Colorado dinosaur discovery – Supersaurus
The first bones of the Supersaurus, the largest of the giant reptiles, were discovered near Delta in 1972 by Delta rockhound Vivian Jones.
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Colorado dinosaur discovery – Brachiosaurus
The Brachiosaurus, a gigantic plant-eating dinosaur, was first described and named by paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs from a partial skeleton he recovered near Grand Junction in 1900.
Riggs Hill
Riggs Hill was the site of the 1900 discovery of the first bones of a Brachiosaurus, a plant-eating dinosaur that stood for decades as the largest of the giant reptiles.
Delta County Historical Society Museum
The Delta County Historical Society Museum has historical artifacts focused on pioneer life, but the top attraction is a collection of dinosaur bones donated by Vivian Jones, a rockhound who discovered two new species of dinosaurs in the 1970s.
Dry Mesa Quarry
The Dry Mesa Quarry was developed after Delta rockhound Vivian Jones discovered bones from what turned out to be two new dinosaurs, the Supersaurus and Torvosaurus.
Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness
Staff The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness features canyons up to 1,000 feet deep and up to 12 miles long that contain spires and windows carved out of red sandstone and pinon, juniper, cottonwood and box elder. Two highlights are the vast alcove in Mee Canyon and the arches in Rattlesnake Canyon. The sandstone canyons and monoliths resemble those in the neighboring Colorado National Monument, while the arches resemble those at…
Dinosaur Hill
At Dinosaur Hill, paleontologist Elmer Riggs discovered two-thirds of the skeleton of a 70-foot-long, 30-ton Apatosaurus in 1900.
Fruita Paleontological Area
A one-mile trail tells about the discoveries at the Fruita Paleontological Area, including the smallest known dinosaur and a crocodile from the Jurassic period.
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
Staff The McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area features sandstone canyons, arches and monoliths, three key sites for dinosaur discoveries, the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness and world-class mountain biking trails. The 123,430-acre conservation area, created in 2000, covers a stretch of the Colorado Plateau and the Colorado River west of Grand Junction and is administered by the federal Bureau of Land Management. It was named after former U.S. Rep Scott McInnis,…
Rabbit Valley Natural Area
Staff The Rabbit Valley Natural Area preserves one of the Grand Junction area’s leading quarries for dinosaur remains. It is 30 miles west of the city on Interstate 70. The site can be explored through a Trail through Time and is administered by the Museum of Western Colorado and federal Bureau of Land Management. Paleontologists continue to excavate the site. The dinosaur remains recovered from the Mygatt-Moore Quarry include the…