Overview
Vernal is a city of 10,000 people (2019) in Northeastern Utah. Tourists are drawn to Vernal by the town's roots in the Old West and because of a large site of dinosaur fossils. Vernal and the surrounding area are popular among outdoor enthusiasts as they are near plentiful spots for fishing, fly fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities.
1 sights · 1 places to eat · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Vernal
Utah Field House of Natural History
This carefully-designed museum skillfully interweaves stories of the Vernal region's geology, its fossils and the past ecosystems they depict, and the activities of paleontology. At its core is a spiral corridor that tak…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 11°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and May. (climate data from nearby Dinosaur National Monument)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- VEL Vernal Regional Airport, Vernal — 2 mi away. Directions
- RKS Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport, Rock Springs — 82 mi away. Directions
- SLC Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City — 130 mi away (major hub). Directions
Vernal has an airport, Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) but it is very small. Great Lakes Airlines flies from Vernal to Moab and Denver. Vernal is also along a Greyhound Bus route between Denver and Salt Lake City (possibly discontinued now) and along a Salt Lake Express route with two daily round-trips between Vernal & Salt Lake City (both the airport and Downtown). The best way to get to town is by car, along US Highway 40.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
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Understand
Vernal is the second largest town in Northeastern Utah. Vernal's economy is based on extracting natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, phosphate, and uintaite (more commonly known as Gilsonite). This has led to the establishment of branch offices of companies such as Halliburton and Schlumberger.
Get in
Vernal has an airport, Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) but it is very small. Great Lakes Airlines flies from Vernal to Moab and Denver. Vernal is also along a Greyhound Bus route between Denver and Salt Lake City (possibly discontinued now) and along a Salt Lake Express route with two daily round-trips between Vernal & Salt Lake City (both the airport and Downtown). The best way to get to town is by car, along US Highway 40.
Vernal is served by
- the Basin Transit Association Vernal - Roosevelt route (connection available to the Duchesne route in Roosevelt), Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) 6 times a day, and
- a Salt Lake Express route from Salt Lake City, which arrives at the Quality Inn, 1684 W Highway 40.
Get around
The scale and road layout of Vernal means the most practical way around is by personal auto.
The Vernal Circulator bus provides transit within the town Mondayto Friday, excluding holidays, 12 times a day.
See
See Utah Field House of Natural History
This carefully-designed museum skillfully interweaves stories of the Vernal region's geology, its fossils and the past ecosystems they depict, and the activities of paleontology. At its core is a spiral corridor that takes you through the geologic eras. An outdoor garden features life-size replicas of several dinosaurs. This is an excellent complement to a Dinosaur National Monument visit, or the drive to Flaming Gorge.
Do
Vernal is a beautiful town known for its outdoor activities such as white water rafting and fishing the Yampa and Green Rivers, water activities at Flaming Gorge Recreation Area (207,000-acre reservoir), four-wheeling and hiking. If you love the outdoors, you will love Vernal.
Nearby Dinosaur National Monument exhibits some of the oldest dinosaur artifacts ever found, as well as beautiful desert mountain scenery. The dinosaur theme is plentiful throughout Vernal as well.
Buy
On the west side of downtown, there is a retail district with many big-box stores.
Eat
Eat Vernal Brewing Company
Alcohol-restricted Utah isn't the first place you'd think of for a sleek craft beer brew pub with exquisite food, yet here it is. Nine in-house brews. Burgers, sandwiches, pasta, steaks. Some vegetarian options.
Sleep
Nearby
My experience
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