We will be visiting Dinosaur National Monument this July and I am wondering how many days should we plan? We want to see both sides of the park so would you say a day for each side? Anything else close by that's interesting? Thank you!

Have you already seen all of "The Big 5" National Parks?
I saw dinosaur tracks in stone about 25 miles north of Moab at Copper Ridge.
There is a good pre-history museum in Price.

If you click on my username you will find my trip report for Vernal and the area. You can easily see the park in 2 days--maybe even one. I will say that the McKonkie Ranch petroglyphs are a total must see. The museum in Vernal is also good if you have young people with you. In July, it will be hot--lots of people like Flaming Gorge because it is cooler there.

Thank you for the suggestions! Yes we have been to most of the national parks in the country and totally understand why you would ask this. They are my favorite place to be!! Dinosaur National Monument was somewhere Ive always wanted to go (maybe it's the name .. I love dinosaurs). I have seen dinosaur tracks in Utah and Colorado although I don't think they're the ones you mention at Copper Ridge... I will check those out. So it sounds like maybe one day total for the park and one day for the area things you mentioned? Also StantonHyde ... you mention that your children found rose quartz? That is one of the things I am doing on this vacation is a bit of rockhounding. Can you tell me where you found those or do you know of any other place where I can look? Thank you!

I agree with StantonHyde, McKonkie ranch was very interesting.

There are great petroglyphs and pictographs in the park itself, some wonderful lizard ones past the VC where the bones are exposed and also some classic ones in the section north of there called McKee Spring. It is a little scramble up the hill to see them, but very nice.

If you want some pictures of them you can look on my flickr site and click on the albums, in the petroglyph album and a couple of others.

www.flickr.com/photos/emalloy2009

Have a great trip

The Rose Quartz I "think" we found was in Fantasy Canyon, which is south of Vernal. Really cool place but very, very remote and small/short hike. The kids liked it because they ran around all over the place. I was sort of "meh" because the hike was so short. Have you checked out any rockhounding Utah sites? Or google Fantasy Canyon to see if other people say anything about rose quartz--because I could easily be wrong!