Colorado could come across as dinosaur-obsessed — and with good reason. The Rocky Mountain West has unparalleled access to artifacts from the dinosaur age because the uplift that formed the mountains unearthed layers of rock that were buried for millennia prior, said Bruce Schumacher, senior paleontologist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Because of that, the state boasts a robust paleontology community, which, in turn, means many fossils end up on display locally. All the better for would-be dinosaur hunters.
Here are 10 places across Colorado where you can walk literally in the footsteps of long necks, see rare discoveries and even join an excavation.
WHERE TO WALK IN THE TRACKS OF DINOSAURS
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One of Colorado’s most iconic dinosaur locales is also one of its most easily accessible. Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison is a quick detour off Interstate 70 and replete with fossils and tracks that are visible from a paved, 2-mile road. The site includes a visitors’ center with indoor exhibit halls, kid-friendly digging areas and a gift shop. Those looking for more adventure can traverse the Triceratops Trail, a 1.5-mile gravel path that starts in Golden and provides access to a rare Tyrannosaurus Rex footprint. Guided tours are available in both areas. Free; more information at dinoridge.org.
2 Dinosaur National Monument
The town of Dinosaur adopted its name in 1966 as a harbinger of its greatest asset, the Dinosaur National Monument. The 210,000-acre monument encompasses desert canyons in both Colorado and Utah where visitors can recreate and get a prehistory lesson. While there aren’t fossils on the Colorado side of the monument, there are numerous places to camp, hike, raft, see petroglyphs and take a scenic, dinosaur-inspired drive. Day entry costs $15 to $25 depending on your vehicle, or it’s included with the purchase of a national parks pass; more info at nps.gov/dino.
3 Picket Wire Canyonlands
Southeastern Colorado is home to North America’s largest tracksite, which features more than 1,900 prints representing more than 130 different dinosaurs. Nestled deep within the Picket Wire Canyonlands (part of the Comanche National Grasslands near La Junta and Trinidad), hikers need to trek more than 11 miles round trip on foot to visit Dinosaur Lake in the remote Purgatoire River Valley. But folks say it’s worth it to see the thousands of tracks. Free; more information at fs.usda.gov/recarea/psicc/ recarea/?recid=77620.
4 Rabbit Valley Trail Through Time
If you’ve ever wanted to see a working quarry, the town of Mack, about 30 miles west of Grand Junction, is the place. The Rabbit Valley Trail Through Time is a 1.5-mile walkable loop that skirts a quarry where excavators have found thousands of bones from Jurassic-period giants like Camarasaurus and Allosaurus. Free; more information at blm. gov/visit/rabbit-valley-trailthrough-time.
5 West Gold Hill Dinosaur Tracksite
One of the world’s most intriguing dinosaur tracksites recently became part of the public domain. The West Gold Hill Tracksite in Ouray is unique because of both its size and pattern, which show a sauropod taking 134 consecutive steps and making a 270-degree turn. The tracksite has long been an open secret among locals, but since the U.S. Forest Service acquired the land where it resides in April, the agency is now promoting its whereabouts. Expect a steep hike up to 9,300 feet in elevation to see the prints in person. Free; more information at fs.usda.gov/ detail/gmug/news-events/?cid= FSEPRD1171521.
WHERE TO SEE BONES AT THEIR BEST
6 Dinosaur Journey Museum
Located in Fruita, about two hours south of the Dinosaur National Monument, the Dinosaur Journey Museum includes an exhibit hall with Jurassic-period fossils, life-size skeletal re-creations and animatronic dinosaurs including a T. Rex. Of particular note on display is a species called Fruitadens, one of the smallest non-bird dinosaurs ever discovered, named for the town of Fruita, where scientists found the first fossils. Tickets cost $9 for adults and $5 for kids; more information at museumofwesternco.com/visit/ dinosaur-journey.
7 Denver Museum of Nature and Science
There’s lots to explore at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, but dinosaur lovers will want to start on the building’s third level, where skeletons tower over the exhibit hall and immerse visitors in the dinosaur age. Exhibits cover the ages pre and post-dinosaurs, so patrons can learn about ancient plants, reptiles and mammals, and how the climate has evolved. Tickets cost $24.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids, with additional fees for access to additional attractions like the planetarium; more information at dmns.org.
8 Morrison Natural History Museum
Located 5 miles from the show-stopping Dinosaur Ridge, the Morrison Natural History Museum contextualizes Colorado’s role in the dinosaur age with fossil displays, history through the ice age and hands-on exhibits. The museum, located in a refurbished cabin, is fueled by ongoing research that it does in-house as a nonprofit organization. General-admission tickets cost $18 for adults and $12 for kids; more information at morrisonco.us/335/Morrison Natural-History-Museum.
9 The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center near Colorado Springs is something of a showroom for its parent company, Triebold Paleontology Inc., which has been collecting fossils since 1989. Its founder, Mike Triebold, is said to have discovered several “firsts” in the field, such as the first complete and intact skeleton of Protosphyraena perniciosa, a prehistoric fish. In 2022, the Triebold Paleontology team discovered a juvenile T. Rex, and many of the bones they have so far are on display, including shoulder bones and vertebrae. Tickets cost $13 for adults and $9 for children; more information at rmdrc.com.
10 Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience
At the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience in Canon City, visitors don’t just get to look at fossils and relics — they also get to play among them. In addition to a 10,000-square-foot museum, the venue includes a digging area for kids to excavate their own treasures, a “wild walk” that takes patrons through a landscape dotted with life-size animatronic dinos, and two ropes courses that offer aerial views of all of the above plus the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Royal Gorge Bridge. Tickets range from $15 to $41.95 for adults and $12 to $31.95 for kids depending on how many attractions you want to experience; more information at dinoxp.com.
