Last spring, I indulged my inner paleontologist (and let’s face it, child) and took an RV trip entirely centered around dinosaur tracks. We went to three sites, as well as some other geological and petroglyph sites, and spent nights in our camper planning out the next day’s adventure.
They’re even bigger and more magical in person, especially when you realize the sheer size and weight of the animals making prints that can fit my hand three times. It sparks the imagination, giving you a glimpse into a moment in time, of how these animals lived, moved, and interacted with their environments.
Planning your Dino-tastic RV trip
This is the perfect trip for dino-fanatics, history lovers, desert rats, and most of all – families. These kid-friendly hikes and museums have a blend of education, hands-on learning, and gigantic fossils and dinosaur replicas to wow everyone.
Example itinerary and free Google map
Day 1: Hit the busier parts of Canyonlands and Moab track sites (Potash, Hells Revenge). Head out to Utahraptor Park to camp.
Day 2: Spend your morning coffee up at Willow Springs track site. After the sun is up, head over to Mill Canyon track site. Then have lunch and take a break. Visit Moab Giants in the afternoon. Then head back to your same campsite.
Day 3: Stop at Copper canyon on your way out to i70. Head east and stop at Sego canyon petroglyphs if you have time.
Day 4: Stop in Rabbit Valley, the Trail Through Time, then stop in Fruita at the Dinosaur Hill tracksite and Dinosaur Journey museum. There are several places to park or RV campgrounds to choose from here. Lots of yummy food choices in Fruita or Grand Junction.
Day 5: Don’t forget to stop at Book Cliffs on your way north to Dinosaur National Monument. Spend the day at the Monument, camp, and spend another day (Day 6).
Day 7: Head back toward Moab going west; to Jurassic National Monument and 2 nearby track sites. Continue heading back to Moab or camp here for your last night.
Download the google map
This map comes with over 60 pins including museums, track sites, RV parks, and dump stations. Make a copy and make it yours by editing and adding more pins.
Get the dinosaur RV trip Google map:
Tips to plan the best road trip around dinosaurs
- Rent your RV in Utah or western Colorado and schedule delivery to your first location, or where you’re keeping your car for the week.
- If you’re going to hit multiple track sites in a day, plan to camp near a site that’s outside of the busy areas of Moab, Canyonlands or Grand Junction. Willow Springs is a great example of a track site that’s off the beaten path enough to be a fun drive that most RVs can handle, and has plenty of boondocking campsites in nearby Utahraptor state park. There are a handful of pit toilets dotted throughout. Go during the off season or midweek and you’ll find plenty of spots.
- Plan your route to hit at least a track site and an interpretive site like a museum so you can balance your day with outside and inside activities, educational and hands-on, as well as a bathroom stop, a place to grab a bite, and refill water.
- Research your Utah campgrounds and western Colorado camping options so you are hitting the busiest spots during the week or off season.
- Check the museums’ websites for free educational materials you can print beforehand, so you and your kids can follow along throughout the trip.
- Keep your route to a manageable distance in between stops and be aware of road closures. There are roughly three points to the “Dinosaur Triangle”: Grand Junction, Dinosaur, and Moab. Clockwise or counterclockwise are both valid options.
When to go
Mid-week and off-seasons like November through March. Otherwise, you’ll want to have your trip planned and spots booked, so you’re not competing with tourists for spots that fill up quickly.
Many of these sites are completely open to the sun with no shade. Pack enough water, hike early, take cover during the hottest parts of the day, and enjoy the sunset!
List of dinosaur track sites
Colorado
Dinosaur Hill
- Location: Near Fruita, Mesa County
- Type of tracks: Mostly sauropod tracks
- Accessibility: Moderate (well-marked trails, but involves some elevation gain)
- Notable features: Dinosaur bones were first discovered here by Elmer Riggs in 1900. It is now part of the Dinosaur Journey Trail system.
- Download brochure: Dinosaur Hill Trail
- Get there: Maps
Mygatt-Moore Quarry
- Location: Rabbit Valley, near Grand Junction
- Type of tracks: Theropods and other dinosaur species
- Accessibility: Easy (short walks from parking)
- Notable features: Known for having a variety of dinosaur fossils and tracks right near i70, including a large concentration of Allosaurus.
- Download: Brochure
- Get there: Maps
More trail brochures on the western slope:
Utah
Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite
- Location: North of Moab, Grand County
- Type of tracks: Theropods, sauropods, ankylosaurs, and more
- Accessibility: Easy (short walk from parking)
- Notable features: Early Cretaceous (approximately 112 million years ago) dinosaur tracksite with over 200 tracks from at least ten different types of animals, including theropods, sauropods, ornithopods, ankylosaurs, birds, and even crocodiles.
- Download: Brochure
- Get there: Maps
Willow Springs Dinosaur Tracksite
- Location: Northeast of Moab, Grand County
- Type of tracks: Theropods, sauropods, ankylosaurs, and more
- Accessibility: Easy (short walk from parking)
- Notable features: Showcases tracks from both theropods and ornithopods (three-toed dinosaurs) and sauropod tracks (long-necked dinosaurs). They date back roughly 165 million years, formed by walking across tidal flats and preserved in the Entrada Formation’s sandstone.
- Download: Brochure
- Get there: Maps
- Be prepared to cross a sandy wash on the way there – it feels like surfing!
Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways
- Location: Near Moab, Grand County
- Type of tracks: Sauropods and theropods
- Accessibility: Moderate (trails may be uneven and exposed to the sun)
- Notable features: Known for its well-preserved theropod and sauropod tracks, offering expansive desert views and a sandy drive in.
- Get there: Maps
Dinosaur National Monument
- Location: Straddling the Colorado-Utah border, near Jensen, Utah
- Type of tracks: Jurassic Period, including remains of Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Allosaurus.
- Accessibility: Allows for scenic drives, easy paved walkways, more moderate trails, and ranger-led tours.
- Notable features: A huge cliff with dinosaur bones stacked throughout.
- Get there: Maps
The abundance of dinosaur tracks
The Colorado-Utah region boasts a few thousand known dinosaur track sites, with new discoveries frequently popping up. A wide variety of dinosaur species is represented, from massive sauropods to agile theropods. The sheer number and diversity of tracks in the region make it a significant area for understanding dinosaur behavior and ecosystems from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
The Jurassic Period (201-145 million years ago)
A time of warm climates and widespread seas. Dinosaurs like Allosaurus and massive sauropods (Apatosaurus, Diplodocus) dominated. In the area now known as Colorado and Utah, this period produced many of the iconic fossils found in the Morrison Formation, a sedimentary layer famous for its abundance of large dinosaur bones. Jurassic fossils tend to be larger and include long-necked sauropods and theropods. Trackways from this era, like those at the Mill Canyon and Dinosaur Ridge sites, often show the movements of large herbivores and carnivores across coastal and river plains.
The Cretaceous Period (145-66 million years ago)
This period followed the Jurassic, and in Utah and Colorado, it saw the development of extensive inland seas like the Western Interior Seaway. Dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops roamed the coastal areas and floodplains. The Cretaceous rock formations, like the Dakota Formation, tend to preserve more varied ecosystems, including birds, crocodilians, and smaller dinosaurs, as well as marine fossils. Cretaceous fossils from this region may also include footprints of diverse dinosaurs, from large predators to small, bird-like species.
The geographic differences from changing landscapes, with the Jurassic period featuring expansive floodplains and the Cretaceous period characterized by shifting seas, estuaries, and more varied habitats.
How and where to find dinosaur tracks
Dinosaur tracks are commonly found in sedimentary rock formations such as sandstone and mudstone, which formed in ancient riverbeds, lakes, and floodplains. When hiking around, look for large flat surfaces or depressions in the rock. Early morning or late afternoon allows the low-angle sunlight to enhance the shadows, making tracks easier to see.
Respecting and preserving dinosaur tracks
Conservation is crucial to ensure these track sites remain preserved for future generations – everything from the fossils to the living cryptobiotic soil surrounding it, is fragile.
Avoid stepping on the tracks, refrain from removing any fossils or materials, and report any new discoveries. Fossil sites are protected by federal laws, such as the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA).
According to the BLM, if you think you’ve found fossils such as footprints, bones, or teeth:
- Leave them in place.
- Document the fossils with photos and a GPS reading, if possible, so that they can be found by land managers and archeologists.
- Document the features of the area, like what the rocks look like, landmarks, and road directions.
- Contact the appropriate public land management agency (BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, state land agency) or local museum.
- Do not make replicas, tracings, molds, or casts. This damages the fossils.
Photography tips for dinosaur tracks
For the best photos, visit during early morning or late afternoon for optimal lighting. Use a wide-angle lens to capture the scale of the landscape and a tripod for stability. To highlight the details of the tracks, try using raking light, and include a scale bar in your photos for reference. Post-processing tools can further enhance the visibility of subtle track features.
Museums and visitor centers
Moab Giants
- Location: Moab, UT (Near Mill Canyon)
- Exhibits: Dinosaur park with a desert trail dotted with life-size models of T. rex & other prehistoric beasts
- Get there: Maps
Dinosaur Journey Museum
- Location: Fruita, Colorado
- Exhibits: Real dinosaur skeletons, robotic recreations, and fossils from the Western Slope
- Additional resources: Offers guided tours and fossil excavation opportunities.
- Get there: Maps
Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point
- Location: Lehi, Utah
- Notable exhibits: The world’s largest collection of mounted dinosaur skeletons
- Additional resources: Interactive exhibits for children and adults.
- Get there: Maps
Dinosaur National Monument
- Location: Straddling the Colorado-Utah border, near Jensen, Utah
- Notable exhibits: The Quarry Exhibit Hall features a wall of over 1,500 dinosaur bones from the Jurassic Period, including remains of Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Allosaurus. You can see fossils still embedded in the rock, providing a unique look at an active fossil site.
- Additional resources: Scenic drives, hiking trails to view petroglyphs and additional fossil sites, and ranger-led tours.
- Get there: Maps
Get your dino on
Dinosaur tracks in Western Colorado and Utah offer an extraordinary glimpse into prehistoric life. Visit these sites responsibly and support conservation efforts, so you can contribute to the preservation of these natural wonders while enjoying the experience of walking in the footsteps of giants.
Keep learning:
- Books: “Tracking Dinosaurs: A New Look at an Ancient World” by Martin Lockley
- Websites: recreation.gov and Museums of Western Colorado
- Paleontology Groups: Utah Friends of Paleontology and Western Interior Paleontology Society
- For homeschoolers and students: Guide to homeschooling in an RV, Classroom resources, Dinosaur Day, become a Junior Paleontologist, check out this dinosaur homeschooling Reddit thread
Events: Plan your RV trip around popular events like Dino Days in Fruita, Spooky Halloween nights at Giants Moab, or even a fancy cocktail-tasting Dino on the Rocks fundraiser and silent auction for Museums of Western Colorado.
