About Us

Dinosaur Ridge is part of the Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas National Natural Landmark located just east of Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in suburban Denver. A panel of esteemed paleontologists ranked Dinosaur Ridge the top dinosaur tracksite in America, and one of the top such sites in the world.

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 by scientists living in the area who wanted to protect the fossil resources on the hogback called Dinosaur Ridge. Our mission is to educate visitors about the evolving story of Dino Ridge while advancing scientific research and fossil protection. We do this through daily guided tours, interpretive signage, an exhibit hall with trained docents, and special programs including summer camp for kids.

In May 2026 we will open a new exhibition at our building located near Entrance 1 to Red Rocks called the Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center. This new museum experience called Deep Time Detour will educate visitors about Colorado's prehistoric past with original sculptures and murals focused on five geological time zones starting 300 million years ago. Extinct plants and animals that once lived in Colorado will be artistically represented based on the latest scientific understanding of what these creatures looked like and how they lived.

Colorado's fossil record has revealed some of the world's most iconic dinosaurs and other animals including our state fossil, the Stegosaurus. Dinosaur Ridge is where the first ever bone fossils of a Stegosaurus were excavated, leading to the naming of that Jurassic herbivore. The quarry where those fossils were found still contains fragments of bones that visitors can see. On the east side in Cretaceous age rock layers, hundreds of dinosaur footprints are visible. New scientific studies are happening on Dinosaur Ridge to this day, further expanding our understanding of ancient life long before the Rocky Mountains uplifted, when Colorado had a coastline and was at times fully covered by a vast seaway.