Utah, Green River: Fossil Point

hatchcanyon

Lancisti
Fossil Point

As the name says, the area is well known for its fossils found in Morrison Formation. To go there is the identical as going to Horse Bench:

Go from Main Street to Long Street at 12S 0572615 4316405 About .3 miles later left onto Green River Avenue, after addditional .1 miles crossing the railroad on Airport Road.. Two and a half miles to 12S 0570422 4312648 where Green River Road begins. This one is good gravel, normally suitable for all types of vehicles. Be careful on wet conditions!

Immediately after crossing Horse Bench Reservoir Dam go left (east) at 12S 0568038 4300110. There is only one spur, so you can't go wrong. Behind the dam a HC vehicle might be advisable.

We are no fossil hunters therefore I can't tell where the best point is. We were told it is there where the trail is not far away from the higher cliffs.

Pictures:

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Morrsion Formation slopes on the north side of the Trail

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The slopes/cliffs get higher to the east

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Fossil Point

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Colorful

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A view to the east

One can see the LaSal Mountains in a distance, Rainbow Rocks and The Tomstone as a landmark on the right side. The depression in foreground is Dry Lake. Not really a lake but an old shallow rincon of the Green River. To the south is another shallow rincon patially use by the San Rafael River.

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Green River. The trails ends here.

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Bright: Indian Paintbrush

Pictures from the way back to Horse Bench Reservoir:

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SmoothLC

Explorer
"The Morrison Formation is a rock unit from the Late Jurassic (155 million years ago-148 million years ago). It extends throughout the Western United States and often contains fossils of dinosaurs such as Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and others. Although the Morrison was deposited in a wide variety of environments, it is the river channels that are most likely to contain dinosaur bones. Quiet water lake and pond deposits are best for preservation of the small delicate skeletons of salamanders, frogs, lizards, and others. In order for a fossil to form, the body must be buried quickly before weather conditions and scavengers have a chance to scatter or otherwise destroy the bone." - Dinosaur National Monument
 

jjmoss99

Observer
Thanks for the information. I was wondering because my kids LOVE dinosaurs right now and would go insane if they say a dinosaur fossil.

Justin
 

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