15 Dino-Lover Destinations In Utah You Didn’t Know Existed
Utah isn’t just a paradise for hikers and photographers—it’s a dream come true for dino lovers too. Tucked between its iconic arches and crimson cliffs are places where you can literally walk alongside ancient footprints or stand inches from real dinosaur bones still embedded in the rock.
Did you know Utah has its own state dinosaur? It’s called Utahraptor, and it’s as fierce as it sounds—think of it as Velociraptor’s much bigger cousin. Pretty cool, right? Some of these spots are remote and totally off the radar, but that’s part of the fun.
One minute you’re admiring a red rock canyon, the next you’re staring at a fossil that’s over 150 million years old. Whether you’re road tripping with kids or geeking out solo, these 15 hidden dino destinations will leave you awestruck. So, ready to go on a Jurassic-style treasure hunt?
1. Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
Hidden in the dusty hills near Price, this quarry contains the world’s largest concentration of Allosaurus fossils ever discovered! I was shocked to learn over 12,000 bones have been excavated here since the 1920s.
Scientists still debate why so many predators ended up in one place. Was it a deadly mud trap? Or maybe a poisoned water hole? The mystery makes this site even more fascinating.
The visitor center displays actual fossils you can examine up close. Kids love the interactive exhibits where they can pretend to be paleontologists. This lesser-known site offers a more intimate experience than Utah’s famous dinosaur attractions.
2. Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail
Walking this short trail near Moab feels like stepping into a prehistoric picture book! The path winds past actual dinosaur bones still embedded in the rock walls – no glass cases here.
My favorite spot is where you can clearly see a dinosaur thigh bone jutting right out of the cliff face. The bones have turned a rusty color that blends with the surrounding rocks, making them a fun challenge to spot.
Did you know this area was once a lush floodplain? Now it’s a desert showcase of 150-million-year-old remains from creatures like Allosaurus and Stegosaurus. The self-guided tour takes about 30 minutes and features helpful signs explaining what you’re seeing.
3. Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways
Just outside Moab lies an ancient highway of dinosaur footprints stamped into stone! These tracks were made by three different dinosaur species who walked here 190 million years ago when Utah was covered in sand dunes.
The largest prints belong to a dinosaur similar to Diplodocus – each footprint is bigger than a dinner plate! A short hike leads you to a sloped rock face where you can place your hand inside impressions left by creatures that ruled Earth eons before humans existed.
Visiting early morning or late afternoon creates shadows that make the tracks pop visually. The site is completely free to visit and rarely crowded, making it perfect for dinosaur enthusiasts seeking an authentic experience away from tourist crowds.
4. St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
What started as a land-clearing project for a retirement home became one of Utah’s most important fossil discoveries! In 2000, Dr. Sheldon Johnson was preparing his property when he flipped over a piece of rock and found a perfect dinosaur track preserved underneath.
The site now protects thousands of Early Jurassic dinosaur tracks, swim traces, and even dinosaur skin impressions. It’s one of the ten best dinosaur track sites in the world!
My jaw dropped seeing the “dinosaur dance floor” – a massive slab covered with footprints going in all directions. The museum built around the discovery site explains how this area was once the shoreline of an ancient lake where dinosaurs gathered 200 million years ago.
5. Hanksville-Burpee Quarry
This working dinosaur dig site near the tiny town of Hanksville might be Utah’s best-kept paleontological secret! Unlike most fossil sites that are already excavated, here you can watch paleontologists actively uncovering new dinosaur bones during summer field seasons.
The quarry contains a prehistoric log jam where ancient river currents piled up dinosaur remains. Bones from Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Camarasaurus have been found jumbled together in this ancient fossil soup.
If you’re lucky enough to visit during a public dig day, you might even help screen for tiny fossils! The stark desert landscape surrounding the quarry, with its multicolored badlands, makes you feel like you’ve landed on another planet entirely.
6. Moab Giants Dinosaur Park
Life-sized dinosaurs roam the red rocks at this unique outdoor museum! While technically not a fossil site, this place offers something special – the chance to see exactly how dinosaurs would have looked in their natural Utah habitat.
The outdoor trail features over 100 scientifically accurate dinosaur replicas set against the same landscape their real counterparts once inhabited. My niece couldn’t stop giggling when we discovered the T-Rex hiding among the juniper trees!
Inside the museum, the 5D prehistoric aquarium brings ancient sea creatures to life through impressive technology. The trace fossil section displays real dinosaur tracks found in the region. Though it’s the most commercial spot on my list, the stunning setting and educational value make it worth visiting.
7. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Imagine walking through a forest that’s 150 million years old! This hidden gem in southern Utah features hundreds of petrified logs scattered across a desert landscape, some containing actual dinosaur bones embedded within them.
The colorful petrified wood ranges from deep purples to bright yellows, created when ancient trees were buried in volcanic ash and slowly replaced by minerals. The Petrified Forest Trail loops through the main concentration of fossils, with signs explaining the prehistoric ecosystem.
Wide Valley Overlook provides sweeping views of the entire park and nearby reservoir. Local legend claims taking petrified wood from the park brings bad luck – rangers display letters from guilty visitors who returned stolen pieces after experiencing misfortune! The visitor center displays smaller specimens and explains the fossilization process.
8. Dinosaur National Monument’s Lesser-Known Utah Side
Everyone knows about the famous Quarry Exhibit Hall on the Colorado side of this monument, but few visitors explore the Utah section! The Utah portion contains incredible dinosaur trackways, petroglyphs of dinosaur-like creatures, and fossil sites still being studied.
Sound of Silence Trail takes you through the same rock layers where dinosaur bones are found. Sharp eyes might spot bone fragments eroding out of the hillsides – I found what looked like a small vertebra on my last visit!
The Journey Through Time Scenic Byway passes through this area, offering spectacular views of the same landscapes dinosaurs once roamed. Paleontologists believe many more fossils remain undiscovered in this remote region, just waiting for future scientists to unearth them.
9. Red Fleet State Park Dinosaur Trackway
Dinosaur footprints underwater? That’s exactly what you’ll find at this unusual site near Vernal! A moderate hike leads to the shoreline where dozens of three-toed dinosaur tracks are visible just below the water’s surface when the reservoir level is low.
These 200-million-year-old footprints were made by Dilophosaurus-like dinosaurs walking along an ancient lakeshore. The water actually enhances visibility of the tracks, making them appear darker against the reddish sandstone.
Swimming and paddleboarding are allowed at the reservoir, creating the unique opportunity to float directly over prehistoric footprints! The park’s name comes from the sandstone cliffs that resemble a fleet of ships with red sails. Rangers offer guided tours during summer months to help visitors locate the sometimes hard-to-spot impressions.
10. The Dinosaur Museum in Blanding
This unassuming museum in tiny Blanding holds prehistoric treasures you won’t believe! Unlike larger institutions, this place displays actual fossils you can touch – including real dinosaur eggs and fossilized dinosaur skin impressions that show the texture of their hide.
The museum specializes in displaying dinosaurs alongside the ancient human cultures that later discovered their fossils. Native American dinosaur legends and early paleontological expeditions are highlighted through fascinating exhibits.
My favorite display shows how Chinese farmers have been finding dinosaur bones for centuries, often believing they were dragon remains. The gift shop sells authentic fossil fragments for reasonable prices. This family-run museum provides a personal experience where staff eagerly share their knowledge about local dinosaur discoveries.
11. Factory Butte Dinosaur Bone Bed
Towering above the Mars-like landscape near Hanksville stands Factory Butte, where scattered dinosaur bone fragments literally crunch beneath your feet! This remote area requires high-clearance vehicles to access but rewards visitors with an otherworldly experience.
The bone bed contains fragments from multiple dinosaur species that lived during the Late Jurassic period. Unlike curated museum experiences, here you’re on your own to discover fossil pieces weathering out of the gray-blue Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation.
Remember that collecting is strictly prohibited – these fossils are protected by federal law! The surreal badlands surrounding Factory Butte have appeared in numerous science fiction films. Visit in early morning when the rising sun illuminates the bone fragments with a golden glow against the shadowed landscape.
12. Grand Staircase-Escalante’s Kaiparowits Formation
Deep within this massive national monument lies a treasure trove of dinosaur discoveries that’s rewriting prehistoric history! The remote Kaiparowits Formation has yielded over 20 previously unknown dinosaur species since 2000.
While active dig sites aren’t accessible to casual visitors, several viewpoints let you see the layers where paleontologists make these groundbreaking finds. The visitor center in Big Water displays some of these newly discovered species, including Lythronax – the “King of Gore” – found nowhere else on Earth.
What makes this area special is that it preserves dinosaurs from a time period poorly represented elsewhere in North America. The rugged terrain and limited access have protected these fossils for millions of years. Guided tours with monument paleontologists are occasionally available during summer months.
13. Prehistoric Museum in Price
This hidden gem houses one of the most important collections of Utah dinosaurs you’ve probably never heard about! Located in the small college town of Price, the museum displays numerous species found nowhere else, including the bizarre Falcarius with its transitional features between meat and plant-eaters.
The highlight for me was seeing Utahraptor, the largest known raptor dinosaur and the real-life inspiration for Jurassic Park’s velociraptors. Unlike those Hollywood versions, this museum shows scientifically accurate reconstructions based on actual Utah finds.
What makes this place special is how it connects dinosaurs to the local coal mining history. Many important fossils were discovered by miners working in nearby coal seams. The paleontology lab has windows where visitors can watch scientists preparing real fossils collected from local sites.
14. Moccasin Mountain Dinosaur Tracksite
Just outside Kanab lies a sandstone canvas covered with hundreds of dinosaur footprints that few tourists ever see! This remote site requires a high-clearance vehicle and short hike, but the reward is spectacular – dinosaur tracks from at least six different species spread across multiple rock surfaces.
The prints range from tiny three-toed impressions to massive footprints over 16 inches long. Some tracks form continuous pathways showing exactly how these ancient reptiles moved across the landscape.
Unlike more developed sites, here you’re free to explore at your own pace without barriers between you and the tracks. The surrounding landscape of pink and white Navajo Sandstone formations creates a stunning backdrop. Visit in late afternoon when low-angle sunlight casts shadows in the footprints, making them easier to photograph.
15. Delta’s U-Dig Fossil Quarry
Want to find your own fossils to take home legally? This unique site near Delta lets visitors split shale rocks to discover marine fossils from the time when dinosaurs ruled the land! Though not dinosaur fossils themselves, these 500-million-year-old trilobites lived during the age of dinosaurs.
For a reasonable fee, you’re given tools and a pile of shale to split open. Most visitors find multiple complete trilobites to keep – I found seven during my two-hour visit!
The quarry owners provide guidance on how to spot the fossils and properly split the rocks. They’ll even help you identify your finds. This hands-on experience gives you a real appreciation for paleontology work. The remote location amid stark mountains creates a memorable fossil hunting adventure that’s perfect for families.