Vernal Utah – Page 2 – Dinosaur River Expeditions

Utah’s Best Outdoor Valentine’s Day Destinations

Are you an outdoorsy couple, struck by cupid’s arrow but stumped on how to celebrate your love? Look at Utah’s most romantic ways to spend the day with nature.

Dog Sledding in the Uintah Mountains

Take a ride in the charming Uintah Mountains with some of these adorable pups! Spend just an hour or head into the backcountry for a longer tour. Learn the tricks to mushing and maybe get a chance to drive the team. There are many outfitters, one of which is Luna Lobos is locally owned and operated just outside of Park City Utah. After your day with the dogs head to down town Park City for a romantic dinner. If you are looking to keep with the rustic feel check out Ruth Chris’s Steak house or the High West Whiskey Distillery, or keep it simple and wander around the city with a cup of hot coco.

Flaming Gorge Country in the winter

Winter on the eastern end of the High Uinta Mountains is incredible for couples. The scenery is fabulous, the adventure abounds and there are no crowds. Cross country skiing on the local trails is a wonderful way to spend a valentines day in Flaming Gorge Country. Not your thing try snowmobiling into the backwoods on the Forest Service roads and trails. After a day out in the cold stop into one of the top notch local restaurants for a hot meal in a relaxing and romantic winter environment.

Sleigh Rides in the Heber Valley

Snuggle up with a blanket, and a hot drink for a horse drawn sleigh ride in sharp peaks of Wasatch Mountain range. After your ride, head back to the lodge for a rustic dinner at the Homestead Resort. Remember to dress warm!

Dinosaur National Monument Fossil Quarry

Dinosaur National Monument is best known for its warm weather activities like white water rafting on the Green River and Yampa River but winter is an excellent time to visit the monument. You and your sweetheart can enjoy the beautiful scenery with a dusting of snow and find warmth inside the Carnegie Fossil Quarry exhibit center. Here you will find approximately 1500 dinosaur fossils preserved for all to see and enjoy.

Skiing on the Greatest Snow on Earth

What better way to spend the day embracing Utah than playing on the greatest snow on earth. Utah has 10 world class ski resorts within an hour of Salt Lake City and a few more just outside. Everything from Snowbasin in Ogden, Utah and Alta outside of Salt Lake, to Brian Head near Cedar City with terrain ranging from beginner to semiprofessional. So, choose one for you and your Valentine’s ability level and spend the day in a real winter wonderland. After your day on the slopes head in for a cup of hot coco or cocktail in the lodge for a romantic Après ski date.

Ice Castles

The Midway ice rink is the largest outdoor skating rink Utah with stunning views of the iconic Utah peaks. No skates? Not to worry, you can rent them there. Spend a few hours skating head just five minutes away to the Midway Ice Castles. Explore the enchanted rooms for as long as you like, but remember to wear boots and dress warm, its ice cold in there!

Everything to know about Steinaker State Park located near Vernal, Utah

Utah is famous for its National Monuments and National Parks. A great secret about Utah is its incredible state parks. When visiting Vernal, Utah for one of our white-water rafting trips we recommend taking a little extra time and check out one of our local state park favorites. Steinaker State Park sits just four miles outside of the heart of Vernal, Utah. Steinaker state park is one of Utah’s hidden gems with awesome year around recreation. The summer months provide a water oasis in Utah’s desert heat and the winter months it is a beautiful place to embrace the outdoors.

Steinaker reservoir is a man-made lake created by a diversion dam on Ashly Creek. The dam, built in the early 1960’s, redirects the water from Ashley Creek into Steinaker where it is held for irrigation in the Ashley Valley. The side effect of the diversion dam, is an 820-acre haven for summer water recreation. The water is warm in the summer months, in July reaching temperatures up to 70 degrees, perfect for swimming, boating, paddle boarding or almost any water recreation you can think of. The lake is stocked with largemouth bass, rainbow trout and a few brown trout if you want to try your luck fishing. Surrounding the lake are sandy beaches for kids to play on, picnic tables, and barbeque pits. For overnight stays there is a wonderful developed campground with improved campsites, RV hookups and cabin rentals are available.

In the Winter months, the reservoir continues to be a recreational mecca. The lake freezes over providing the perfect location for ice fishing, a friendly game of pond hockey, or ice skating, the desert rocks providing a beautiful backdrop for a day outside. This year on February 3^rd is the annual Steinaker ice fishing tournament, so try your luck or head out to spectate the festivities. There are also miles amazing of snowmobiling trails north of Steinaker on the Ashley National Forest.

If you are interested in geocaching, there is a geocache hidden somewhere near the park entrance. It has a clue “A great view of the lake.” Quadrants for the cache, specific to your GPS, can be found at https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/steinaker/geo-cache/ .

The designated campsites located in the park are a great way to view the night sky. Steinaker just became one of only four parks in Utah holding the title of an “International Dark Sky Park.” This means the Park has taken great efforts to protect the area from light pollution and hosts events to throughout the year showcase the striking night sky. In the spring of 2018, they will be hosting an event to celebrate the recent designation, so don’t forget your telescope! Here is a great link for more information about the incredible night sky found at Steinaker. http://www.darksky.org/utahs-steinaker-state-park-becomes-worlds-newest-international-dark-sky-park/

Steinaker is a picturesque place to recreate in Utah with access to numerous activities year-round, don’t leave this state park unexplored! To find out about more upcoming events in at Steinaker State Park check out https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/steinaker/events/.

Great Valentine’s Day Adventures

Steinaker State Park Vernal, Utah