Free tours open at one of the nation’s largest dinosaur quarries — located right here in Utah
HANKSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) — This spring, delve into prehistoric wonders with a free tour of where dinosaurs once roamed — right here in Utah.
The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry is opening for free guided tours during the weeks of May 13, May 20, June 3, June 10, and June 17. Tours will run Monday-Friday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., and on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., weather permitting.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, knowledgeable and seasoned staff will be leading the tours, sharing insights into the geology, paleontology, and distinctive features of the Late Jurassic period in Utah.
Richfield Field Office Manager David Mortensen called the quarry a “unique window” into the lives of dinosaurs that once walked this region.
The quarry, located about 10 miles northwest of Hanksville and 30 minutes from Highway 24, is best accessed by high-clearance vehicles because of rugged road conditions, the BLM said.
About the quarry
The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry is reportedly one of the largest dinosaur quarries in the U.S.
A minimum of 15 different dinosaur remains have been preserved there, with several different taxa. The most prevalent fossils include the longneck sauropod dinosaurs, primarily Diplodocus.
Three other species of sauropod have also been found at the quarry, including Apatosaurus, Barosarus, and Camarasaurus. The theropod dinosaur, Allosaurus, has also been found, as well as the small ornithopod Dryosaurus and the armored dinosaur, Mymoorapelta, the quarry’s website states.
In total, more than 1,000 bones have been removed from the quarry, and just as many are said to remain in the ground, waiting to be uncovered.
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