Vernal Day 3: Two Cool Hikes

Our third day in Vernal was a Sunday and Father's Day.  We decided the most Sundayish activity was hiking, so that's what we did.  We went on two really neat hikes.  The first was at Red Fleet State Park where a 1-mile hike over rock and through sand to the shore of a reservoir where 200-million-year-old Dilophosaurus tracks are visible.  The water level was a little high so we didn't see as many tracks as we might have, but still, seeing any was really cool.

Looking across the reservoir at petrified dunes.

From there we drove straight to the trailhead for Moonshine Arch.  It takes less than 15 minutes to hike from the trailhead to the arch, but we were nearing the heat of the day, the kids were tired, and the trail was hard to follow (multiple other trails came and went) so the hike felt long.  We loved the arch itself, though.  Most of us climed up to be on top of it, and when we were finished there we all took a few minutes to enjoy the coolness of the cave behind the arch.

We enjoyed both of these trails, and hiking was a great way to end our Vernal weekend!

Next time we're in town I'd like to see Fantasy Canyon; visit the DNM Quarry; hike the Jones Hole Trail to see a fish hatchery and Ely Creek Falls; and try again to find shark teeth.