Jurassic National Monument closes for the season on November 1, 2026, and the BLM says its Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry dig site is temporarily closed for construction. The visitor center, its exhibits and the trails are open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until then. If you want the full experience, including the quarry building over the bone bed, plan for spring 2027.
The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite north of Moab has no such problem. The BLM says it is free and open year-round, with more than 200 dinosaur footprints along a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk.
Together they make a two-stop dinosaur weekend that tells you something the indoor museums cannot: where the bones were found, and where the animals walked.
The quarry: what is there
The BLM's description of the Cleveland-Lloyd quarry is hard to beat:
- Over 12,000 fossils from at least 74 individual animals, one of the densest concentrations of Jurassic dinosaur bones ever found.
- More than 75 percent of the bones come from predators, mostly Allosaurus fragilis, with over 46 individuals identified. That is backward from how ecosystems usually work, where plant-eaters outnumber meat-eaters.
- The mystery. Why so many carnivores in one spot? How did they all end up here? The BLM says that despite decades of research, "the full story behind the quarry remains a mystery." The visitor center exhibits walk through the competing theories.
At the site (BLM):
- A visitor center with over 2,000 square feet of exhibits: an Allosaurus skeleton mount, bone bed maps, replica skulls and the excavation history.
- Two observation platforms inside the quarry building (currently closed for construction).
- A short accessible trail with Allosaurus and Stegosaurus sculptures.
- The Jurassic Journey Trail, a 1.5-mile loop with steeper grades and 10 interpretive panels.
- The Cretaceous Climb, a steep trail ending at a view from Raptor Point.
- Vault toilets and sheltered picnic tables. No potable water. Leashed pets are allowed outdoors.
- A Junior Ranger book; ask at the desk.
Fees: the BLM says it honors and issues all America the Beautiful passes, but the monument page does not list the entrance fee amount. Bring your pass if you have one. Our Vernal guide explains when an annual pass pays for itself for a Utah Valley family.
Getting to the quarry
Provo to Price: about 76 miles and an hour and 40 minutes by OSRM (OpenStreetMap data, no traffic), up Spanish Fork Canyon on US-6 and over Soldier Summit. Our Nine Mile Canyon, Helper and Price guide covers that drive and the towns.
Price to the quarry: the BLM says about 30 miles south of Price (or 22 miles east of Huntington). The last 11 miles are graded gravel, or 17 miles if you come from Wellington. Recreation.gov's listing says the turnoff for Cleveland and Elmo is about 12 miles south of Price on State Route 10, signed with a painted allosaur.
The road: the BLM says it is suitable for most vehicles in normal conditions, though bumpy in places. Avoid it in heavy rain. Signs mark every intersection, "but some are small." There is no cell service, and the BLM's own page jokes that the drive "is just long enough to make you wonder if you've taken a wrong turn."
OSRM's full Provo-to-quarry estimate is about 104 miles and three hours, and that includes slow assumed speeds on the gravel. Treat three hours each way as the planning number.
Be prepared: the BLM calls the northern San Rafael Swell "very remote" with no easy access to gas, food, hospitals or repairs. Bring a map, a full tank, water and a weather report, and do not park in washes.
The Mill Canyon tracks
The BLM's Mill Canyon site has two parts:
The tracksite. Discovered in 2009, it preserves more than 200 footprints in Early Cretaceous mudstone of the Cedar Mountain Formation, about 112 million years old. The BLM lists theropods, sauropods, ornithopods, ankylosaurs, birds and even crocodilians. A short wheelchair-accessible boardwalk with interpretive signs runs over and beside the tracks.
The Bone Trail. About a mile farther down the road, a self-guided path passes dinosaur bones still in the rock, from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, about 150 million years old, including Allosaurus and Camarasaurus. The BLM says it crosses slickrock and uneven ground and is generally not wheelchair accessible.
Practical details (BLM):
- Free, open year-round.
- Directions: from Moab, north on US-191 about 15 miles, left on Mill Canyon Road just north of mile marker 141, across the railroad tracks, 0.6 miles to the tracksite. For the Bone Trail, continue about 1 mile and turn right at the Y.
- Gravel parking, fine for most cars; high clearance helps when wet.
- No water, limited cell service.
- Leashed pets allowed, but keep them off tracks and fossils.
- Little shade. In summer, go early or late. Late October is comfortable.
- Camping at Courthouse Rock Campground at the trailhead (fee).
Distance from Provo: about 176 miles and three hours and 40 minutes by OSRM, via US-6 and US-191.
Two ways to do it
The two-day loop (best):
- Day 1 (a Thursday to Sunday): Provo to Price. Stop at the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price, which Utah.com lists among the museums displaying skeletons from the quarry, then drive to Jurassic National Monument for the afternoon. Sleep in Price or continue to Green River.
- Day 2: Mill Canyon in the morning, before the slickrock heats up, then Moab, or straight home up US-191 and US-6. OSRM estimates the quarry-to-Mill Canyon drive at about 123 miles.
The quarry-only day: Provo to the quarry and back is about six hours of driving by OSRM's estimate, plus the visit. Good for a dinosaur-obsessed kid on a Saturday, and the Prehistoric Museum in Price makes a natural second stop.
Timing right now: with the November 1 closure, late October gives you only a couple of Thursday-to-Sunday windows, and the quarry building is closed regardless. If the bone bed itself is the goal, wait for the BLM's spring 2027 reopening notice.
Which dinosaur trip is right for you
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| Mounted skeletons, any day, close to home | Utah Valley dinosaur museums |
| A wall of bones still in the rock | Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal |
| The Allosaurus mystery and a working quarry | Jurassic National Monument |
| Footprints you can walk beside, free, year-round | Mill Canyon |
Our Moab guide covers Arches, Canyonlands and the rest of the area if you stay the night, and Goblin Valley is another San Rafael Swell stop if you have a third day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry the same as Jurassic National Monument?
When does Jurassic National Monument close for the season?
Can you see the bone bed right now?
How far is the quarry from Provo?
Does Jurassic National Monument charge a fee?
Where are the Mill Canyon dinosaur tracks?
Is Mill Canyon free?
Can you do the quarry and Mill Canyon in one day from Provo?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Jurassic National Monument and Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, Bureau of Land Management, Utah. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, Recreation.gov. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Mill Canyon Dinosaur Bone and Track Interpretive Sites, Bureau of Land Management, Utah. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Jurassic National Monument at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, Utah.com. Checked October 20, 2026.
- OSRM route service (OpenStreetMap data), driving estimates from Center St & University Ave, Provo, Project OSRM. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Google Places listings (coordinates, addresses, hours), Google. Checked October 20, 2026.
