Imagine a wall made out of rock that is filled with hundreds upon hundreds of fossilized bones. With a backdrop of river canyons and odd-looking petroglyphs, the Dinosaur National Monument is home to fossil adventures and other activities for the entire family. In this article, you will learn more about this site found in both Utah and Colorado.
Quarry Exhibit Hall
Situated above the Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry is the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where visitors are allowed to view a wall decorated with about 1,500 dinosaur bones. An array of dinosaur species is on display, such as the Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodicus, and the Stegosaurus. Alongside the exhibits, there is a mural that measures 80 feet long that highlights the story of all the creatures in the hall (as well as other animals) that lived during the late Jurassic.
Here, you can touch dinosaur fossils that date back 149 million years ago. Rangers on the site will answer questions related to the quarry and dinosaurs throughout the day in the summertime.
When visiting the Quarry Exhibit Hall, the first place that you may want to go is the Quarry Visitor Center, which is located about ¼ mile from the exhibit hall. The information desk is fully staffed with exhibits for visitors to enjoy.
Activities to Consider
Visitors may want to enjoy a guided tour of the Dinosaur National Monument and some of its associated attractions. On the Utah side, there are daily programs including Porch Talk, Fossil Discovery Trail Hike, and Junior Ranger. Rangers give talks about the Dinosaur National Monument that last from 10 to 15 minutes. The Porch Talk is given on 9:30 am and 3:30 pm. With the Fossil Discovery Trail Hike (held at 10 am and 1 pm), visitors will get a chance to explore unexcavated dinosaur fossils with a walk that is one mile long with some stairs to climb.
This particular activity lasts for 1 ½ hours long and is not recommended for people who are afraid of heights. The Junior Ranger program offer fun activities and information regarding dinosaurs.
There are also weekend programs that include evening talks about geology, wildlife, history and other topics with the ranger at the Green River Campground. A Night Sky Program is held on Saturdays that take a look at the night sky full of stars.
Visiting the Park
The Dinosaur National Monument park is open all through the year. However, some roads and attractions are closed during the winter season. If you are interested in viewed the dinosaur fossils, please note that they are only available on the Utah side of the park.
The Quarry Visitor Center ”“ found seven miles north of Jensen, Utah is open from 9 am to 5 pm (from January 2 to June 15) and 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (from June 16 to September 9). The hours from September 9 to December 31 are from 9 am to 5 pm.
To see the Quarry Exhibit Hall (dinosaur fossils) ”“ the hours are from 9 am to 5 pm.