Celebrating National Fossil Day in Utah
Oct 13, 2021, 2:39 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has more evidence of prehistoric life and dinosaurs than most states, so Wednesday — National Fossil Day — is a great day to celebrate one of the things that makes the Beehive State so great.
To celebrate, KSL’s Dan Spindle created a list of the best places to see fossils with fall break coming up for several school districts.
Northern Utah
- Natural History Museum of Utah (Salt Lake City)
- Eccles Dinosaur Park (Ogden)
- North American Museum of Ancient Life (Lehi)
- BYU Museum of Paleontology (Provo)
They all charge admission except for the BYU museum, but they accept donations.
Southern Utah
- Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail or the Copper Ridge Dinosaur track site (Moab)
- St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm (closed Wednesdays)
- Parowan Gap Petroglyphs
Both Moab area hikes are shorter hikes and they’re a way to see fossils outside of the museum, in the natural world.
The St. George location is a cool facility that’s affordable — $4 for children, $8 for adults.
Today is National Fossil Day! The UGS holds what is likely Utah's most spectacular dinosaur fossil block, the 9-ton Utahraptor megablock. Learn more about the Utahraptor megablock on this dedicated webpage–https://t.co/68BEMo6TMa#earthscienceweek #nationalfossilday #utahgeology pic.twitter.com/iNtA6Xdhr5
— Utah Geological (@utahgeological) October 13, 2021
Eastern Utah
- Red Fleet State Park (Vernal)
- Dinosaur National Monument (Jensen — Utah/Colorado border)
The Utah Geological Survey has an interactive guide showing dozens of track sites, museums and quarries where Utahns can see fossils and learn more about dinosaurs.