This was a great stop. Enjoyed the vistas and scrambling over some of the rocks to enjoy more great views. Some of the roads are packed sand but our Prius did fine on them. One surprise was winding up in the middle of a cattle roundup on one of the back roads. It was a great break in a day of travel.
I drove into the park just prior to sunset, am I glad I did! This is when the "fleet" turns orange/red. There were only a few people about, no more boats, so I had the place to myself. I am now sorry I did not do the dinosaur prints trail, but obviously shall have to return! These rocks are made for sunrise and sunset photography. Very easy to find, just turn off the highway.
If you like Moab, this is similar to Moab with water. We hiked to the dinosaur tracks and then took a swim in the gorge. I highly recommend this.
We came to the park to see the dinosaur tracks. The hike there is 1.5 miles one way. The route is a mix of sand and slick rock. It is well way-marked. It is described as strenuous. We did it in a good pair of closed toe walking sandals with firm soles. The route is highly enjoyable with a number of short ascents and descents. Along the way there are lots of interesting and colourful rock formations to see. There is a board to help you to spot the tracks once you get to the water's edge. It took us a few minutes to spot the first one and then we were away. There are around 200, but the water needs to be quite low to see them all, which it is at the moment. The site is quite steep. The weather was cool and wet when we did the walk, which was ideal. We used our poles, which I was glad of when the rock got a bit slippery after the rain.
The views are incredible. If you don't have time for the full loop, check a good map - there are shortcuts.
This place is a gem--the water is warm, there are few boats, they have kayak and paddle board rentals, and they have dinosaur tracks! Can't beat that! We had a wonderful time.
Nice grass area, parking is at a premium, It would be hard to find a place to park if bringing a boat. Cars in boat parking.
We loved the hike and the bird-dogging for the trail, eventually bird-dogging the trackways themselves. So impressive to think you walked with the dinosaurs.
We stayed for 2 nights at Steinaker State Park in Vernal. We drove through Fossil Valley RV Park, but it was surrounded by commercial buildings, tight spaces and looked like a lot of permanent residents. We then drove to the KOA. They were remodeling the place, and the owners were very nice, but it was close to the road, very tight spaces and dirt sites with little trees. So we then went the extra 6 miles to Steinaker and were so glad that we did! The water was low, but the park was beautiful, peaceful, large sites with asphalt driveways, views, trees (although just barely blooming). They have pull-thrus and back-ins, some sites have electric and there are water faucets to use to fill up if you need it. Restrooms were OK. We went to the Dinosaur museum the first day in Vernal and it was very interesting. The 2nd day we drove to Dinosaur State Park and took the trolley to the site, which was spectacular. We would definitely stay at Steinaker again. We travel in a motorhome with tow vehicle.
We drove thru this State Park during our 48 day West trip. The name was inspired by three large Navajo sandston outcrops that jup up from the water as a fleet of ships. Elevation is 5,600 ft. It was a nice park for camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing and boating. Restrooms and barbecue grills with some covered tables for lunch/dinner. There was a nice boat ramp, too. We came for the sights and stayed about an hour. Some nice photo opportunities are here.I recommend!