The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.
The Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site is a natural collection site of over 400 individual dinosaur tracks and imprints in Utah. This is considered to be one of the most popular dinosaur track sites in the United States because it is easy to hike and has some of the highest quality dinosaur tracks in the country. The track site is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a US government organization that allows visitors to use the site for recreation and camping for free year-round.
The discovery of new tracks on and around the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site is ongoing, and there were originally only 161 tracks officially counted on the site until an investigation in 2010 led to 400 more discoveries. Today, most of the well-preserved tracks are marked with interpretive signs, but visitors can still find even more that aren't officially marked throughout the area.
The Quail Creek Hiking and Mountain Biking Trail is an easy trail with scenic mountain views along its route in southwest Utah.
Length: 4 miles
Intensity: Easy
The Red Reef Trail is a hiking path that follows a route under red stone cliffs and ridges. The trail also features a running stream, a picnic area, and a public restroom.
Length: 2.2 miles
Intensity: Easy
The Virgin River Bike Trail is a trail that follows the banks of the Virgin River from St. George to Washington, Utah. The trail is also paved and open for hikers, bikers, and dog walkers.
Length: 11.2 miles
Intensity: Easy
While exploring the dinosaur tracks at this site, you may encounter some wildlife species native to the St. George area. Some animals you might see include the mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, mule deer, desert cottontail, desert kangaroo rat, desert woodrat, desert tortoise, chuckwalla, tiger whiptail, great basic rattlesnake, and California king snake. Some popular birds that you may get to see include the golden eagle, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, peregrine falcon, turkey vulture, wild turkey, cactus wren, canyon wren, yellow-dumped warbler, and white-crowned sparrow.
There are no picnic shelters set up at the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site; however, responsible picnicking is still allowed. When you want to have a picnic at this site, consider bringing a towel, blanket, or folding chair to sit on while eating, and be sure to bring bags and containers for your leftovers and trash when you are finished.
There are many interpretive signs placed around the Warner Valley site, most of which inform visitors of the dinosaur species thought to have made the tracks on the site. While it is impossible to know the exact species that each track belongs to, most of the tracks are named either Eubrontes or Grallator tracks, and these tracks are theorized to have belonged to dinosaur species like the megalosaurus and dilophosaurus.
The location of the track site gives clues to their age as well. Since the site is found on top of the Springdale Member of the Kayenta Formation, it is believed that they are a part of the lower-Jurassic era, making them an estimated 190 million years old.
Visitors may read the interpretive signs at the Waner Valley Dinosaur Track Site to learn more about the history of the tracks, and the path marked with these signs is about 0.6 miles long, making for a short and easy walk.
When you're looking for BLM RV camping but don't want to settle for a primitive experience, check out a non-BLM-managed campground nearby the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site instead since most Bureau of Land Management campgrounds have primitive-only campsites. You can go RV camping at a campground like the St. George/Hurricane KOA Journey, a campground with full hookups and an outdoor pool plus free Wi-Fi for guests. You may also like Quail Creek RV Park, which has hookups, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and a dog park.
You may set up a dispersed campsite at the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site as a Bureau of Land Management free camping option. Since the terrain is quite flat here, you will likely be able to pull your RV into the site with few issues. However, keep in mind that there are no hookups for electricity or water at this site, and there are no restrooms, so your experience will be a primitive one. If you can't find space in this area, simply search "BLM camping near me."
If you plan on hiking the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site, be sure to pack plenty of drinking water for your hike. When you plan on camping at the site, be sure to pack even more water for both drinking and washing, and bring battery-operated equipment as needed since you will have no electricity. Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.
All visitors to the Warner Valley site are asked to follow the BLM's Leave No Trace guidelines, a set of easy-to-follow rules that help keep the land clean for the wildlife that calls it home. To follow these rules, simply pick up after yourself, watch any campfires you start closely, and bury human and pet waste at least 50 feet from any open water source.
To reach the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site from Washington, Utah, take Washington Fields Road south for five miles. Then turn left on Warner Valley Road. From there, take the dirt road for about nine miles, and you will find the parking lot and trailhead for the interpretive site.
Ready to visit Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site? An RV rental is a great way to experience your destination. Not only will you be close to all the action, but at the end of a long day exploring, you’ll have your RV to return to for the night where you’ll enjoy a full kitchen, bathroom, and nice soft bed. Not sure about renting an RV? Here’s a step-by-step guide to renting an RV with RVshare.
