Dinosaur National Monument, north of Jensen, Utah, border of Utah and Colorado

Last week I experienced something truly amazing – Dinosaur National Monument on the border of Colorado and Utah. The crowning attraction of Dinosaur National Monument is the world famous Quarry Exhibit Hall, a rock wall with more than 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in stone.

I do not exaggerate when I say this should be one of the wonders of the world. Almost everyone has seen dinosaur skeletons in museums, but to see so many fossils still embedded in stone, the dinosaur remains in their final resting place – it was amazing.

This unique treasure was discovered in 1909 by Earl Douglass, a paleontologist who found a dinosaur spine literally sticking out of the mountain. Good thing he knew where to look.This area has many layers of fossilized remains due to its unique position as an ancient river delta. Dinosaur remains of stegosaurus, camarasaurus and diplodocus washed down river and congregated in one location, which later fossilized preserving the amazing wall of bone we have today.

Amazingly, since the skeletons of these dinosaurs are fairly common, and since nothing quite like this fossil wall exists elsewhere in the world, this tableau of history has been preserved as is for people to explore. The Quarry Exhibit Hall blew my mind, and the photos just don’t do it justice.

If you ever have a chance to visit Dinosaur National Monument, DO IT!

INFO:

Difficulty: Easy. A five minute shuttle ride from the visitors center transports guests to the recently renovated Quarry Exhibit Hall.

Time: 1 – 3 hours

Open hours: Summer 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Although Dinosaur National Monument is open year round, reduced staffing affects the Quarry Exhibit Hall schedule. Click here for more details.

Tips: Although the Visitors Center and Quarry Exhibit Hall are air conditioned, I would still avoid visiting here in the heat of summer. It’s a desert after all.