Rocky Mountain National Park/Dinosaur National Monument...must see points for short visit

[StuckInTheEast]

The Mrs. and I will be taking the kids for an adventure mid June. Our itinerary lands us in Denver and will give us a solid full day in Rocky Mountain national park before heading west to Dinosaur National Monument for a day. From there we head up to southwest Wyoming to poke around a few towns on our potential move list before spending a couple days in Grand Teton and flying back home from there.
I'm sure days or more could be spent at both but we only have one for each this go round so fishing for some first hand input on what to definitely see and possibly what's overrated or not priority for a day trip.
I realize these will differ from person to person, just looking for some input not generated by Google or travel bloggers.
Any lodging/activity/dining recommendations for Lander, Pinedale and Duboise are welcomed as well. We will be in those general areas but still working out the specifics there.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Nickofthewoods]

RMNP is great and all but if you haven't taken kids to the Mile High Flea Market then you haven't lived my friend.

 

[3forks]

If you’re going to be around Kemmerer, there are a few quarries where you can pay to dig for fossils.

We haven’t done it, but some friends have and they said they had a blast. They also said it’s pretty much guaranteed that you get something cool and you keep what you find.

 

[PVHunter]

I'd suggest entering through the Vernal side of Dinosaur. I'd spend time at the quarry, of course, because it's a special place. I didn't expect to enjoy the petroglyphs as much as I did. I guess if I were writing the billboard blurb for dinosaur, I'd say, "Come for the dinos, stay for the rock paintings." I've done the drive a few times and I'm always struck by how beautiful the landscape is heading west out of Dinosaur, CA toward Vernal. Lots to explore. Enjoy!

 

[StuckInTheEast]

We arent really the fleet market type...small town farmers market, you might have my attention. Thank you for the suggestion though.

I like the quarry dig idea, both kids will rock hound for hours so we will likely give that a deeper look. We were debating working Fossil Butte into the mix. Looking like that will pan out now...I mentioned digging fossils and kids perked up...wife had room in Kremmerer booked 5 minutes later, thanks for the tip!

We are looking to enter dinosaur from the south first day, stay in Vernal that night then go into west side next day before heading back out and up to Rock springs for that night. My wife and I would enjoy rock paintings...my kids just wanna see dinosaur bones so we'll try to focus there.

 

[sndmn11]

I'd skip RMNP and do Royal Gorge instead.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

I'd skip RMNP and do Royal Gorge instead.

Unfortunately that's a bit to far south out of the way for this trip. The Colorado stops are more due to flying into to Denver and wanting to get the kids to Dinosaur...being right there it just seemed logical to check another national park off the list.

 

[TaperPin]

If you drive back through Laramie on the way back to Denver, the geology museum is worth stopping at to see some cool things actually from Wyoming.

Geological Museum | Geology & Geophysics | University of Wyoming

www.uwyo.edu

Wyoming and Colorado are full of cool geology you’ll be driving right through, if you’re into the different rock layers. I can remember the day learning all coal beds across the world (like the many coal mines in Wyoming) were all put down during the same time in history - and how the earth was so young no microorganisms existed to digest the material so it turned into coal. Or how the different layers in the foothills between Lander and Dubois used to extend over the entire mountain range and were eroded away over time. Geology of the Front Range is also cool.

RMNP is the most scenic area in all the lower 48. There are some famous early hunter camps excavated north of Denver - like 5k years old - winters were spent up on a high spot and as animals on this winter range came into range, groups of hunters would go out and whack an elk or buffalo.

Every 5 miles you’ll be hauling ass by something historic, unaware of what it was all about. South Pass between Pinedale and Lander had some historic gold mining activity - a guy I was driving with heard I’d never panned for gold - we pulled over, he popped a hubcap off the pickup, and 15 minutes later we had a flake of gold. Mind blown.

 

[masudnd]

Hello from Virginia

 

[Bear Wrestler]

Go over Trail Ridge Road to the western entrance to RMNP. There are moose everywhere in that area. A lot of people that visit us from mooseless areas want to see them, so we take them there. I've seen moose every time we've been along the headwaters of the Colorado River there.

 

[Tnjones1247]

There is a bar/restaurant called highway bar and grill in Dinosaur Co. that I highly recommend. Super cool kinda short hike that I really enjoyed was harpers corner just north of Dinasour. Great drive up to it. Be ready for wind coming across 40.

 

[COelk89]

RMNP just there for a day, hit the Trail Ridge Drive. It is worth it. You will see some critters, but they won't have the bone they do in September. Watch out for idiots stopped on the road; don't be one. Be prepared for any type of weather!

Dinosaur Monument; not much to do on the CO side other than some views. But on your way stop by the Bedrock Depot in Dinosaur, CO and have a sandwich and ice cream for the kids. The lady that runs the place makes the ice cream fresh every week and it is good! Do the visitor center and fossil quarry visit on the Jensen UT side. Go visit the Josie Basset Morris Homestead and have a picnic, and look for rock art.

 

[Redmammut]

Commenting to follow this thread. I'm planning a road trip to the Lower 48 with my dino crazy kids in the next year or two.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

+1 @TaperPin & ...


ect.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

RMNP just there for a day, hit the Trail Ridge Drive. It is worth it. You will see some critters, but they won't have the bone they do in September. Watch out for idiots stopped on the road; don't be one. Be prepared for any type of weather!

Dinosaur Monument; not much to do on the CO side other than some views. But on your way stop by the Bedrock Depot in Dinosaur, CO and have a sandwich and ice cream for the kids. The lady that runs the place makes the ice cream fresh every week and it is good! Do the visitor center and fossil quarry visit on the Jensen UT side. Go visit the Josie Basset Morris Homestead and have a picnic, and look for rock art.

We may be tourists...but we arent those type of tourists. Im always on the defensive driving the parks, definitely no shortage or morons on the road. We pack for pretty much any weather when in the mountains even in summer so we'll be prepared.
After some further homework...we will likely skip the Colorado side of DNM...stop for lunch in Dinosauar and head to Utah side and hit visitor center and quarry. Then use the next day to slow roll to Rock Springs and make a few stops in Flaming Gorge en route.
Finishing hotel bookings tonight. I'll try to throw the itinerary up in chronological order here in next few days for consideration.
Thanks for the input folks!