Dig Cañon City’s Dinosaur History

Cañon City, Colorado is one of the most well-known fossil areas in the U.S. Packed full of prehistoric history, fossils and insight as to the creatures that roamed this region of Colorado millions of years ago.

Here are just a few of the stops to dig up a little dinosaur fun before, or after a visit to the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

Skyline Drive

Twenty minutes to or from, depending on when you visit, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Colorado lives a razorback ridge that overlooks the entire city of Cañon City, Colorado. Drive your passenger car on a road that ascends and follows the top of the ridge. Enter this one-way, paved road from US 50 on the west edge of town. Soon the landscape falls away hundreds of feet on both sides, which is just a bit hair-raising! Cañon City spreads out on both sides of you and there are pullouts to enjoy the view. Towards the top, there is an interpretive display to help you see dinosaur tracks embedded in the cliff face.

Garden Park Fossil Area

Garden Park Fossil Area near the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Cañon City, Colorado is one of the most productive and historically important locations in the United States for the study of Late Jurassic dinosaurs.

Fossil hunters and scientists from across the country have dug in Garden Park since 1877, when the nearby town of Cañon City, Colorado was still young. Important discoveries include the first complete skeleton of Allosaurus, some of the most complete Stegosaurus skeletons, as well as the first known remains of dinosaurs like Camarasaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Diplodocus.

Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center

The museum inside the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park offer a rich look into the history of the region and its people. Many of the items on display at the former Dinosaur Resource Center, which closed a few years back, now call the museum home. Enjoy an array of prehistoric related items including the well-known replica dinosaurs.

Want to Learn More About Real Dinosaur Fossils?

Needless to say, the Royal Gorge region in Cañon City, Colorado (near Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado) is one of the most robust dinosaur fossil areas in the United States.

What are you waiting for? Plan your trip to the Royal Gorge Region today, and don’t forget to book your tickets to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park while you’re here — make sure to buy your tickets online beforehand to save some money!