Prehistoric life
10 top U.S. spots to find fossils and see prehistoric life
Did you ever dream of being a Paleontologist? Maybe it's not too late! In the United States, there are many places you can visit to go fossil hunting. In fact, according to the National Park Service, more than 320 species of dinosaurs have been named in our country, and most states have produced at least one fossil. But the prehistoric world was inhabited by many other species. In addition to dinosaurs, there were other animals —and plants!— that are also worth knowing about. Without further ado, here are 10 incredible destinations for fossil sightings in America.
Image: Marcio Skull
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Dinosaur State Park
The Northeast is not particularly known for its fossil sites, as most dinosaur bones are found in the West. However, Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut Valley is a singular exception.
Dinosaur State Park is a 200-million-year-old fossil trackway containing more than 2,600 dinosaur footprints. Although most have been reburied for preservation, this park is worth a visit to see the tracks that have been left on display. In addition to experiencing the Mesozoic era, you can also enjoy nature trails, an interactive museum, an arboretum, and picnic areas.
Image: Steppinstars
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Badlands National Park
South Dakota is home to some of the most remarkable fossils ever discovered, and Badlands National Park, in particular, has been a fossil-rich reservoir for centuries. In fact, the Oglala Lakota people had been finding prehistoric remains long before paleontology was a formal discipline.
The park protects an exposed area of thousands of ancient fossil specimens. From large mammalian brontotheres to reptilian mosasaurs that swam in the ancient seas that gave way to the Badlands, there is a lot to explore here.
Image: kkorvin
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Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
A site with more than 12,000 bones from at least 70 different ancient animals, including lots of carnivorous dinosaurs? Sign me up!
But that's not all the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Utah has to offer. For freshwater animal enthusiasts, there are also fossilized clam beds to discover. If you want to visit, just keep in mind this park is open seasonally, April through October.
Image: Danny Grizzle
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La Brea Tar Pits
Los Angeles is much more than just Hollywood. La Brea Tar Pits is located right in the heart of the most populous city in California, yet it remains one of the most important fossil sites in the country.
Hours of scientific work and hundreds of excavations have yielded millions of Pleistocene fossils that are now open to the public. From mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and giant mastodons to the tiny feet of Ice Age woodpeckers, you can learn a lot about prehistoric life at La Brea Tar Pits. Not bad, don't you think?
Image: Brian Wangenheim
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Petrified Forest National Park
If you ever visit Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is worth a detour. Known for its Triassic fossils, this park seems to be frozen in time, as the world was more than 200 million years ago.
In addition to petrified trees and ancient fossilized plants and animals spread in an area of about 346 square miles, Petrified Forest National Park is also home to some interesting living inhabitants that today must survive in the harsh desert climate.
Image: Joseph Corl
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Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument on the border between Colorado and Utah houses about 1,500 dinosaur bones from some of the most iconic species. Remains of Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus are included among the residents of the 150-million-year-old site.
Originally preserved in 1915, in this famous dinosaur quarry, you can also see several petroglyphs and pictograph panels made by the Fremont people who lived in the area from approximately 300-1300 Common Era (CE).
Image: Zachary
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Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
The prehistoric world is much more than just mammoths and dinosaurs. 14-foot-wide petrified sequoias and thousands of insect and plant fossils await you at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument near Colorado Springs.
These tiny organisms, approximately 34 million years old, are just as important as the enormous Tyrannosaurus rex. Although this is a lesser-known park, it is totally worth visiting. Pro tip: In the summer, you can explore the site that serves as a fossil laboratory.
Image: Michael Dziedzic
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Dinosaur Valley State Park
Did you know that the area near Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas was once an ancient ocean? Around 113 million years ago, dinosaurs, such as theropods and sauropods, walked their shores.
Set astride the Paluxy River, today this area is protected by the Dinosaur Valley State Park. The fossil traces here are sometimes submerged, but on dry days they can be clearly seen and are an impressive testimony of what the Earth was like in prehistoric times.
Image: adolfo-atm
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The Mammoth Site
The Mammoth Site was established in the mid-1970s after a construction worker had unearthed rare bones in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The remains found turned out to be a mammoth tooth, which was soon followed by other fossils.
Today, the site serves as a museum and active paleontological excavation site. So far, a total of 61 North American Columbian and woolly mammoths have been found here.
Image: Jonathan Cooper
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Fossil Butte National Monument
In the ridges of southwest Wyoming is Fossil Butte National Monument, a park that preserves the best paleontological record of Cenozoic aquatic communities. This sort of aquarium, carved in stone, has more than 2000 fossils of thousands of species of plants and animals, such as fish, insects, reptiles, birds, bats, and even tiny horses that lived around a freshwater lake millions of years ago.
With plenty of hiking trails, wildlife, and scenery, this unique park is definitely worth visiting.
Image: Jacqueline Martinez
