National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Dinosaur National MonumentPaleontologist squatting next to dinosaur bones on cliff.
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Dinosaur National Monument
Fossil Discovery Trail
Dinosaur vertebrae fossil eroding from cliff along Fossil Discovery Trail
NPS Photo
A few large dinosaur fossil bones, such as this vertebrae, are exposed in the cliff along the Fossil Discovery Trail.
 

Length: 1.5 miles round trip. Not a loop.
Difficulty:  Easy to moderate.
Trailhead location: Temporary Visitor Center.
Brochure: Available at Temporary Visitor Center or here.
Description: Trail cuts through tilted rock layers, exposing great variety of rocks and fossils. The Morrison Formation stop features an outcropping of several small pieces and a few large pieces of dinosaur bones.

 
Several small fossil fragments can be seen along the Fossil Discovery Trail
NPS Photos
Along the trail in the Morrison Formation, numerous small dinosaur fossil bones and bone fragments can be discovered eroding from the cliff face.
Picture of dinosaur skull.  

Did You Know?
Dinosaurs were a remarkably successful group of animals. They lived on the Earth for 160 million years. The fossils at Dinosaur National Monument represent only 10 of the many dinosaur species that existed during that long era.

Last Updated: February 18, 2008 at 14:59 EST