Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur National Monument

This park contains fossils of dinosaurs. The rock layer enclosing the fossils is a ancient river bed from the Jurassic Period. The dinosaurs and other ancient animals were carried by the river system which eventually entombed their remains.

Dinosaur National Monument is located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Although most of the monument area is in Moffat County, Colorado, the Dinosaur Quarry is located in Utah just to the north of the town of Jensen, Utah.

The dinosaur fossil beds (bone beds) were discovered in 1909 by Earl Douglass, a paleontologist working and collecting for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Location

Utah border at the meeting of the Green and Yampa Rivers
Dinosaur, Moffat County, Colorado
USA

Getting There

Dinosaur National Monument is located in both Colorado and Utah. Here are directions to the Colorado side of the monument:

From Denver, Colorado:

Take I-25 North to exit 278 for CO-14 W toward Ft. Collins/Ault
Continue on CO-14 W for about 123 miles to US-40 W in Steamboat Springs
Turn left onto US-40 W and continue for about 50 miles
Turn right onto CO-64 W and continue for about 5 miles
Turn right onto Harpers Corner Road and continue for about 32 miles to the Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center

Note: The route and travel time may vary depending on traffic and road conditions. It is recommended to check for any closures or construction before embarking on the trip.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Colorado that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.