Dinosaur National Monument
When I visited Dinosaur National Monument, I couldn’t help but think of all the young boys who come into our office talking about dinosaurs. They know the names and, and to them, dinosaurs are larger than life. Standing inside this monument, I realized how unforgettable it would be for them to see the real thing.
The monument was established in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson to protect the remarkable fossil deposit discovered in 1909 by paleontologist Earl Douglass. Originally, the protected area focused on the quarry itself. In 1938, the boundaries were expanded to include the surrounding canyon, preserving not only the fossils and the dramatic river landscapes.
The heart of the monument is the Quarry Exhibit Hall where a massive rock wall holds more than 1,500 visible dinosaur fossils still embedded in stone. These remains date back about 145-150 million years to the late Jurassic Period, when this area was a floodplain with rivers, swaps and lush vegetation.
Among the dinosaurs found here are: Allosaurus, Apatosaurus Diplodocus, Stegosaurus and Camarasaurus.
What makes this site unique is that many of the bones remain in the original rock layer where they were discovered. Visitors are not simply viewing reconstructed skeletons; they are seeing fossils preserved in their geological context.
Dinosaur National Monument is not just a fossil site. It is a preserved chapter of earth’s history safeguarded so future generations can stand face to face with time.
Read More From Nancy
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Carved into the granite face of the Black Hills are the towering likenesses of four of our presidential leaders. Visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a ceremonial experience. Upon approaching the site, we walked the Avenue of Flags, with flags representing all U.S. states and territories. This walk takes us to the overlook where the […]
Grand Teton National Park
We chose to stay in the lodge within the Grand Teton National Park to be present for the light throughout the day. In the Tetons, the light brushes the snow-capped peaks with soft pinks and golds in the morning with blue and silvers in the evening. There is no way I could choose which national park […]
Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument
A visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is a powerful reminder that history depends on whose story is being told. Located near Crow Agency, Montana, the battlefield preserves the site where one of the most famous encounters of the American West took place. On June 25 and 26, 1876, Lt Colonel George Armstrong Custer […]
