Hello everyone! I was wondering what happens if I decide not to take the Dragonstone of the dragr's body? Can I go back and get it later if I want to start the main quest? Or will it disappear? I did a google search and nothing came up, so I decided to sign up and ask.

From my understanding of game mechanics, if you clear any dungeon (it will say "Cleared" on the map), it will reset with new baddies after 30 days of you leaving it alone by itself to think about what it did wrong. Bad dungeon!
What this means for you is after you walk out of the Barrow, in thirty days time you will make it impossible to finish several quests and bungle up the main storyline, requiring either a reload to an earlier save, starting the game over, or a simple cheat code into the console if you are on PC.

-Loth

Edit: If you want a good spot to halt the MQ (and not spawn random dragons) just turn the stone in to the quest-giver as always, but DON'T go to fight the menace that springs up directly afterwards... just go about your merry way and do whatever the hell you want.

I'm not sure that boss would respawn- He is triggered by learning the Fus word, which you'd only be able to do once.

The rest of the dungeon may respawn, but that room shouldn't change.

There's one way to find out though- leave it there, then wait 30+ days until the dungeon respawns (it does), and go see if if the boss' body is still there.

... The better question is...

... Why wouldn't you take it..?

It weighs nothing...

Thanks for the replies! I just don't want to get caught up in the main story at the moment, and it really feels like the game kinda forces you into starting it without giving you much choice...

So when the huscarl runs out to fight the dragon, I can just choose to not go with her? What happens if I happen to run by that area later on? Would the quest continue?

Yes.

So the quest continues if I happen to run by it?

If you don't take the dragonstone right then, the Jarls wizard in Whiterun will send you on a quest to get it, later on. Might as well grab it now, so you don't have to make another trip.
If you already have it on you after the wizard gives you the quest, you'll get another dialog option where you can just hand it to him.

Meh, I'm just going to grab the stone and avoid that mage until I feel like I want to start the main quest.

Thanks guys!

Yeah just take the Dragonstone from Bleak Falls, as others said it weighs nothing in your inventory. Just don't take is back to the quest giver if you don't want to continue on with the main quest.