Dino Destinations
Here's a Snapshot of Some of the Many Places in the US You Can See—and Sometimes Touch and Dig For—Dinosaur Fossils
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Dinosaur Research Center
Barney, the costumed purple dinosaur character, delighted preschoolers for numerous seasons after “Barney & Friends” debuted on PBS in 1992. He’s even in line for a reboot later this year after a recent makeover. But long before this purple purveyor of childhood virtues arrived on the scene, kids and adults were fascinated by the fossilized remains of the real thing, all manner of dinosaurs, and the paleontological research that has increasingly revealed details of their prehistoric world.
Multitudinous locations in the US offer a glimpse into the ancient world of these bizarre beasts. Here’s a listing of a dozen outstanding dino destinations, including a couple showcasing prehistoric life before and after the age of these riveting reptiles.
Photo Credit: Dinosaur Valley State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Glen Rose, Texas
The Paluxy River flows through Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose, Texas. Visitors to the 1,500-acre park can hike along the riverbed to view a number of dinosaur prints (inaccessible during high water). Two species of dinosaurs, Acrocanthosaurus and Sauroposeidon, are believed to be responsible for the tracks, which date to around 112 million years old.
The groove from a dinosaur’s tail dragging behind it can be seen at one track site. This unusual tail impression and the tracks are thought to have originated in the mud adjacent to a long-ago ocean.
Kids love the large dinosaur models near the park’s entrance. Camping is available; maximum trailer length is 35 feet due to winding roads and trees.
Photo Credit: LG-Photography/Getty
Dinosauar Resource Center
Woodland Park, Colorado
The Dinosaur Resource Center boasts a 2,000-square-foot museum, more than half of which is dedicated to dinosaur fossils and displays. It consistently ranks among the best dinosaur museums in the country. Visitors of all ages can watch technicians at work in a fossil laboratory, performing such tasks as freeing fossilized bones from surrounding stone.
Admission to the museum includes a guided tour. The center houses one of the most fascinating gift shops for dino buffs in the nation. Precise replicas of many dinosaurs are available, along with whimsical items such as fine mesh holiday ornaments fashioned as dinosaur skulls. The museum is open year-round, excluding major holidays.
Photo Credit: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Harrison, Nebraska
What kind of creatures roamed the earth after the dinosaurs? That’s the fossil focus at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Originally a large ranch, this monument was the site of intense paleontological research and excavation by universities and museums in the first two decades of the 20th century. The work was spawned by the rancher’s discovery of “a beautifully petrified piece of the shaft of some creature’s leg bone” in the late 1800s.
Fossils from ancient, unusual mammals are the treasures here. There are bones from Dinohyus (a giant pig-like creature), along with those of Menoceras (a small rhinoceros), and large, predatory bear dogs, in addition to other species.
There’s an intriguing visitor’s center at the monument that showcases area Native American and early ranching history along with the fossils. Two hiking trails (1 and 2.8 miles) offer views of fossils and dig sites.
Photo Credit: Jurassic National Monument
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry at Jurassic National Monument
Price, Utah
Bones from 70 different prehistoric creatures have been discovered at this quarry. Fossils at the site are so densely concentrated that more than 12,000 bones have been recovered and compose the dinosaur displays for numerous museums around the world.
The Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry represents the most highly concentrated deposit of Jurassic dinosaur remains ever discovered. There’s a mystery surrounding the quarry that scientists are trying to unravel. Over 75% of the dinosaur remains come from carnivorous species. Why were the meat eaters so concentrated in this area?
The quarry is part of Jurassic National Monument, which includes a seasonal interpretive center with displays of fossils recovered from the quarry. It typically operates from April–October. The location sits on beautiful but very remote territory. Be sure to plan accordingly.
Photo Credit: Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Jensen, Utah
The Quarry Exhibit Hall is home to around 1,500 dinosaur bones from numerous species from the Late Jurassic period. Skeletal remains from the massive Apatosaurus species, which grew to almost 70 feet long, can be seen here, along with the Stegosaurus and others. Visitors can touch actual fossils or query park rangers with their questions.
The monument was originally created in 1915 to protect its world-renowned Dinosaur Quarry. It was expanded in 1938 to preserve a larger area known for its geological wonders and natural history. More than 800 paleontological sites are found in the monument.
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, displays many dinosaur skeletons excavated from the quarry. There are also hiking trails and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Photo Credit: Dinosaur State Park
Dinosaur State Park
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Connecticut’s Dinosaur State Park is among the largest dinosaur track sites in North America. In 1966, around 2,000 dinosaur tracks were accidentally unearthed during the excavation for a new state building. The park opened two years later.
The park’s Exhibit Center, in the shape of a geodesic dome, shelters some 500 dinosaur tracks dating to the early Jurassic era some 200 million years ago. It also houses a mural and diorama depicting ancient dinosaur environments and a re-creation of a Dilophosaurus, a nearly 20-foot-long carnivore thought to be the source of some of the site’s tracks. Interpretive displays and hands-on activities round out the attractions.
Seasonal track casting, where visitors can make a casting of a real dinosaur track, is a huge hit. The Casting Area is open on select days from May 1–October 31.
Photo Credit: Museum of the Rockies
Museum of the Rockies
Bozeman, Montana
The Siebel Dinosaur Complex in the Museum of the Rockies includes one of the greatest collections of North American dinosaur fossils in the world. The “Dinosaurs Under The Big Sky” exhibit is considered among the most cutting-edge dinosaur displays on the planet.
One of only a handful of assembled T. rex skeletons in the nation delights visitors, as do the fossilized bones of “Big Al,” another gigantic carnivore of the Jurassic period. There’s also a display of Triceratops fossils ranging from juveniles to fully grown behemoths. A collection of dinosaur eggs and babies, along with fossils from ancient mammals, make this one of the best tourist attractions in Montana.
Visitors can also get a firsthand view of fossil preparators in action. The Bowman Dinosaur Viewing Lab allows a look at the pros meticulously chipping rock from fossils as part of their research and documentation.
Photo Credit: Devonian Fossil Gorge
Devonian Fossil Gorge
Iowa City, Iowa
What was life like before the dinosaurs? Devonian Fossil Gorge allows a look at fossils estimated to predate the dinosaur era by 200 million years.
The limestone holding these fossils was exposed when major floods in 1993 and 2008 overflowed the spillway on the dam at Coralville Lake. The scouring deluges washed away 15 feet of soil to expose ancient limestone. Visitors can now view fossils from living creatures inhabiting an ancient, shallow sea. Fossils include several types of coral, sea lilies, and brachiopods (primitive shellfish).
This site opens with an interpretive entry plaza, but the fossil jewels are viewed by hiking around on the limestone below the dam’s spillway.
Dinosaur Footprints Reservation
Holyoke, Massachusetts
The first dinosaur tracks documented with a scientific analysis were found here. Located in 1802, the surrounding area has produced numerous discoveries.
Tracks at Dinosaur Footprints Reservation are believed to document some of the world’s earliest dinosaurs. The region around Holyoke, part of the Connecticut River Valley, was a habitat of subtropical lakes and wetlands around 200 million years ago.
A short walkway leads to the site of the dinosaur prints on this 8-acre property along the Connecticut River.
Photo Credit: Herraez/Getty
Wyoming Dinosaur Center & Dig Sites
Thermopolis, Wyoming
With 12,000 square feet of exhibit space and 30 life-size skeletons, visitors have plenty of things to view at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. But the most unique experience lies outside.
Working paleontological technicians can be joined at a dig site via the Center’s “Dig for a Day” program. Alternatively, tours of dozens upon dozens of dig sites on the 500-acre property reveal how dinosaur relics are located and extracted by professionals.
Tours cover geology, digging practices, and information about the bones recovered from this relatively small site.
McWane Science Center
Birmingham, Alabama
The Alabama Dinosaurs exhibit at the McWane Science Center showcases an impressive array of dino fossils found in the state of Alabama. This downtown- Birmingham museum displays fossilized remains from Appalachiosaurus, a large, carnivorous relative of the T. rex.
There are also fossils from Ichthyornis, a small bird-like creature with a beak full of tiny, sharp teeth, most likely a fish-eating predator about the size of a modern-day tern.
The museum offers many “touchable” exhibits just right for the inquisitive hands of both adults and children.
Photo Credit: Dinosaur Ridge
Dinosaur Ridge
Morrison, Colorado
Located near Denver, Dinosaur Ridge site boasts hundreds of dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic era (200 to 150 million years ago), making it one of the best places to see dinosaur prints in North America. The first bones from a Stegosaurus, a massive, plant-eating dinosaur with armor-like plates along its spine, were found on the site in 1877.
A walking tour along a 1.5-mile paved pathway gives visitors access to viewing more than 250 dinosaur tracks, bones, and other fossils. The main visitor’s center features teeth from a T. rex and the skull of a Triceratops, along with displays of other bones and fossils.
If these destinations don’t completely satisfy your dino cravings, take heart. There are hundreds more across the nation. The state of California alone has produced nearly 2,000 fossils. For RVers who delight in dinosaurs, our country offers nearly endless possibilities.
Did You Know?
It is widely accepted that all non-avian dinosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago. The “non-avian” distinction is made because, during the Mesozoic era, a species of dinosaur evolved into a species of avian dinosaur, becoming the first bird—meaning modern birds are actually a kind of dinosaur. Source: American Museum of Natural History.
