Arriving at Vernal Regional Airport in Vernal means nearby cities such as Roosevelt, Dinosaur, and Manila are all an easy drive away. Vernal is dinosaur country, a ranching and energy town in northeastern Utah's Uinta Basin where pink dinosaur statues line Main Street and fossil quarries sit a short drive away. The vibe is Western and practical, with red rock, river canyons, and the Uinta Mountains close enough to see from town.

Standout experiences around Vernal: - See more than a thousand fossils still embedded in rock at the Dinosaur National Monument Quarry - Walk through the Utah Field House of Natural History and its outdoor dinosaur garden - Hike to the dinosaur tracks at Red Fleet State Park - Study the Fremont petroglyphs at McConkie Ranch in Dry Fork Canyon - Raft the Green River through Split Mountain Canyon - Drive the Flaming Gorge scenic byway for red cliffs and reservoir overlooks - Fish the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam, famous for trout - Snap a photo with the pink dinosaur, Vernal's unofficial mascot

Vernal sits at the center of a wide, empty corner of the West. Jensen and the quarry are about 20 minutes east, Dinosaur, Colorado, and the monument's Harpers Corner drive are about 45 minutes away, and Manila and Flaming Gorge are an hour north. Roosevelt is a half hour west. Try a Dutch oven dinner or a Utah scone with honey butter, and visit in late spring or early fall when the canyons glow and the river runs cool.