This section of Utah Route 44 is part of the Flaming Gorge- Uintas National Scenic Byway, which begins in Vernal. Below: Fremont petroglyphs at Dinosaur National Monument. Bottom: A fossil at Quarry Exhibit Hall on the Utah side of Dinosaur National Monument.
socked in with fog, with visibility about five feet down the various slopes. But the roadway is clear, and I meet all of two cars in a couple of hours of moto play. I stop in the final turnaround for a photo, just waiting for some leviathan to come waddling out of the fog, but all is quiet until I mount up and have a blast riding back down to U. S. 40.
Back in Vernal for lunch, I move on to Dinosaur National Monument proper. Utah Route 149 takes me to the main visitor center, which is cool and informative, with a neat Stegosaurus done in spiffy black and white camo to greet you. Founded in 1915, the national monument is a delight for the ancient history buff. Going back in time you can find homesteader cabins, 1,000- year- old petroglyphs from the Fremont people, and finally, from the late Jurassic, we have fossils! Over 1,500 are up close and even touchable in the Quarry Exhibit Hall, a truly“ nowhere else in the world” display. The scientific minded will spend serious time here, but I take a slow ride farther into the park to see petroglyphs and follow the winding Green River.
My last day in Vernal is to be a short trip up to the Flaming Gorge area. I take U. S. Route 191 north out of Vernal, a pleasant wide highway through desert rocks and hills until entering Ashley National Forest, where the fall colors are in full force, then turning west onto Utah Route 44, which runs up the west side of the gorge and the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Major John Wesley Powell( of Grand Canyon fame) led an expedition down the Green River and marveled at the wildly striped red cliffs. I stay on top of the cliff walls, cruising along perfect tarmac and deciding which overlooks require photos and which are best passed at speed. This area is sparsely traveled as it’ s simply too far and out of the way. In other words, just right for two- wheelers looking to get away.
24 / JULY 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM