Northern Utah Dinosaur Museums
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George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park
Located in Ogden, the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park is an eight-acre outdoor museum with full-bodied creatures of the Dinosaur Age, including prehistoric crawlers, predators, marine creatures and flying reptiles dating from the Permian through Cretaceous periods. Realistic sculptures of more than 125 dinosaurs fill the park in a native Utah setting, all reproduced based on the findings of fossil skeletal remains, and accentuated by a high-quality sound system. The 16,000-square-foot museum includes exhibit space, a large paleontology laboratory, offices and a lecture hall.
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Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point
Twenty minutes north of Provo in the town of Lehi, you’ll find Thanksgiving Point, a sprawling museum complex, that includes the Museum of Natural Curiosity, with more than 400 interactive experiences; Farm Country, a working farm where visitors can see the usual, and not-so-usual, farm animals; and Ashton Gardens, a 55-acre botanical garden that includes the largest, man-made waterfall in the Western Hemisphere. It’s also home to The Museum of Ancient Life, an exhibit that features a gallery of 60 complete dinosaur skeletons and more than 50 hands-on exhibits.
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Natural History Museum of Utah
The Past Worlds exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City features an outstanding display of paleontology. It covers eons of Utah's history and includes a frequently updated display of the latest dinosaur finds — such as Utah's state fossil, the Allosaurus, and a dozen other dinosaurs found in the state.
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Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
In the heart of “Dinosaurland” in Vernal is a can’t-miss virtual tour of our earth’s ancient history, housed in a grand 22,000 square-foot facility. Here you’ll see countless fossils (and a live Fossil Lab), dinosaur skeletons from surrounding quarries, educational exhibits and cultural displays. A highlight is the Dinosaur Garden, an outdoor diorama with numerous full-sized dinosaur replicas, including a 20-foot Tyrannosaurus and a six-ton Stegosaurus.
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Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum
Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price houses fossils from more dinosaur species than any other museum in the country. World-class exhibits of the region’s unique paleontology, archaeology and geology can all be found under one roof.
Southern Utah Dinosaur Museums
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Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
The Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm in St. George preserves thousands of dinosaur footprints at the original site of discovery. Experts converged on the site to verify and reveal an extensive “trackway." Many other fossils have been found in the area (fish bones, dinosaur bones, leaves and plant seeds and aquatic animal shells) that have allowed paleontologists to reconstruct the approximately 200-million-year-old ecosystem, with a clarity that some call “unprecedented” and a “rarity for rocks of any time period.”
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Dinosaur Museum of Blanding
If you’re planning a trip to Moab and Arches National Park, take a quick drive south to Blanding near Bears Ears National Monument to visit its one-of-a-kind Dinosaur Museum. The museum features a large display of dinosaur eggs and pieces of actual fossilized skin. Don't miss the exhibit on the important role dinosaurs have played in pop culture, media and movies.
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Moab Giants Dinosaur Park and Museum
Start your journey at the Moab Giants Dinosaur Museum by watching a 3D-film about prehistoric life. Then wander about the museum and use the touchscreen terminals to learn more and play educational games — technology is a big part of this museum. Take advantage of the viewing windows to look into labs where scientists are conducting a range of research projects. You are encouraged to do your own experiments as well, by creating fossilized tracks to learn how they were originally made and preserved in stone.
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Utahraptor State Park
Just 15 miles outside of Moab, Utahraptor State Park is a new state park, dedicated to protecting the Dalton Wells area where the famous Utahraptor dinosaur fossil was discovered. While this is a sensitive area that is undergoing plans for expansion – including two campgrounds and a trail system for hiking, mountain biking and ATVs — consider a visit when the park is complete and fully operational.
"Utah offers one of the world's largest collections of mounted dinosaur skeletons interspersed among actual discovery sites."
In Nature & On-Site
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Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry within Jurassic National Monument in the northern part of the San Rafael Swell (about 33 miles south of Price, Utah) invites visitors for some hands-on learning. This area is home to the densest collection of Jurassic-era dinosaur fossils ever unearthed — more than 12,000 individual bones, belonging to at least 74 different dinosaurs. Why are there so many? That’s a mystery that you can ponder as you tour the museum and hike on the outdoor trails. Visit one of two bone deposit structures where paleontologists and volunteers can be seen at work during the field season, adding to the site's impressive resume.
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Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways near Moab
Try out this 15-minute easy trek to see tracks in the red rock likely left by the Apatosaurus and the Diplodocus. To get there, head south on U.S. 191 toward Moab. At mile marker 148, turn east on a dirt road to the trailhead for Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways.
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Dinosaur National Monument
Northeastern Utah’s dinosaur legacy comes to life at Dinosaur National Monument, where geological and climatic forces have tilted, warped and eroded the earth’s crust to reveal a treasure trove of fossils. Located on the Utah border with Colorado, there is something for everyone here. Take your pick of touring the dinosaur quarry, going on driving tours around the park, hiking the nature trails, backpacking, whitewater river running, taking photos, bird-watching, fishing, general sightseeing and biking.
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Dinosaur Tracks Trail near Moab
This is an 0.2-mile easy hike above the Colorado River to a tilted boulder featuring the tracks of the three-toed Allosaurus. It’s perfect for families to discover ancient trackways together.
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Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry
This 10-acre quarry in the San Rafael Swell is a fossil hunter’s mecca. Scientists first started researching here in earnest 11 years ago and the excavation site has yielded the discovery of thousands of pounds of dinosaur bones. This is definitely a site for the more advanced and patient dino searcher, with a summer volunteer program or expert-led quarry tour.
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Moccasin Mountain Dinosaur Tracksite near Kanab
It doesn’t get much more picturesque than being surrounded by beautiful sandstone cliffs as you hike this 0.5-mile round trip trail. Along the way view hundreds of dinosaur tracks with at least six different types of footprints from the early Jurassic time period.
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Red Fleet Dinosaur Trackway
This 1.5-mile trek along a moderately rugged trail at Red Fleet State Park and Reservoir will not disappoint the dinosaur fanatic or the casual hiker. At the trail’s end, you’ll have to work just a little to find the tracks of the 200-million-year-old dilophosaurus, which reside in the slickrock shores of the reservoir.
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
Dinosaur footprint in San Rafael Swell
Dinosaur National Monument
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Trekking Along the Dinosaur Diamond Highway
Utah’s Dinosaur Diamond Highway is the perfect guide to experience ancient history, millions of years in the making.
Highlights
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Jurassic National Monument
- San Rafael Swell
- Dead Horse Point State Park
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Southern Dinos and Goblins
From fossils and petroglyphs to slot canyons and goblins, you’ll have four days of “oohs” and “ahhs” for the whole adventuring family.
Highlights
- Moab Adventures
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Goblin Valley State Park
Discover More
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10 Top Stops Along the National Pioneer Mormon Heritage Area
Here are 10 of the best stops along Utah's Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area’s backroads and byways. Explore rich Mormon historic sites, awe-inspiring canyons and mountains and unforgettable outdoor adventures.
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15 Non-Technical Slot Canyons
You don’t have to be Spider-Man to explore some of the best slot canyons Utah has to offer. You just need to be ready for an adventure in tight spaces with huge photographic rewards
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5 Expert Tips to Prepare for Your Utah National Parks Adventure
If you’re planning to visit Utah national parks for a hike, learn important tips to maximize your experience and keep you and your family safe.
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7 Utah Artisan Cheeses to Try Now
Taste delicious hand-crafted cheese from Utah dairies at farmers markets, restaurants and specialty shops. Visit Utah and find your favorite artisanal cheese.
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A Van Lifer’s Guide to Responsible Travel in Southern Utah
When Utah’s dirt roads are calling you, it’s time to plan your van life road trip. Here’s what you need to know to travel safely, support Utah’s rural communities, and help preserve the delicate desert landscapes.
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A Winter’s Desert: Visiting Southern Utah in the Slow Months
Experiencing the peace of canyon country in the winter is an attraction of its own.
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Alpine Fishing Above the Red Rock Landscapes of Southern Utah
Sitting just outside of Capitol Reef National Park, this 11,000-foot peak offers views of the surrounding red canyons and desert-like region. In contrast, Boulder Mountain is heavily forested and home to more than 80 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. With an average rainfall multiple inches more than the lower regions, the area makes for some surprisingly good fishing.
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An Insider’s Guide to Torrey
Look no further than Capitol Reef National Park and nearby Torrey for lesser-traveled red-rock hikes, plenty of lodging options, satisfying dining and night sky as our ancestors knew it.
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Artisan Cheese in Red Rock Country
Two decades ago, Randy Ramsley traded his Dockers-and-tie city job for a 50 acre plot of land that he called a “Garden of Weedin” and the dream of establishing a sustainable farmstead. Now travelers from all over the globe know the small market and counter-service restaurant at Mesa Farm as a refreshing “must-do” respite seemingly plunked in the middle of nowhere on Highway 24 east of Capitol Reef National Park.
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Gravity and Water: Mark Making in a Winter’s Desert with Anne Kaferle
Finding Helper at a time when she “needed it the most,” landscape artist Anne Kaferle has put down roots in Utah, thanks to plein-air painting and the healing power of time alone in the landscape.
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Hiking the Desert in Capitol Reef National Park
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How to Slow Travel in Utah
Avoid the mad scramble and consider slow travel as a better approach to your Utah trip.
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Meet the Women Leading Utah's Food and Beverage Renaissance
When it comes to food and beverage in Utah, there are key influencers who have been the proponents of change, growth, and the role of women in Utah’s food scene.
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Mesa Farm Market
Best local shops and healthy eats near Moab and Capitol Reef. Try the goat cheese!
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Moonscapes, Marscapes and More
If you want to know what Mars looks like — then the dramatic terrain of Capitol Reef National Park and the surrounding lands are a good place to start.
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Paradise and Slickrock
Utah's national parks seen through a lifelong relationship with Capitol Reef
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Permit of Solitude in Robbers Roost
Local guide Christopher Hagedorn leads a group through Robbers Roost in Southern Utah, where wind, water and time has left a primitive maze of canyons.
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Searching for Dinosaur Bones in Capitol Reef Country
The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry dates back to the Jurassic Period and is approximately 150 feet wide by 600 feet long. Hundreds of dinosaur bones have been discovered here, including those of the Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus.
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See the Fall Leaves Near Utah's National Parks
Sure, any of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks are spectacular year round — covered in snow, peppered with spring wildflowers, and baked in sunshine. But find them exponentially special when the changing fall leaves are in juxtaposition to the immaculate red rock cliffs.
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Serenity Found in Torrey and Capitol Reef’s Cathedral Valley District
Taking Southern Utah’s remote, less-traveled path in Capitol Reef's Cathedral Valley District to nurture your body, mind and spirit.
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The All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12
This is 122.863 miles (to be exact) of pure driving bliss. Welcome to Utah’s Scenic Byway 12, a designated All-American Road.
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The Return to Robbers Roost
Are you intrigued by the old American West legend involving Robbers Roost? Want to find an alleged hideout of the infamous Butch Cassidy and Gang? Explore Utah.
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Utah’s Unexpected Pit Stops
You’re doing it wrong if you think road trip pit stops are boring layovers on your way to more exciting destinations. How many of these hidden gems have you been to? Here are 11 mini-adventures to check off your list next time you’re road-tripping through Utah.
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Walking Off the Ledge Into Capitol Reef
Capitol Reef is breathtaking, but as you stare across the ledge you realize that some of the best scenery is only accessible by dropping in, 20, 50, sometimes 100 feet or more.
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Winter Road Trip: Where to Stay, Hike and Eat When Traveling from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon
Need winter break ideas? Take a road trip from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon and enjoy the best of Utah landscapes during its quiet season.
