Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks

By Dave Webb

One key attraction of the Moab/Arches area is the diversity of scenery and activities available. The mountain bike trails, jeep trails and river rapids are well known. Less famous are the dinosaur sites. I was vaguely aware that there are dinosaur tracks and bones in the area but I had never taken the time to seek them out.

A friend with me on my recent trip is a dinosaur enthusiast. When he learned we were driving right past a trackway, he insisted we stop. It proved to be a worthwhile diversion and now I’m anxious to hunt down other sites.

Brontosaurus and theropod dinosaurs or various sizes left tracks that are clearly visible on Copper Ridge, just off U.S. 191, about 23 miles north of Moab. An improved dirt road leads to the site. It is signed and so it is easy to find. Look for the road, which heads east, just north of a microwave tower that is easy to spot on the west side of Hwy. 191. The dirt road crosses the railroad tracks and winds around for about two miles before ending at the trackway.

There are interpretative signs at the Copper Ridge site, and an easy trail leading up to the tracks. Some of the tracks are huge, bigger than any others I’ve seen in Utah. They have the classic 3-toed shape but the rock has crumbled a bit and so they are not as well defined as some tracks I’ve seen.

If anyone in your party is interested in dinosaurs, it’s worth stopping at Copper Ridge. Just two miles off the highway, but most of us just fly by without realizing what we are missing.