Digging for dinos: Free Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry tours

Paleontologists excavate at the Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry, Hanksville, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, St. George News

HANKSVILLE – The Bureau of Land Management-Utah Henry Mountain Field Station is partnering with the Burpee Museum of Rockford, Illinois, to conduct free guided tours at the Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry. Daily tours for the public began May 29 and continue through June 7. No tours will be offered on Sunday, June 1.

Paleontologists from the Burpee Museum will lead daily tours, talk about current and past excavations and answer dinosaur questions. Three 45-minute tours will be offered every day at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Groups are limited to 25 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours will only be conducted in favorable weather. Brochures and informational pamphlets are available onsite and may also be used for self-guided tours.

This summer marks the seventh season that BLM-Utah and the Burpee Museum have partnered to excavate the site. These excavations support long-term research initiatives, provide public interpretive access and deliver educational and recreational opportunities.

The Hanksville-Burpee dinosaur quarry site is approximately 145 million to 150 million years old. Located in a preserved river channel, the quarry contains the fossilized remains of multiple dinosaur skeletons, animal burrows and large petrified tree trunks. To date, the quarry has yielded long-necked sauropods, carnivorous dinosaurs and an herbivorous stegosaurus.

The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry site is located approximately 10 miles northwest of Hanksville, Utah, and is about a 30-minute drive on Highway 24. High clearance vehicles are recommended as the road into the quarry is not maintained for passenger cars.

Submitted by BLM-Utah

Event details

  • When: Daily through June 7, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; no tours June 1
  • Where: Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry, 10 miles northwest of Hanksville
  • Admission: Free
  • Contact: More specific directions and other information are available at the BLM-Utah field station in Hanksville, 380 South 100 West, online or by calling 435-542-3461

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