Friends Of Dinosaur Ridge

Dinosaur Ridge is a National Natural Landmark located just west of suburban Denver, Colorado on Jefferson County Open Space land. An esteemed panel of paleontologists ranked Dinosaur Ridge the #1 track site in the U.S. for the quality and quantity of fossils, and because of the easy accessibility for viewing. This location is the site of the first Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Apatosaurus discoveries made during the so-called Bone Wars of the late 1800s. Open 362 days per year, visitors can take a self-guided walking tour marked by interpretive signs, listen to an audio tour, or take a 45-minute guided bus tour along the Dinosaur Ridge Trail. The closed-to-traffic paved trail also attracts bicyclists year-round during good weather. Round trip, the trail is just over 2 miles and features more than 300 dinosaur tracks embedded within 15 fossil and geological sites. A Visitors Center includes a gift shop and exhibit hall, and a second Discovery Center also displays museum items and offers souvenirs. Friends of Dinosaur Ridge is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1989 to manage efforts to protect and preserve the historical artifacts along Dinosaur Ridge, as they are in their natural settings, and to educate the public about the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and crocodiles that lived in the area more than 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous and Jurassic time periods. Nearly 250,000 people visit Dinosaur Ridge each year, some participating in the numerous educational programs offered by staff and volunteers. Children's Summer Camps, Walks with Geologists, Adult Field Trips, Lecture Series, and most recently Remote Learning opportunities.