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Coral Pink Sand Dunes Dinosaur Tracks

After many years of gallivanting, grazing, and 4-wheeling in an area of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes about the size of a football field, all of a sudden - dinosaur tracks are seen! The BLM has recognized this very special area and has blocked off the normally traveled area to preserve the tracks of ancient reptiles that once roamed the planet we live upon.

Photo Album: Dinosaur Track Pictures
Day Hike: Yes
Distance: Half mile
Average Hiking Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy.
Trailhead: Coral Pink Sand Dunes Visitor Center
Trailend: Same as trailhead.
Trail Access: Year-round, but the dirt road could be hard to travel if there is rain or melting snow.
Off the Beaten Path: yes
Best Season: Year-round.

Directions - The new discovery tracks are easy to get to from the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Visitor Center. Set your odometer and drive 3.5 miles south on the paved road, headed toward Cane Beds. After driving 3.5 miles, turn left at the dirt road you will see at that point. Stay on the most traveled dirt and sand road (4WD required) for 2 miles until you arrive at the wooden barrier fashioned by the BLM. Park and walk into the slickrock bowl. Look for dinosaur tracks immediately after passing the fence, but the majority are found on the right side as the slickrock wash as it begins to open. If it is winter be careful of the ice that forms in the ditch just past the fence. Have fun but remember to tread lightly! Do not step upon the tracks left from millions of years past.

Track Information - The site is located on the Utah - Arizona state line on a ridge of Moccasin Mountain at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The tracks and location have lead, Alan Titus Ph.D. and GSENM Paleontologist in his preliminary report for the Moccasin Mountain Track Site, to conclude that they were made in the early Jurassic (180 - 190 million years ago) and also some of the Mesozoic Era (dinosaur age). He identified six different track types. If you visit the site you will find 6 various types. The smaller four appear to made by tridactyl theropods. The larger tracks seem to have been made by large ceratosaur carnivores similar to Dilophosaurus.

White rings - You will see the rings around some Dilophosauripus type tracks, which was caused by vandalism as amateurs attempted to mold the tracks. Treat these preserved raised-relief tracks at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes as you would a precious artifact in a museum. 

GPS Coordinates WGS84 Datum

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