Red Fleet State Park ~ Utah

Doing a dinosaur tour of the west is something that fascinates people worldwide. Spending an entire vacation hopping from one prehistoric dinosaur fossil site to the next certainly is a learning experience that will provide memories to ponder over for a lifetime. When accomplished as a family venture, a dino-tour would certainly help the children to develop a natural interest in the sciences and conservation. For somebody that is already an expert in the field, a dinosaur tour would be chance to put skills into practice and it would be quite a note taking experience. A dinosaur tour can easily be planned in one of several fossil rich regions out west and one of the very best places to do a paleontology expedition is northeastern Utah, mostly because the majestic scenery is second to none!

When planning a dinosaur tour in Utah, there is a name of one particular town that should be chiseled in stone. Vernal, Utah most definitely is dinosaur central! All that a tourist has to do is point the car in the direction of Vernal and one great paleontology site after another will be encountered. In fact, dinosaur statues are immortalized in this town and a few dinosaur museums can be found there. This entire region has some of the most significant prehistoric fossil beds in the world, so it is easy to hop from one paleontology site to the next all week long. Options for a long summer vacation dino-tour in northeastern Utah include Dinosaur National Monument, Steinaker State Park and Red Fleet State Park. Vernal is the best place to start, because all information about the site locations can be found in the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum.

Red Fleet State Park actually is a very picturesque red rock lake boating destination, but in recent years this Utah State Park has become more famous for its fossil beds and dinosaur tracks. The Hollywood Jurassic Park movie has a lot to do with this, which is kind of a good thing. Children now beg parents to go there because of the dinosaur stuff, rather than just for the opportunity to splash around in the cool lake water! To be honest, many adults feel the same way and the lakeside campground park is relegated as being a convenient bonus to sweeten the deal, especially when doing the dino-tour is of highest importance.

The big blue lake in a majestic red rock setting sure will look like a dream come true after hiking the long fossil trails on a hot summer day! Red Fleet State Park is located in a very remote wilderness area, yet the lakeside park and campground are so green and well kept, that it looks like a luxurious city park in a wealthy neighborhood. After driving for hours through the red rock desert and deep wilderness areas, a grassy green park with brand new looking facilities and lakeside picnic canopies is just about the last thing that would be expected to be encountered. My jaw dropped in awe upon arrival because this lush green park was so well manicured and picture perfect. This style of park was popular back in the mid 1900s when providing comfort was the most important ideal in the tourism game. For those who seek a rustic camping experience, the Red Fleet Campground may be just a bit too luxurious to endure!

At Red Fleet State Park it is easy to make boating, paddle boarding, swimming and hunting for fossils the activity list for the day. This is a great dino-tour destination and the boundaries of this park extend far beyond the lake, so the fossil beds and dinosaur tracks are protected. Collecting specific types of small fossils is permitted, but it is best to become familiar with the collecting rules first, which are provided on site. The Red Fleet landscape is as pretty as can be and the opportunity to do some fossil hunting is like the icing on the cake!