Jan 20, 2026 - News

First new fossils unearthed at Dinosaur National Monument since 1924

Esteban L. Hernandez

Five workers in yellow safety vests and helmets excavate and clean a large buried white stone artifact in a dirt trench with tools and a blue ladder nearby. — Dinosaur National Monument staff work on excavated dinosaur fossils at a parking lot. Photo: Courtesy of National Park Service/ReBecca Hunt-Foster

For the first time in over a century, Dinosaur National Monument staff have excavated fossils inside the park split between Colorado and Utah.

Why it matters: It's a reminder that one of the West's most studied prehistoric sites still holds surprises beneath its surface.

The big picture: Park staff identified the fossils on Sept. 16 during parking lot construction near the Quarry Exhibit Hall in Utah, home to the "the Wall of Bones," the National Parks Service announced this month.

The Wall of Bones displays about 1,500 dinosaur fossils encased in rock.

Zoom in: The prehistoric bones likely belong to a large, long-necked dinosaur — possibly Diplodocus — which are common in the region, per the NPS statement.

Nearly 3,000 pounds of fossil and rocks were removed during excavations completed between September and October last year.

If you go: Remains from the excavation can be viewed at the Quarry Exhibit Hall and the preparation lab at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, Utah.

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First new fossils unearthed at Dinosaur National Monument since 1924

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