Six Places in the US Where You Can See Real Dinosaur Footprints

Silvershield Trail, Colorado

Visitors to Ouray County in southwestern Colorado can now count on being able to see an impressive series of dinosaur footprints when they hike the Silvershield Trail, thanks to a recent acquisition by the US Forest Service. It purchased 27 acres, including a 106-yard-long track of footprints left by one animal, moving approximately .5 miles per hour. They were made by a large long-necked sauropod, like a brachiosaurus or apatosaurus, and include 134 separate dinosaur footprints. The USFS plans to maintain the trail and add informational signage near the footprints.

The to the dinosaur footprints is considered more difficult, gaining about 1,700 feet of elevation over two miles (making it a four-mile hike round trip). Interestingly, the footprints are currently the only example in the world of a dinosaur turning more than 180 degrees — this dinosaur made a full 270-degree turn, it seems.

Silvershield Trail: Starts near the intersection of N. Oak St. and Silver Shield Trail Road (latitude: N38.038, longitude: W-107.681).

Dinosaur State Park, Connecticut

Connecticut’s Dinosaur State Park has just about everything a dinosaur fan could want for a day outing, including outdoor trails, an impressive museum, and a massive preserved floodplain that includes more than 2,000 dinosaur footprints. The museum has a raised walkway that crosses the floodplain, which eventually dried out, preserving the footprints of the dinosaurs who last crossed through. The footprints were made mostly in the Jurassic era and were first found in the 1960s.

Most of the floodplain has been covered to preserve the footprints for research, but a large sections is open to guests. Also available at the park are multiple exhibits on dinosaurs, a botanical garden with more than 250 species of plants from the Mesozoic Era, just like how it would have looked when dinosaurs roamed the planet. You can even make plaster casts of the dinosaur footprints to take home. It’s supposed to be for kids, sure, but it’s open to dinosaur fans of any age.

It’s open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission for adults is $6.

Dinosaur State Park: 400 West St, Rocky Hill, CT 06067

Dinosaur Ridge, Colorado

Dinosaur Ridge, near Golden, Colorado, is a place rich in prehistoric history. Researchers have found more than 300 fossilized footprints at the site, representing various dinosaur species and even an ancient crocodile. It was discovered in 1876 and is known by paleontologists as a “dinosaur freeway” for the many prints left behind — it was obviously a popular route.

Millions of years ago, the area was a muddy shore line that became a geologic time capsule, preserving very detailed prints. The exposed rock face is open to the public, with multiple tracks. The size and depth of the footprints offer clues about the dinosaurs that roamed the area, from lumbering sauropods that left oversized “brontosaur bulges” to smaller tracks left by bipedal herbivores.

There are two ways to explore this Colorado dinosaur footprint park, in addition to a self-guided tour. Visitors can take a guided tour, or step up the educational factor by exploring the tracks alongside a geologist, who will explain everything from how the valley formed to what creatures lived there, how the fossils were made, and the site’s history as part of a massive interior sea that divided North America.

While most dinosaur attractions are targeted at kids, Dinosaur Ridge has plenty of programs for adults who want to learn more about the site and its history. Dinosaur Ridge runs adult multi-day trips that visit some of the areas top paleontological sites, plus evening programs. It also has multiple lectures every month on dinosaur-adjacent topics. They’re in person, but also available on Zoom, for dinosaur fans who don’t live in Colorado. The site is also the producer of the podcast “Fossil histories and paleo mysteries.”

It’s open daily, 9 AM to 5 PM (4 PM in the winter). Admission starts at $18 for adults.

Dinosaur Ridge, Colorado: 16831 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, CO 80465

St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site, Utah

 

 

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The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site is a popular draw for dinosaur enthusiasts thanks to thousands of fossilized dinosaur footprints, preserved where they were made nearly 200 million years ago. But the footprints were on private land and were only discovered in the year 2000, when the owner was doing yard work and uncovered what turned out to be the oldest dinosaur footprint site in Utah.

There are 17 distinct tracks at the site, many of which are incredibly well preserved in detail and depth. They’re all from the Jurassic period, and include dinosaur footprints from species including dilophosaurus, a dimorphodon (similar to a pterodactyl), and a protosuchus (similar to a crocodile).

The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, with an entry fee of $10 per adult and $5 for children.

St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm: 2180 E Riverside Dr, St. George, UT 84790

Dinosaur Footprints Reservation, Massachusetts

The Dinosaur Footprints Reservation is a small wilderness area in Holyoke, Massachusetts, managed by a private organization but with assistance from the Massachusetts  Department of Conservation & Recreation. It has some of the first known dinosaur footprints in North America, found back in 1836.

The dinosaur tracks are visitors today, preserved in sandstone. They’re from the early Jurassic Period and there are hundreds of viewable footprints, all easy to access via the center’s short walk (only .2 miles long). It’s to find the dinosaur tracks, some of which were likely made by T. Rex itself. There are also fossilized plants from a similar period, as well as ripple marks from an ancient pool.

The reservation is free to visit and open daily sunrise to sunset from April 1 to the end of November. It’s closed in winter due to icy road conditions.

Dinosaur Footprints Reservation: 099 US-5, Holyoke, MA 01040

Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico

Clayton Lake State Park in northern New Mexico has one of the most extensive dinosaur trackways in North America, with more than 500 dinosaur footprints from at least eight different species. These tracks were left behind on in the mud about 100 million years ago, back when this area was part of a sandy ocean bed that dried up over time. The dinosaur footprints were found in the 1950s when they built the Clayton Lake Dam.

The largest dinosaur footprints are likely from an Iguanodon or a close relative. Some are quite small, made by dinosaurs no longer than a foot long, while some come from creatures that were likely around 30 feet long. There’s educational signage along the long walkway to help visitors imagine the prehistoric creatures that once roamed the area.

The park is open daily with no entrance fee.

Clayton Lake State Park: 141 Clayton Lake Rd, Clayton, NM 88415