Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail

Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite preserves one of the most accessible collections of dinosaur tracks in the Moab area -- real footprints left 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period, now exposed in rock along a short boardwalk trail. Managed by the BLM, the site is free, uncrowded, and takes about 30 minutes to visit -- a perfect complement to Moab's larger attractions.

The boardwalk trail passes dozens of tracks from multiple dinosaur species. Three-toed theropod tracks (meat-eating dinosaurs like Allosaurus) are the most common and easiest to identify. Larger, rounder tracks from sauropods (long-necked plant-eaters) are also visible.

Interpretive signs at each major trackway explain the species, how scientists identified the maker, and what the tracks reveal about dinosaur behavior.

The tracks are preserved in the Morrison Formation, the same rock layer that has produced dinosaur fossils across the American West. The tracks were made when this area was a river floodplain -- dinosaurs walked through mud that hardened into stone over millions of years. Erosion has now exposed the tracks at the surface.

The site is 15 miles north of Moab on a dirt road off Highway 191. The access road is unpaved but generally passable by regular cars in dry conditions. A small parking area and the boardwalk are the only facilities -- no restrooms, no water, no shade.

For families, Mill Canyon works best as a 30-minute stop combined with other Moab activities. The road to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point (State Route 313) turns off nearby, making it a logical first stop on that drive. Moab Giants dinosaur park is 10 minutes south on the same highway.

A dinosaur-themed morning combining Mill Canyon tracks, Moab Giants, and the drive to Dead Horse Point fills a satisfying half-day.