Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry

The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry contains more Jurassic dinosaur bones from 150 million years ago per cubic foot than have been reported anywhere else in the world.

An allosaurus dinosaur on display in the Cleveland Llyod Museum

South of Wellington Utah, reached by a 40-minute drive on mostly dirt roads is a dinosaur quarry you’ve likely never heard of but is known worldwide if you are a paleontologist (A person who studies dinosaurs).

It is worth the trip if you like dinosaurs and are traveling in the area to stop here to see the displays, bones, and quarry exhibits. There is also a walking path you can explore leading you around the digging areas.

There is a separate building a short distance from the main building that houses an actual quarry dig where you can see the bones that have been uncovered.

Two interesting facts about the quarry

According to the descriptions from the displays, more than 12,000 bones from 70 different animals have been excavated at the quarry and are now in exhibits all over the world.

Another unique feature is that the Allosaurus makes up over two-thirds of the dinosaurs found at the quarry. Many of the specimens are juvenile and adolescent Allosaurs and the sheer number has given researchers an unprecedented opportunity to do an in-depth study of the species as a whole rather than just an individual dinosaur.

History of the quarry

Back in the 1920s local cowboys discovered large black bones that clearly were not the bones of their livestock. Eventually, University of Utah geologists investigated the area in 1928 and unearthed about 500 bones.

The sights’ reputation grew and ten years later paleontologists from Princeton University came to excavate bones for their museum exhibits. Today researchers from all over the world come here to study and help with excavations.

Website

https://www.blm.gov/visit/cleveland-lloyd-dinosaur-quarry

Getting there

From Wellington follow S 100E South for 6 miles
Take a left onto North Marsing and continue for 9 miles to the Y and bear left, you should see signs for the quarry to follow.
Continue South for 1.5 miles and take your next right onto Dinosaur Quarry & Flat Top road, continuing 6 miles to the quarry.

Parking ( 39.322785, -110.687664 )

Parking lot in front of the main building

Hours

10am-5pm Thurs-Sunday, March 31 until October 30

Cost
$5.00

Notes

There is a self-guided walk that takes you on a 1.5-mile loop to different sites on the property
You can also visit the Humbug overlook nearby

Humbug Overlook

From the Dinosaur Quarry parking area, head back down the road the way you came for 1 mile then turn left at ( 39.314397, -110.700071 ) and follow the signs and stick to the main road about 5.6 miles until you come to the dead end turn around and the overlook at ( 39.281108, -110.635430 )

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