| Length |
| 1.2 miles, one-way, from either the visitor center or the Quarry Exhibit Hall |
| Level of Difficulty |
| Moderate, some steep, uneven sections and rocky areas. Trail is extremely slippery when it is wet |
| Trailhead Location |
| You can access the Fossil Discovery Trail from either the Quarry Visitor Center or the Quarry Exhibit Hall. (Please note: The road to the Quarry Exhibit Hall is gated at 5:00 pm each evening.) |
| Your Safety |
| Be prepared for desert hiking: Take a hat, sunscreen, and water |
| Let someone know where you are going and when you are due back. |
| Wear comfortable shoes, such as hiking boots or athletic shoes. Open-toed shoes are not recommended |
| There is no shade on this trail |
| Trail can be extremely slippery when wet |
| Rules and Regulations |
| Pets are not allowed on this trail or in the monument's backcountry |
| Carry out all trash |
| Collecting artifacts, fossils, plants, or other objects is prohibited |
| Do not feed or approach wildlife |
| Trail Brochures |
| A trail brochure is available that provides a general overview of three of the significant rock layers along the trail. During the summer, rangers provided daily guided walks on the trail. See our ranger program schedule for more details. More indepth brochures are also available online for those interested in fossils or geology. Fossil enthusiasts brochure with more in depth descriptions of fossils found in rock layers available here. Geology enthusiasts brochure with more in depth descriptions of the geology of each rock formation available here. (Note: Only the general brochure is available at the Quarry Visitor Center. The Fossil and Geology enthusiast brochures are only available online). |
| Description |
| The trail cuts through several tilted rock layers which expose a variety of rocks and three fossil areas. The Morrison Formation stop features an outcropping of several small fossil fragments and a few large pieces of dinosaur bones in their natural state, just as Earl Douglass found them in 1909. The National Geographic Trails Illustrated map of Dinosaur National Monument is available from the park bookstore. |
