Echo Park Campground — Hotel in Vernal

This was a fantastic find. This primitive campground is well off the beaten path. The road to the campground is rough, and you really should have a high clearance vehicle. Four wheel drive is not necessary, but the road will likely be impassable if wet. There are a couple of interesting places to stop on your way to the campground, including amazing views, a historic ranch, a pictograph panel, and a little cave. The campground costs $10 per night, has clean pit toilets, water and 17 campsites. Some sites are in the trees and well shaded, some are more open, but receive afternoon shade from the cliffs high above. Like most areas managed by the Park Service, this area is not particularly pet friendly. Dogs must be leashed at all times, are not allowed on any trails, and must be left in the vehicle when visiting attractions. Given the heat, it would probably be a good idea to leave Fido at home. There is river access right by the campground, and plenty of opportunities for swimming and wading, but boats are not allowed without a permit. There is also a nice trail which takes you up to the confluence of the Yampa and...

We really enjoyed Echo Park Campground. It’s a beautiful spot with lots of scenic canyon vistas and wildlife. We saw deer, fox, skunk, osprey and lots of song birds.

I do think it’s worth noting that Dinosaur National Monument in general isn’t the most dog-friendly place, as dogs are not allowed in the water or on most trails, but rangers and park staff seemed laid back.

Some camp sites at Echo Park also lack shade during the mid-day heat, but we were there in the middle of a July week with lots of options to choose from. We switched from a canyon site one evening to a rive-access and shaded site the next.

The warnings are accurate - the road to the canyon does change quickly. We were able to make it in and out in a Subaru Crosstrek using X-mode without any concerns following a light rain shower. Rain, however, does make the road extremely difficult to traverse and very slick.

Lastly, it’s pack-in and pack-out (unlike other campgrounds in the park), so do plan to not have access to a trash can during your stay.

Overall, it’s a beautiful place with canyons, river, wildlife, petroglyphs and a whispering...

Awesome campground. No cell service for miles.

No trailers or low clearance or long wheelbase trucks. Would not recommend anyone attempting the descent from the canyon rim into the park if the road is wet or if rain is in the forecast. Steep hill with tight switchbacks may give the long wheelbase vehicles some issues when dry conditions exist.

Great weekend adventure. A few nice hikes.

Can be very windy in the afternoon and evening. Consider not having a campfire and using your propane grill. Grass and sage brush is very dry and there is only one road out of the campground to the main 4x4 road.

Lastly, dogs are not allowed along the river trails, only in the...