Dinosaur, CO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Dinosaur, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Dinosaur, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Echo Park Campground is located adjacent to the Green River. There are vault toilets, drinking water spigots (seasonal), and a self-pay station. This location has both first-come first-served individual sites and a group site: Individual sites. Individual sites are all first come, first served.____Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a first-come first-served site. Once on site, you can pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app. Download the free Recreation.gov mobile app on Android or iOS prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.__ Group site. The group site is available through advance reservation (in the campsite list tab, below) and is located approximately 800 feet (243 m) east of the individual campground sites.
https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/commercialguidedrivertrips.htmDinosaur National Monument covers over 210,000 acres (84984 ha).__ Visitor Centers. The monument features two visitor centers - one in Colorado and one in Utah.__ Quarry Exhibit Hall. You can see over 1,500 dinosaur fossils still in the rock inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall (Jensen, Utah).__ History & Culture. Numerous cultural sites reveal stories of the people who lived here before and include Fremont petroglyphs, homestead cabins and former ranches. Hiking trails allow in-depth exploration.__ Hiking. There are miles of trails for hiking and cross-country travel.__ River Rafting & Boating. Whitewater rafting, both commercial and private, are is popular on the Green and Yampa Rivers. The Yampa River multi-day rafting trips begin at Deerlodge Park. The Yampa rushes downstream 44-miles (71 km) to join the Green River at Echo Park. Boaters continue downstream on the Green River to the take-out at the Split Mountain boat ramp. The Yampa is the largest free-flowing tributary within the Colorado River system. As such, it has a shorter season marked by fluctuations in water level resulting from snow received in the winter. It is characterized by famous rapids such as Teepee, Big Joe and Warm Springs. Raft trips must be arranged in advance. For more information, visit Dinosaur's Commercial Guided River Trips page. Private River Trips require a permit. Scenic Drives. Several roads provide access to key destinations and scenic sites. Scenic drives allow the windshield visitor to see spectacular geology.__
https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/commercialguidedrivertrips.htmDinosaur National Monument covers over 210,000 acres (84984 ha).__ Visitor Centers. The monument features two visitor centers - one in Colorado and one in Utah.__ Quarry Exhibit Hall. You can see over 1,500 dinosaur fossils still in the rock inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall (Jensen, Utah).__ History & Culture. Numerous cultural sites reveal stories of the people who lived here before and include Fremont petroglyphs, homestead cabins and former ranches. Hiking trails allow in-depth exploration.__ Hiking. There are miles of trails for hiking and cross-country travel.__ River Rafting & Boating. Whitewater rafting, both commercial and private, are is popular on the Green and Yampa Rivers. The Yampa River multi-day rafting trips begin at Deerlodge Park. The Yampa rushes downstream 44-miles (71 km) to join the Green River at Echo Park. Boaters continue downstream on the Green River to the take-out at the Split Mountain boat ramp. The Yampa is the largest free-flowing tributary within the Colorado River system. As such, it has a shorter season marked by fluctuations in water level resulting from snow received in the winter. It is characterized by famous rapids such as Teepee, Big Joe and Warm Springs. Raft trips must be arranged in advance. For more information, visit Dinosaur's Commercial Guided River Trips page. Private River Trips require a permit. Scenic Drives. Several roads provide access to key destinations and scenic sites. Scenic drives allow the windshield visitor to see spectacular geology.__
The group site is set on a bench along the Green River and provides spectacular views of the surrounding canyons, rivers and Steamboat Rock.
On the Utah side of the monument, the Quarry Exhibit Hall allows visitors to see dinosaur fossils exposed in the rock. Along the road to the group site, view Native American petroglyphs. Besides the monument, nearby Utah State Parks, the Ashley National Forest, Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area and Bureau of Land Management sites provide additional recreational opportunities.
Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. ___Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. ___You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.__ Late Cancellations ___Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. ___Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. ___Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. ___Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. ___Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge.__ No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date.__ If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees.__ Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. ___Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. ___Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. ___Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure.
$25 / night
Get back to family fun at Dinosaurland KOA!
Built to accommodate the largest rigs on the road, the campground's upgraded RV Sites are the first to be booked. Fire pits, patios, pull thrus - this KOA has them ready and waiting. You'll be so comfortable you won't want to leave, but one of the most beautiful regions in all of Utah is waiting for you. Raft the Green and Yampa rivers, hike or bike the trails in the Uinta Mountains, fish the Flaming Gorge or one of the many nearby lakes. Ancient history beckons in Dry Fork Canyon as you explore the petroglyphs in search of the Three Kings. Save a day to spend at the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument examining the wall of more than 1,500 fossils. Daily ranger programs educate both young and old about Utah's long-gone inhabitants at this state-of-the-art facility. If you want to kick back and relax, this KOA's heated pool is just the ticket, and you'll find the best stargazing around. Northeast Utah is calling your name! Max pull thru: 75 feet.
$29 - $72 / night
We own a beautiful 5 acre property with awesome views at the corner of the Historic K Ranch in front of the Dinosaur National Monument in Dinosaur, CO. We look forward to sharing it with you!
Dinosaur is a great location and it's 5 minutes from the property to the CO side of the Dinosaur National Monument and less than 30 minutes from the UT side and the Dinosaur National Monument Quarry Visitor Center. There are full service gas stations, restaurants, cannabis dispensaries, as well as a convenience-store, liquor store, RV Park, and electric vehicle charging station in town just minutes down the road. There are several well known hiking trails within a short drive in every direction from the campsite.
$100 / night
Iron Springs Group Campground is located approximately 5 miles off U.S. Highway 191, along the Red Cloud Loop Scenic Backway at an elevation of 9,200 feet. Campers enjoy exploring local off-road trails.The Iron Springs Campground Group Sites include both the fenced-in area with picnic tables, and the areas immediately adjacent to site 1 and 2 with a quarter mile for overflow parking.__ *There is currently NO WATER at Iron Spring Group Campground. The Forest Service is working on repairing the issue.*
Red Cloud Loop offers scenic driving on a maintained dirt road, providing miles of trails for ATVs, hikers and mountain bikers. The loop leads to numerous reservoirs and lakes, overlooks, historic sites and through forests and meadows. East Park and Oaks Park Reservoirs are less than 10 miles away. Both are stocked with catchable rainbow trout. A boat ramp is available at East Park; Oaks Park does not have a boat ramp. Brush Creek Caves are nearby, a popular destination for caving and geocaching.
Red Cloud Loop offers scenic driving on a maintained dirt road, providing miles of trails for ATVs, hikers and mountain bikers. The loop leads to numerous reservoirs and lakes, overlooks, historic sites and through forests and meadows. East Park and Oaks Park Reservoirs are less than 10 miles away. Both are stocked with catchable rainbow trout. A boat ramp is available at East Park; Oaks Park does not have a boat ramp. Brush Creek Caves are nearby, a popular destination for caving and geocaching.
Iron Springs lies at the edge of a grassy meadow bordered by shady pines and aspens. Sagebrush and summer wildflowers dot the meadow. Many small lakes and streams can be found in the vicinity.
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is known not only for its beautiful red cliffs, but also for its world-class fishing for lake, brown and rainbow trout. Boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and scuba diving are popular activities on the reservoir.Flaming Gorge Dam offers guided tours of the working hydroelectric plant and the dam itself; The adjacent visitor center contains area history exhibits.The Green River below the dam provides spectacular rafting opportunities. A trip down the river offers unique geology, outlaw history and Native American rock art. The Ashley-Karst National Geologic Recreation Area offers dramatic canyons, densely forested backcountry areas, and vast networks of caves.
$25 / night
There are 21 campsites on the shore of East Park Reservoir where you can fish for rainbow trout. There is a trailhead at north end of the lake that leads east to US 191, and another one at the south end that leads west to Oaks Park Lake. This is a fantastic waterfowl hunting area.
There are 4 tent sites at the north end of the Taylor Mountain Plateau. The Old Carter Military Trail passes by the campground. Consult the forest map for details about specific hikes. OHV use is permitted in the area north and south of the campground. The Forest Service offers a free detailed map of the areas open to unrestricted use. __Please contact the Forest Service for information about exploring the Big Brush Creek Cave.
Enough reviews don't mention mosquitos that I think it must just depend on the day you go. That said, I went with one of my best friends a few years ago and we tell the story of our experience at parties. I go on multi week long road trips and have camped all over the country. So believe me when I say the mosquitos here, depending on the day, are utterly out of control.
The drive was beautiful but as soon as we got out, we could tell something was wrong. We put on double layers of clothes, bug spray and bug bracelets, and stood in the smoke of the fire we started; the bugs could not care less. We gave up on setting up tents and ran into the car and about 50 mosquitos followed us inside in the second it took to open the doors. We spent at least an hour trying to smack them all, literally covering the walls of her car in blood. After attempting to sleep in the sweltering car that night, we headed out of there before the sun rose. After it all, more of our skin was covered in bug bites than not. I've never seen anything like it.
It seems like an amazing spot when it's not suffering a plague. I could never roll the dice and try again though.
Spent one night here. The staff was really friendly and it's a very well maintained camp. The showers and bathrooms were spotless, and the dumpsters were very convenient. I ended up at a full hookup spot that cost $50 a night. I believe there are $30 options available as well. On the pricier side, but worth it. I believe they offer weekly discounts. I'm going to look into this if in the area again.
6 spots and when we arrived on afternoon of Tuesday after Memorial Day there was only one other camper there. Outhouse was SPOTLESS, maybe 10 cars passed in total. No cell signal on my AT&T or Verizon so download some playlists! Fantastic spot to camp if you want to be out in the middle of nowhere!
After traveling 80 miles of flat dirt, sage and 95 degrees through southern Wyoming this was an amazing surprise. Nestled in a beautiful canyon with great views. It has six sites most have tent pads. The first two offer little shade and are close to the road. We found the bathrooms to be very clean and for a free campsite it was well maintained and clean. We were fortunate enough to have it to ourselves. On those 90 degree days, the shade here is very welcome.
No camping in Flaming Gorge w 2-3 feet of snow still....so headed toward Vernal and remembered we had scoped this place out on a previous raft trip. Campsite 12 is beautiful and...we were the only ones here on a Friday!
Wow! We spent 3 nights at Dippy Cabin and what a fantastic place! Amazing views, private drive, mini fridge, and microwave. Full size bunk beds, porch, and grill. Absolutely fantastic.
Don't give this place your money. You can't even tent camp here for less than 55.00 per night. Just go another 8-9 miles down the highway to Steinaker where tent camping is 20.00 and RV sites with full hookups are around 35.00.
The scenery was lovely. Able to pull into the tent site with our Ford E150 no problems, basically no one else in the tent portion of the site (mostly in the RV section). Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table and chairs. Bathrooms were clean, water was hot.
This campsite has maybe 15-20 sites. I came on a Sunday in mid-October and it was a maybe 2/3 full. It’s in a beautiful, canyon-like setting near the Green River. The star-gazing is excellent. The campsite was not, unfortunately, right on the river, although there is a reservable group campsite on the water, available for rafters. But there are many beautiful things to see in the area, so it was worth the drive. Just be aware the road is rough in places. You’ll need to drive slowly if you’re in a larger vehicle. Road signs say it is “impassable” when wet. So I wouldn’t try coming here when rain is in the forecast, unless you’re really prepared. There was also potable water available when I was there, but it was being shut off 10/17.
This state park is great. They have trash, water and vault toilets. The sites are a bit closer than I typically like however it still has some privacy. They have various types of sites to choose from depending on what you need. I’ll definitely be back.
Stayed in space 7 in our 40ft Silver Eagle bus. This space is full sun so if you need ro charge solar this is great. 50amp and 30 Amp hookups. Will stay again
Pretty typical KOA. Bathhouses were clean but a bit worn. They were, however very adequate for the size of the camp. WiFi was better than usual. Some shade. We were in an overflow site with dirt pad but most sites seemed to be gravel. Bring earplugs, lots of road noise at least in the front of the park. If you want great steaks to grill try Unitah meats just down the road.
Water pressure is very low. There was some damage done by a guest to a water line, but the staff was on top of it and had it fixed in a timely manner. Grounds were clean.
This campground is only a few blocks from downtown Vernal, but out of town enough for a rural feel. Some highway noise, but quiets down by nightfall. This campground had a good feel to it IMO. Not super large, but almost all the sites were pull through. I requested a spot by the bathroom/shower building & we got a patio site. Very nice site with a propane grill provided.
There are 3 bathroom/showers in the campground. One in the office building, one by the pool & one by the tent section. Bathrooms were clean. I used the laundry room without issues.
They had a couple of tipis, a woody tent (don't know what that is). 15 tent sites & cabins. The RV sites were basic KOA.- in a row & kind of close. We had no issues with WIFI. Staff was courteous& they had a lot of area information. I especially liked the day trips that were numbered. We camped at Vernal/ Dinosaurland KOA Holiday in a Travel Trailer.
My husband and I stayed here in our Overlanding Vehicle in June of 2021. It is a long road down to the campground and it is first come first serve, but it is so worth the journey. We only stayed one night and it was really windy, however, we still walked around and enjoyed the path along the river and the towering cliffs. No cell phone access but we were totally okay with unplugging!
This is an absolutely amazing place! We were at the regular campsite, but they are very close together. Situated where the Green and Yampa rivers merge, you are surrounded by amazing cliffs with the main feature being Streamboat Rock. Campsites are very nice and clean. Several Vault toilets are available. Potable water is also available. Would recommend a high clearance vehicle to get into the canyon. In the summer months it does get very hot, so be prepared.
This used to be a fairly decent swimming / fishing hole closer to vernal city than nearby reservoir red fleet. Now the water level is so low I wouldn’t recommend it. Just go on ahead a bit further to visit red fleet instead.
Access to the park was easy as was check in. The camp hosts were super nice and very accommodating during our three night’s stay. We proceeded backwards through the campground as instructed to pull through site 8, which is FHUs and 50 AMP. We had to maneuver our 39’ fifth wheel so the utilities side bedroom slide wouldn’t go into a tree. The utilities are placed in the middle of the pad so that was nice. However, water pressure was only about 25 to 30 psi so we filled our freshwater tank and used the pump. We got spotty service on Verizon between 1 and 2 bars. In the mornings we were able to get our Verizon MiFi to work well. We really liked being on the upper campground level with more space between the sites and the covered patio with the picnic table. Sites 1- 8 that lead to the upper level are FHUs. Beware that site 8 is a 1/4 moon turn with a large tree then two poles out the front of the site that people have complained about hitting. We could have backed out of the site but decided to go carefully forward and we missed the poles(obvious from scrapes that some people did not), but we did scrape the branches of the trees. Pull through site 7 is probably the easiest FHU to get into. The rest of the sites are a mix of different services, i.e. water and electric or no hookups at all. They also have a couple of yurts and a cabin. The main draw here seemed to be OHVs but there were also a few people with boats. Checkout Moonshine Arch. It took us twice to find the Moonshine Arch, which is just down the road from Steinaker SP. Google maps nor Waze will get you to the trailhead. It's best to ask for directions from the camp host manning the Steinaker SP gate entrance. The first time we were not prepared and missed the turn to the left after you get on the gravel road(there's no sign). When we got to the parking area, we had no idea which way to go and ended up wondering around. There was a couple with a brochure(which you can get at the park office) but it was basically worthless. Since it was hot and we had our dogs, we bailed but did have a nice hike. The second day we were better prepared and found a blogger who had posted instructions. Basically its a.8/less than a mile moderate hike as follows: 1) go through the green gate to an old, rough jeep trail and follow it around to the right to another green gate, 2) before that green gate follow the trail to the left until you come to an intersection where you'll go right and continue until you get to the flat rocks that go up a hill, 3) climb the flat rock hill staying towards the left until you see a BLM info sign, 4) at the sign follow the trail to the left(at this point you can follow the footprints in the sand) and keep going until you get to the arch, which has a sign that you are there, and of course the arch is hard to miss at this point. Some info says you can see the arch after you climb the flat rock hill. You can see trees around the arch once you know where it is but not the arch itself. Also, if you are into dinosaurs, this is your area starting with Vernal’s museum plus state and national sights as well.
Arrived around 1:30 pm without reservations on Saturday August 21st and they had several spots available. We choose space #5 and it was $30 for the night. Would definitely stay here again as it was a beautiful spot, clean, quiet with lots of space from others.
Nice large area in the trees on edge of a large open meadow grassy area. Signs note only two group areas but one in center seems to have all the shade and the tables. Two vault toilets and a hand crank pump for water..but pump seems to be now working well. No trash dumpsters and no cell signal. Across the open grassy area on other side of main road their is a large free dispersed camping area that is very popular and also has two vault toilets. People seem to be doing group camps over there for free!
This place is a wreck, crappy tables, uneven sites, not usable for travel trailers, tiny vault toilet with bullet holes in door, no reason to camp here, no water no trash, no cell signal. No one was here camping. Free but still no one there.
This campground is at end of the FS #18 paved road and then .7 mi of gravel. There are 20 sites, $10/ $5 senior. No host on site. No cell signal, no water and no trash dumpsters. Two vault toilets present. The lake has a boat ramp but the water gets drawn down and there does not seem to be any nice beach area..plus cattle were on the shoreline. Two stars due to no water, no cell signal and cows on the shoreline.
Wow. What a beautiful site right next to a marina area. Very clean and good smelling bathrooms. We got a Sandy site and could sleep on the sand. Tables and grill and pit at every site.
Beautiful area and lake! Close to the town of vernal. 20 miles outside dinosaur National monument. Staff helpful. Bathrooms clean, nice shower areas! Not sure whether it was usual to have so much wind in the area, but good thing our tent was well secured! Had to stow test of the gear in the car so it wouldn’t blow away! Most beautiful sunset ever! Great campsite!
Fairly spread out for a KOA. Nice staff and good pool. Very popular place!
We camped here for 3 days at the beginning of July. There are about 6 or so designated campsites with tables and fire pits (which we didn’t utilize because of the fire ban). Good amount of shade and pretty windy at time, which was well appreciated because it was 90 and sunny all three days. There is plenty to explore at the campsite and plenty of opportunities to post up a hammock. Bring plenty of water and fill up your gas tank, the closest gas station is in Maybell.
Super clean, lots of amenities pool, mini golf, horseshoes…friendly, helpful staff. Only downside pool closed to early at 8 pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Dinosaur, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Dinosaur, CO is Echo Park Campground Group Site — Dinosaur National Monument with a 3.9-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Dinosaur, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 glamping camping locations near Dinosaur, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
