Long before humans inhabited Utah, dinosaurs roamed this land. The Beehive State is famous among paleontologists for its rich treasure trove of dinosaur bones, and there are even places where you can see the footprints of dinosaurs that have been preserved for millions of years. One such place is Mill Canyon, located just north of Moab. Take a look:
To reach the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, drive north from Moab along U.S. 191 for 15 miles. Turn off just past mile marker 141, and proceed for two more miles to the trailhead.
Paul S/Tripadvisor After it rains, this road is impossible to navigate - check the weather before heading out.
With its red rock cliffs and vast sky, this area is simply stunning, though it certainly looks a lot different than when it was home to Jurassic-era dinosaurs.
TRbeer/Tripadvisor When dinosaurs inhabited this area 150 million years ago, it was covered with swamps, forests, and bogs.
Take a tour around the boardwalk trail, where you’ll be treading right above the dinosaur tracks.
ReBecca Hunt-Foster/Google
From your perch a few feet above the ground, you’ll see many prints made by medium-sized theropod dinosaurs.
toad69/Tripadvisor Experts aren’t sure about which species made these tracks, but they agree that the dinosaurs were around 6 feet tall at the hip. They could possibly be ornithomimosaurs, which lived 112 million years ago and were similar to ostriches.
This spot was once a shallow lake, and the algae from the lake formed a mat where dinosaurs’ footprints sunk in. The mat was later covered with layers of sand and mud, and preserved.
joshmom03/Tripadvisor There are more than 200 individual tracks here!
As you walk around the boardwalk, you’ll find several different interpretive signs that give you more information about the tracks, and the dinosaurs who once called this area home.
julie248/tripadvisor
Once you’ve explored the small boardwalk, take the trail to see dinosaur bones embedded right into the rock. This is the partial shoulder and ribs of a sauropod who died here during the Jurassic period.
julie248/tripadvisor
You’ll also find bones of Allosaurus and Camptosaurus along the trail.
karos1/Tripadvisor
When you visit this remarkable place, remember to stay on the trail. It’s illegal to remove any rocks or fossils. Leave no trace, so that others can also witness these preserved remnants of ancient dinosaurs.
Steve Oswald/Alltrails
Have you hiked Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail? We’d love to hear about your adventure in the comments!
Paul S/Tripadvisor
After it rains, this road is impossible to navigate - check the weather before heading out.
TRbeer/Tripadvisor
When dinosaurs inhabited this area 150 million years ago, it was covered with swamps, forests, and bogs.
ReBecca Hunt-Foster/Google
toad69/Tripadvisor
Experts aren’t sure about which species made these tracks, but they agree that the dinosaurs were around 6 feet tall at the hip. They could possibly be ornithomimosaurs, which lived 112 million years ago and were similar to ostriches.
joshmom03/Tripadvisor
There are more than 200 individual tracks here!
julie248/tripadvisor
karos1/Tripadvisor
Steve Oswald/Alltrails
If you’re fascinated by Utah’s dinosaurs, you’ll definitely want to pay a visit to this national monument on the Utah/Colorado border.
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Address: Moab, UT 84532, USA
