seaharp

Hello. I am looking to take my 13-year-old son on a 2-3 day trip. He is interested in dinosaurs so looking for a destination that would be good to explore that interest. I've searched, but would appreciate input to identify fun places that are not mostly animatronics (too young) or a ton of hiking. Someplace with a lot of artifacts, fossil dig, etc. would be great. We would be traveling from the Seattle area.
Thank you in advance for any input.
AJ

Gardyloo

Bozeman, Montana. https://museumoftherockies.org

Three non-stops daily on Alaska Airlines or a 10 hour drive. Heaven for dino lovers.

PrairieHikerI

Bozeman is only 90 minutes from Yellowstone National Park where there is the famous Lamar Valley. This is where wolves feed on elk and bison at sunrise. Bears are also around there.

Melnq8

Dinosaur National Monument, UT

https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm

Gretchen

Colorado
Denver area has Dinosaur Ridge along the southern part of Denver. The town of Morrison near Red Rocks on the outskirts of Denver.
Drive south to Woodland Park , 25 miles outside of Colorado Springs. Exhibit in the Denver Museum of Science and Indursty also.
We did these with our grands many years ago and were planning to go on to Royal Goarge.
This site lists several other areas--all very close to Denver.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/colo...saur-sites-co/

seaharp

These are helpful suggestions, thank you each for your input!

Gretchen

I will add that the Denver sites are on the southwest side of Denver and the Tech Center area of Denver has a LOT of hotels. And access to the major interstates.
Plus LOTS to do in Denver if you want to spend some time there. Interesting from the point of view of prehistoric times. Denver used to be under water--hence the footprints!!

tomfuller

To see dinosaur tracks in their natural state, visit Copper Ridge (BLM site). Turn east across RR tracks off UT 191 @ MP 148.6. 2.0 miles out to the parking area and then walk up about 200 yards. I did a geocaching Earth Cache there a few years ago. About 23 miles north of Moab UT or 8.5 miles south of I-70. Plaster casting is illegal. Use a broom to clear dust and use a bottle of water to get good contrast for a picture.

StantonHyde

Check out the "Dinosaur Diamond" in Utah/Colorado. Includes Dinosaur National Monument. The Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City is dinosaur heaven!

Gretchen

Here is a site about the small museum in Morrison just outside Denver. When we were there they had a large (huge) fossil rock that people (my grands and my adult daughter!) could dissect around a fossil bone. Then Dinosaur Ridge is ver close (2-3) miles where you can drive along the road and stop to see the tracks on the side of the ridge--there are probably 10 pull off areas.
https://www.uncovercolorado.com/acti...istory-museum/

Then in Woodland Park there is a REALLY wonderful museum with a working laboratory to watch the actual uncovering of the bones
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=...&bih=625&dpr=1

When we did the trip with our grands I had considered many of the areas that have been listed in western Colorado and Utah--and up into Wyoming. We didn't get down into Royal Gorge (had planned to) but the ability to be clsoe to Denver to fly in and out and not having to drive long distances to see a quality exhibit made our trip quite doable and memorable.

MoBro

Gretchen gives a lot of good information.

I will only add that a teenage boy is probably very interested in seeing the infamous Red Rocks amphitheater, near Morrison, and right next to some fossil sites.

DaveS

I like the above ideas, but if flying consider Calgary then relatively short drive to Drumheller. Not only is the museum there amazing, but the entire area dinosaur centric. Not sure now with the Covid, but they used to have hands on activities. https://tyrrellmuseum.com/