News Release

Have a dino-mite day this October 11 in Zion National Park!

Fossilized dinosaur track in a remote area of Zion National Park.

NPS / Grace Lilly

News Release Date: October 6, 2023

Contact: Zion News Desk, [phone]

SPRINGDALE, Utah – Observe National Fossil Day this October 11 at Zion National Park! The park will host activities and events for people of all ages to learn about paleontology inside and outside of the park.

Activities  
Join rangers and dinosaur experts to learn about some of Southern Utah’s oldest inhabitants. Visit interactive booths with real fossils, attend ranger-led talks about dinosaurs, earn your junior paleontologist badge, and collect your passport to paleontology.  Zion National Park is also pleased to host Guest Speaker Andrew R.C. Milner, site paleontologist and curator at St. George Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, for an evening program in the Watchman Campground Amphitheater. 

Schedule  
Paleo on the Plaza Join Zion National Park and partners to learn more about the paleontology of the greater Zion region! Booths featuring current research, real and model fossils, and a variety of family-friendly activities and crafts will be available all day. Pick up your Junior Ranger Paleontologist activity book to earn your badge!   

• Zion Canyon Visitor Center (Shuttle Stop #1).

• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
   

Paleo Patio Talks These 20-minute Paleo Patio Talks feature geology and paleontology of Zion National Park and surrounding areas! Join our experts to travel back in time and learn more about ancient landscapes and how they relate to our environment today.   

• Zion Canyon Visitor Center (Shuttle Stop #1). 

• 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. 
   

Guest Speaker Andrew R.C. Milner Zion National Park is excited to welcome Andrew R.C. Milner, Site Paleontologist and Curator of St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm. Join us to learn about Andrew's recent work with the National Park Service and the future of paleontology!  

• Watchman Amphitheater. 

• 8 p.m. 
   

Zion National Park preserves 200 million years of history in the rock that range from the Permian Kaibab Formation to the Cretaceous Dakota and Cedar Mountain formations. These rock layers preserve environments from ancient shallow seas to dry desert sand dunes. Life within these environments is preserved as tracks and burrows, bones and plant fossils.

This event is possible in part thanks to our partners at the Zion Forever Project, St. George Discovery Site, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Snow Canyon State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.