Dinosaur Tracks + Petroglyphs

The dinosaur tracks and Native American rock art located near Poison Spider Trailhead is a great stop for those exploring along Utah Scenic Byway 279. A short but steep trail takes visitors up a rocky hillside where two rock slabs with dinosaur tracks can be seen, as well as a wall with a good collection of petroglyphs.

The dinosaur tracks seen here were made by three-toed meat-eating dinosaurs. This area was once a vast sand dune sea, known as an erg. These tracks would have been found along the edge of a lake that sat in between dunes. As the wind would blow across the dunes these tracks were gently buried in shifting sand and therefore preserved. The slabs that feature these dinosaur tracks fell from the sandstone cliffs above and thus revealed the preserved tracks.

The trail switchbacks up the hill before following alongside the petroglyph wall and then descending back to the parking lot. Please use caution as there are a few steep areas where small children should be supervised. Also note that the trail can be hard to follow in areas.