Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Travelers to Vernal can visit the age of dinosaurs, both at the Utah Field House of Nat-
uralHistoryandatnearbyDinosaurNationalMonument.TheFieldHousedelightswithits
full-scale replicas of ancient animals in action poses in re-created environments. At the na-
tional monument, a vast tract of more than 200,000 acres spreading across the Utah-Color-
ado border, many fossils of prehistoric animals are embedded in sandstone cliffs. Painstak-
ingly unearthed by scientists, the fossil bones are the remains of giants that roamed the
Earth about 145 million years ago.
2.
Ashley National Forest
Designed to disrupt the landscape as little as possible, Rte. 191 rises and falls with the ter-
rainonitsclimb intoandthroughAshleyNational Forest.Pinesandaspensgrowalongthe
highway, but frequent breaks in the woodland afford views of far-off meadows. The grassy
realms extend toward the Uinta Mountains, a series of rounded peaks that define the north-
ern horizon.
What distinguishes this drive from other mountain routes, though, are the numerous
roadsidekiosksandinterpretivesignsthatdotthebywayallthewayfromVernaltoManila.
Visitors can learn about the area's past and present as they pass near petrified forests,
primeval rocks, and ancient fossils. Habitats of some of the area's modern-day deniz-
ens—beavers, otters, elk, and songbirds—are also explained.
3.
Flaming Gorge Dam
It took six years of hard work and nearly a million cubic yards of concrete to trap the com-
bined flow of the Green River and the many smaller waterways that pour into Flaming
Gorge. The dam, completed in 1964, rises to a height of 502 feet and contains the waters
ofFlamingGorgeReservoir,anemeraldexpansebetweencolorfulcliffsofquartzite(sand-
stone that has turned into solid quartz). To view the dam and the dramatic southern end of
the gorge, continue on Rte. 191 for seven miles past its junction with Rte. 44.
Did you know…
TheshorelineofFlamingGorgeiswild,highdesert,someofitheavilywooded.
This variety of cover has made it a favorite fishing lake known for its record-
size trout and other species, including smallmouth bass and Kokanee salmon.
Boaters appreciate its size and scenic beauty. Waterskiing, scuba diving, and
wind surfing are all popular. For landlubbers, trails—ranging from challenging
to easy—are plentiful.
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