Most people drive US Route 89 for the scenery without realizing they are following the trail of dinosaurs as they go. Across the sun-scorched rock of Arizona and Utah, and along the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana, history’s greatest creatures roamed the shoreline of an ancient shallow sea that split North America in half. Millions of years of erosion have revealed their fossils and footprints, and road trippers on US-89 have many opportunities to see them.
WESTERN INTERIOR SEAWAY
Over 100 million years ago, the Western Interior Seaway split the continent in two from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The Great Plains were submerged beneath warm saltwater, filled with mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, giant sharks, and swarms of ammonites, while giant land-dwelling dinosaurs walked the shores. When the sea retreated around 66 million years ago, it left behind thick layers of sediment that hardened into stone. Today, it is among the most fossil-rich terrains on Earth.
Much of that ancient shoreline runs beneath the US-89 corridor today. It’s part of what makes the highway such an unlikely and remarkable window into a world most people never knew existed beneath their wheels.
WHERE TO SEE FOSSILS AND FOOTPRINTS
Sometimes the best stops on a road trip aren’t the ones on the highway signs. It would be easy to drive from border to border on US-89 and miss the many opportunities to encounter what these creatures left behind.
ARIZONA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Mesa, near Main Street, the original route of US-89
The Arizona Museum of Natural History has a mix of actual dinosaur fossils and high-quality casts. The Dinosaur Hall includes a Tarbosaurus skeleton, a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, and a Camarasaurus skeleton.
PIPE SPRING NATIONAL MONUMENT
Near Fredonia, AZ, on US-89A
Pipe Spring National Monument is a hidden gem on the Arizona Strip. Guests are often surprised to learn that there are three tridactyl (three-toed) dinosaur footprints clearly visible near one of the park’s trails. Ask a park ranger to point the way.
MOENAVE DINOSAUR TRACKS
Between US-89 and Tuba City, AZ, on the Navajo Nation
This is one of the most accessible dinosaur track sites in the Southwest. Dozens of therapod footprints dance across the ancient stone riverbed. Local Navajo people sell handcrafted jewelry and offer informal tours for a donation. The scientific accuracy of the guides varies, but they will point out tracks and a skeleton that visitors might otherwise miss. This site has no official designation or protection, so please do your part to respect and care for these delicate footprints.
GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Near Page, AZ
The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is one of the National Park Service’s most significant areas for paleontological research. Researchers have documented over three dozen track sites, but most are not accessible to casual visitors. However, there is a slab of sandstone with seven well-preserved three-toed tracks from a nearby side canyon, accessible to the public at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam, directly on US-89. The display is accessible at all times, free of charge, and visitors are welcome to touch it.
BIG WATER VISITOR CENTER
Big Water, UT
The Big Water Visitor Center serves as an information gateway for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, with an emphasis on paleontology exhibits. The building itself is shaped like an ammonite. Since 2005, fourteen new dinosaur species have been named from the monument, making it one of the most productive places in North America for discovering new species. Visitors can see real dinosaur bones, including flipper bones from marine reptiles and large ceratopsian skulls. Visitors can obtain maps of where to find dinosaur tracks here. Hours can be unpredictable, but admission is always free.
GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT
US-89 runs along its southern border between Big Water & Kanab
Most of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is accessible on dirt roads. Though well-maintained, many are impassible when wet, and many require 4WD and backcountry skills. There are some places in the park where you can see dinosaur footprints, but the best advice is to consult with a BLM ranger at the Big Water Visitor Center along US-89 or at the Cannonville Visitor Center along UT-12. It’s important to be well-prepared when visiting the area.
KANAB DINOSAUR TRACKSITE
Near Kanab, UT
Just a short distance north of Kanab is the Kanab Dinosaur Tracksite. This short trail takes hikers across slickrock to a sandstone slab with over a dozen clear footprints. Most are three-toed theropod impressions, and a few could be smaller ornithopods.
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF UTAH
Salt Lake City, UT
The Natural History Museum of Utah holds the world’s largest collection of horned dinosaur skulls. A walk down an elevated ramp showcases dozens of reconstructed dinosaur skeletons, including a Gryposaurus, a Utahraptor found in Moab, an Allosaurus (Utah’s state fossil), and a Stegosaurus from Dinosaur National Monument. What sets this museum apart is that many of the specimens on display are actual fossilized bones discovered in Utah. Visitors can even peek through a window into an active paleontology preparation lab where staff work on real specimens. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
MUSEUM OF THE ROCKIES
Bozeman, MT, just 30 minutes from Livingston
The star of the show at Museum of the Rockies is “Montana’s T. rex,” one of the most complete Tyrannosaur skeletons ever found. It’s 12 feet tall and around 40 feet long. The museum holds a total of thirteen T. rex specimens, including the largest T. rex skull ever discovered. There is an extensive Triceratops collection, showing the animal changing from hatchling to full-grown adult, Montana’s state fossil, Maiasaura, tending its nest, and a 23-foot Mosasaurus. The museum holds the largest collection of North American dinosaur fossils in the country and is a Smithsonian affiliate. It’s a working research institution with active science, not just static history.
MONTANA DINOSAUR CENTER
Bynum, MT
This is a small but mighty stop on the Montana Dinosaur Trail, a statewide network of 15 paleontological sites. The unassuming stop along US-89 has a claim to fame. It houses the first baby dinosaur bones ever found in North America. The infant Maiasaura was discovered nearby at Egg Mountains in the 1970s. It also has a skeletal model of Seismsaurus, which holds the Guinness World Record as the longest dinosaur skeleton ever displayed at 137 feet. What visitors love most about the Montana Dinosaur Center is the hands-on public dig program, where they can join an actual fossil excavation at an active research site.
