Dinosaur Ridge

One of the great things about living in Colorado is the many historical locations that are available to visit. To most people, early Colorado history means gold mines or frontier towns. Today I want to write about a place that is literally filled with ancient history called Dinosaur Ridge. This natural landmark located near Morrison, Colorado features real Jurassic dinosaur bones and footprints.

Early History

• The first discovery of bones was in in 1877 by Arthur Lakes, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.
• While constructing Alameda Parkway in 1937 workers also discovered hundreds of dinosaur footprints. 
• Up until 1973, the area was not managed. People would remove the bones as souvenirs. That all changed in 1973 when the area was recognized as having historical significance by the National Park Service and was designated as a National Natural Landmark. The State of Colorado has also named the area a Colorado Natural Area. 
• The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge organization was formed in 1989 to work for the preservation of the site and offers educational programs. 

Location

Dinosaur Ridge consists of two locations-the Main Visitor Center Complex and the Discovery Center Location.

Main Visitor Center Complex Location

Located at 16831 W. Alameda Parkway is the Main Visitor Center Complex. This is where you should begin your visit to Dinosaur Ridge.

At the Main Visitor Center you will find:

• Benton Seaway Box- a hands on experience where you can uncover dinosaur bones and try your hand at Sluice Mining.
• Exhibits such as Trek Through Time’s paleo-murals as well see Triceratops skull, T-rex teeth, thumb spikes, and displays of fossils and bones.
• The Main Gift Shop where you can purchase shuttle bus or Trek through Time tickets as well as souvenirs and snacks. 
• The Stegosaurus Snack Shack with items such as granola bars and water. 

Discovery Center Location

At 17681 W. Alameda Parkway is the Discovery Center and the start of Dinosaur Ridge Trail. Located on a 1.1-mile section of West Alameda Parkway the Trail is open to pedestrians, bicyclists, and hikes but is closed to through traffic. More than 15 fossil and geologic sites are located on the Trail.

During the months of May through October, free outdoor events called Dinosaur Discovery Days are open to the public. They are held monthly at Dinosaur Ridge on either the second or third Saturday of the month.

Doesn’t Dinosaur Ridge sound like a fun and educational place to spend some time exploring the past?