Dinosaur National Monument: Location and Fossil Treasures

Dinosaur National Monument straddles the Utah-Colorado border in the Uinta Mountains. The monument encompasses 211,000 acres (854 km²), managed by the National Park Service.

Key Locations

• Quarry Exhibit Hall (Utah side, near Jensen): World-famous "Wall of Bones"—1,500+ dinosaur fossils in situ (Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, etc.) from the Morrison Formation (Late Jurassic, ~150 Ma).
• Canyon Country (Colorado side): Remote canyons of the Green and Yampa Rivers; petroglyphs, homesteads, backcountry rafting.

Geology & Fossils

The Morrison Formation's river-deposited sands entombed dinosaurs in a logjam-like accumulation. Erosion by the Green River exposed the fossil layer, discovered in 1909 by Earl Douglass (Carnegie Museum). The quarry wall remains one of the world's most spectacular in-situ fossil displays.

Visiting

Open year-round; shuttle to Quarry in summer. Rafting the Gates of Lodore (Green River) or Yampa River offers multi-day wilderness trips. No dinosaur fossils on the Colorado side—but stunning canyon scenery.