in the more recent Carmel Formation, has been found in the area, however, the species has not yet been identified.
The best viewing times of the tracks are early morning or late afternoon. The tracks are somewhat difficult to see when the sun is directly overhead.
Camping is available at Red Fleet State Park or lodging in Vernal City. Vernal is located 175 miles east of Salt Lake City on U.S. 40.
In addition, Dinosaur National Monument is also not far from Vernal City. A short 40 minute drive will take you to the new Visitor Center, scheduled to open Fall 2011. The famous quarry hall was closed for safety reasons until the wall is stabilized. A variety of other tours are, however, still available until the Center reopens.
During construction, a Temporary Visitor Center is open four miles north of Jensen, Utah, on State Route 149. Visitors can see fossils and exhibits on display and can take a shuttle to the ½-mile Fossils Discovery Trail to see unexcavated fossils still embedded in rock. The trail is open seasonally and is only accessible by taking a free shuttle from the temporary visitor center.