Dinosaur Ridge is a hogback west of Denver, between the towns of Morrison and Golden, that beautifully exposes dinosaur-bearing rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age. Both bones and tracks of a variety of animals from the Age of Dinosaurs are visible.
Starting in 1877, many of the first and best skeletons of Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Allosaurus and other dinosaurs were excavated in 150-million-year-old rocks of the Morrison Formation on the west side of the ridge. The ensuing "bone rush" spread up and down the Front Range and throughout the central Rockies in the Morrison Formation. Dinosaur Ridge is the type locality of the Morrison Formation.
On the east side of Dinosaur Ridge are well-exposed trackways of dinosaurs, crocodilians and other animals. These occur in younger rocks (100 Ma) of the Dakota Group.
The outdoor exhibits, programs and visitor center at Dinosaur Ridge are maintained by the nonprofit Friends of Dinosaur Ridge.
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