May 27, 2025 - News

Utah's newest state park roars to life

Kim Bojórquez

A Utah fossil display. — Utahraptor State Park visitor center. Courtesy: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Outdoor enthusiasts have a reason to head to Grand County — and no, it's not just Arches National Park.

Driving the news: Located about 15 miles northwest of Moab, Utahraptor State Park opened last week, featuring a campground, visitor center and mountain biking trails.

The intrigue: The 46th state park is named after one of the state's most famous dinosaurs, the Utahraptor.

The carnivorous dinosaur is known for inspiring the vicious velociraptors seen in "Jurassic Park."
The deadly hunter's fossils have been found in Dalton Wells Quarry and Gaston Quarry in Grand County. Dalton Wells is home to "one of the largest dinosaur bone beds in North America," per Visit Utah.

Catch up quick: Lawmakers authorized the new state park in 2021.

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Utah's newest state park roars to life

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