Colorado Fossils
Here are a few places to view Colorado fossils:Dinosaur Ridge Trail, also called the Dinosaur Highway, has been declared both a National Natural Landmark and a Colorado Natural Area. Dinosaur Ridge Trail is located on West Alameda Parkway in Morrison, between County Road 93 and Rooney Road North. This is just about a 25 minute drive from Downtown Denver. 15 sites are sprinkled along this 1.5-mile trail including attention-grabbing rock sites and fossil sites. Scenic overlooks are also scattered here, such as at the top of the trail where Red Rocks Amphitheater is in sight.
The Dinosaur Ridge Bone Quarry is one of the sites you can stop at on the Dinosaur Highway. It was discovered in 1877 and is where the world’s first Stegosaurus was found. This location allows visitors to view and touch the exposed dinosaur bones. Most of the bones that you can see are either from Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus. 
The Dinosaur Tracksite is another stopping point on this historic trail. It was accidentally revealed in 1937 when West Alameda Parkway was being built to provide access to Red Rocks Park. Here over 300 fossilized dinosaur tracks can be seen in sandstone. Periodically volunteers will go out with charcoal to make them easier to view.The dinosaur tracks are the best part about Dinosaur Ridge, but there are also many bones, fossils, and imprints left by plants and insects.
Morrison Natural History Museum is at 501 Colorado Highway 8 in south Morrison. This 3,000 square foot museum features fossils from the first Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus that were ever found. Tickets are $5 for adults.
Triceratops Trail at Parfet Prehistoric Preserve is a half mile gravel hiking trail in Golden, Colorado (just one block east of 19th Street and 6th Avenue). The tracks here are only about 68 millions years old, compared to Dinosaur Ridge’s fossils dating at about 100 millions years old. Footprints can be seen from four different dinosaurs, a mammal, 2 types of birds, and a beetle. The first ever track from a Triceratops was found here.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, 2 hours southwest of Denver or 45 minutes from Colorado Springs, is 6,000 acres of some of the most abundant and diverse fossil deposits in the world-- almost 1,700 species, including some of the largest petrified trees ever found. It’s recommended to allow at least 1.5 hours for your visit to Florissant Fossil Beds in order to get the full experience. Entrance is only $3 for those 16 and older.
Garden Park Fossil Area is located just six miles north of Canon City. For over 120 years, Colorado fossils of large dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs, and dinosaur tracks have been discovered at this National Natural Landmark. Activities for visitors include hiking, wildlife viewing, scenic drives and of course fossil viewing. Fossils of Colorado dinosaurs such as Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, and Allosaurus are just some of the species that can be seen at Marsh Quarry. The world’s most complete Stegosaurus was found here. There is no fee for entry.
Dinosaur Depot Museum is located in Canon City. It has many fossils on display that were originally found in Garden Park Fossil Area. Entry is Adult/$4, Child/$2. This is a great place to learn about dinosaurs in Colorado.
Dinosaur National Monument is located at Dinosaur, CO in western Colorado on the Colorado/Utah border. This place is known not only for its Colorado fossil finds, but also for its petroglyphs (prehistoric rock carvings) and exquisite river canyons. Many visitors opt to stay overnight at one of the many campgrounds to further explore the park.
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