I would've given this place a better review if it weren't aimed at quite such a young audience and they had a better setup. TOTALLY worth seeing the tracks! They're AMAZING! Just don't expect much out of the rest of the experience if you're older than 12. Especially if you have more than a cursory knowledge of paleontology. read more

This place is a great short trip for the family. Short hiking trails that equate to about 3mi round trip, cheap museum entry and friendly staff. There is a bus available to tour the trails for a small entry fee as well. read more

Dinosaur Ridge - Museums Near Me - Morrison, Colorado

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This is a nice place to walk around if it's nice out and you happen to be in the area looking for something to do over an hour or so. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. It's a paved road with a lot of theories along the way finally culminating with some bones in the rocks. It is pretty underwhelming, to be honest, but it's worth the walk if you have the time. read more

So cool! Right next to red rocks, this "trail" was such a great trip. Finding it was a little difficult but once you do there are footprints and fossils and guided signs along the way. Parking and walking up is free and it's well paved. I'm in my 20s and this was awesome. Kids who love anything vaguely dinosaur should LOVE this! read more

Unknowingly, we visited on a day the Girl Scouts were having an event. It was pretty great! They had extra experts and volunteers to talk about the prints and rock formations. Very cool place to visit for anyone who likes dinosaurs. read more

Dinosaur Ridge - You can go up and touch the dinosaur footprints! Amazing! - Museums Near Me - Morrison, Colorado

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This was a blast! While it really is a decent walk, the sedimentary stone with actual dinosaur footprints fossilized was amazing. My son is VERY into dinosaurs right now, mind you, so sharing this with him kicked it up to five stars for me. read more

As far as attractions go, this one is just fine. There's not a ton going on so only go if you've got lots of time & you're just looking for another activity to fill it. That being said, rent the e-bike! We did and it saved our visit. We had so much fun cycling up and down the giant hill. Walking would have been a nightmare and the shuttle would probably be a waste. You'll only need to rent for one hour, and that will be too long but the e-bike is definitely the way to go. read more

I brought my kids (age 1, 3, 5) here while vacationing in Colorado, in part because it was listed as free in the in-room magazine. Free it is not. I paid admission to the tiny exhibit hall, although my kids spent a total 3 minutes in there. I then paid admission again to take the guided bus tour up the ridge. The kids enjoyed themselves, although they were a bit young to care about the information shared by our guide, Sue. She was very good natured and amended the tour to the children's wants. I found the tour information quite interesting. The highlight for my kids was a gravel pit with "fossils" for them to dig around and uncover. At the end of the day, I was glad to have stopped here. Not sure I would bring them back in future unless they became truly interested in dinosaurs, though. read more

A lot of fun for all ages. About 2 miles round trip. I agree with others that it's a little frustrating that the walking area is more catered to cyclists then walkers. Walkers share roadway with the tour guides. Gift shop is cute and not over priced and staff was very friendly! read more

My friend and I did the walk in under an hour. We didn't pay for a guide or do the self guided tour. It was easy enough to navigate ourselves. It's 2 miles total since it's not a loop. Mostly uphill walking so just beware. It was very cool! read more

This is quite possibly the most random adorably awesome thing that I've encountered during my cross-country road trip. I'm not even sure how we came across this. I think we might have saw a sign while driving and just decided to check it out. It was so not what we were expecting. As city folk, our first impression was "WTF?!", our second reaction -- take hella pictures. There were several very adorable dinosaur statues painted out front in different outfits, my two favorites being the Girl Scouts cookie-themed one and the patriotic Uncle Sam one. That was it for us. We were there for all of five minutes, literally just passing through on a cross country road trip. We didn't notice, and thus didn't go on, the hiking trail that was mentioned. Not that we had time anyways, though it sounds cute. This isn't something to go out of the way to check out, but if you happen to be in the area -- hey, why not? read more

Awesome and beautiful site. Learned a lot and had a few laughs with the tour guides. Highly recommend. Affordable, fun, gorgeous and good vibes read more

Enjoyed our hike and the dinosaur footprints and bones. Underwhelmed by the refreshments though. Need to serve tasty beers like Civil Life Dinosaur Park in St Louis does with E.S.B. and Carlbock. read more

Dinosaurs tracks, hiking, mountain biking, amazing views like red rocks, and it's all free, or $4 to get the official tour. Either way a great way to spend the day. read more

This is a really fun place to come with kids that are walking age. They have a chance to take a nice long walk and go see some dinosaur tracks as well as some dinosaur bones if they're up for it! Of course there's always the tour bus as well so it makes it easy to be able to see all the sites and have a fun time without getting too tired. The gift shop is nice and it has lots of distracting and entertaining things for the kids to look at and play with. It seems like the staff is a hodgepodge of some folks who love being there and some folks who can't imagine standing another minute of it. But the ones who love being there make it totally worth it! I would definitely recommend coming with the expectation of taking a nice long walk with your family. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours together! read more

Beautiful views. Great place for a family fun day filled with hiking, artifacts, and a picnic lunch. It's kind of a one time and done thing. Still a must see. read more

Great thing to do with the kids. The bus tour is great; short enough for little ones and very informative. Friendly staff on the bus and only $2 for adults (kids free) for a mini museum (behind the gift shop) that allows them to touch whatever they want! Just loved our little trip. Finished it off with a mini lunch picnic (we brought), right next to the big dinosaur model. Pretty cool. Highly recommended. Decent prices and had a blast with my 6 yr old and 3 yr old. read more

Dinosaur Ridge - Dinosaur Ridge informational sign - Museums Near Me - Morrison, Colorado

My 4yrold daughter, husband and I come here every other month or so. We love it, and repeatedly pay the $2 "museum" admission charge plus donations to help them keep going. The good: it's accessible, can be free if you don't go in the museum or take the shuttle, it is educational, it is something active to do, the volunteers in the museum are amazing and knowledgeable. The bad: I think people don't realize it just used to be a road we all drove on back in the day that was sectioned off to help preserve what is left. So yeah it is small, it's not really a "hike" (it's walking on the old road), and it's not really a full museum like DN&S. The sad: Today I watched three kids under 10ish climb around the shale area where 150millionyrold fish fossils are. Then watched in horror as the older girl was picking up some shale pieces and just dropping them everywhere breaking them. Next to a sign asking people not to and reminding them it's illegal. Unfortunately, the volunteer in the gift shop I talked to later says this is becoming more and more common. I hope they someday have the resources to combat this type of destruction before it's too late. Until then we will just keep donating and loving it for what it is! read more

Beautiful short hiking trail perfect for a family if you don't want want a intense inclined hike. There is alot too look at such as dinosaur fossils and volcanic ash in the rocks. Great if your interested in geology. And there is a visitor center where you can get more information. read more

Got lost at first, took the lyft from downtown Denver and driver just followed gps. Good thing there was a group with the tour guide and explained, was kind enough to give us a ride to the center. When we got there, was greeted nicely and went with the tour which was really awesome and informative. Thanks to the coors field tour guide for mentioning about the dino mascot Dinger's history, I was about to scratch this off my list of things to do in Denve! lol read more

This was an amazing adventure. Our tour guide Dino Dan was very knowledgeable and passionate about the grounds and the history. He was more than willing to interact and answer questions, as well as give in-depth explanations and a better understanding of what the area looked like one-hundred million years ago. It was fascinating! read more

Dinosaur Ridge - Museums Near Me - Morrison, Colorado

Great place to bring the kids! One of the top 10 things to do in Denver per Google. If you take the bus it's six dollars if you take the 1.2 mile each way hike it's FREE! If your kids are into dinosaurs and you're into a little hiking, it fits the best of both worlds. read more

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Dino Dan was a great guide. Very knowledgeable geologist. It was so neat to see the prints and the bones! Great little gift shop too

We went here for a free self-guided walking tour but was told that they have the $8 tours and the exhibit hall was included in that. There was no mention of where the trail started. The guy seemed relieved when we left, like we were bothering him. I didn't see signs to start our trail and the information on the website was lacking. We won't be returning. read more

It all started with ashleigh selling us tickets and demanding I wear those disposable masks that end up in landfills or the ocean instead of my scarf , making it a point to radio her friend to make sure I was harassed even more until we got off the bus and left . They're super unprofessional and rude and don't know how to speak to anyone. Meanwhile the guy at the museum is super professional and chill . read more

Such an amazing experience! Everyone was very sweet and knowledgeable. Our tour guide was so enthusiastic which made us so excited to learn more! Very interactive experience! read more

I'm a Denver native and I remember the time when the old Hogback was an open road for both motorists and cyclists alike. It was a convenient short cut to drive from Alameda and Rooney Road to get to Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison or Golden in minutes (this was before C-470 had even been built). And to be honest I kind of miss that. When I was in high school I drove it almost every single day and I used to ride my bike up it after school nearly every day and I never even noticed there were any dinosaur footprints. That's because, until they decided to close off the Hogback to public transportation and turn it into a geological park/preserve, there were no signposts or fences or other enclosures saying "Here look at the prehistoric dinosaur footprints!" Yeah, they are neat to see but, and let's be honest, it's pretty much just one rock wall of footprints and that's pretty much it. Other than that, it's just a geological point-of-interest to see how the geological fault line had pushed up what was once a flat sandy beach along the ocean floor hundreds of millions of years ago as well as a scenic hiking trail with a spectacular view of Denver from the foothills. You can take a bus from the Visitor Center (which, btw, also never used to be there) up to the top and down the other side for $4 because, unless you are elderly, physically out of shape, or handicapped, I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on. You can park your car at the bottom along Alameda and Rooney Road or the Visitor Center parking lot and just get out of your car and start walking up and getting some exercise. The asphalt has been bisected for hikers to keep to the right and cyclists on the left with the occasional tour bus driving through. There are biking trails across the rocky terrain of the foothills which are both scenic and challenging. Oh yeah there are signs for rattlesnakes all around too (which, btw, also never used to be there when I was growing up) because somebody probably saw a rattlesnake once and now, due to liability and all that, they have to warn you that there could be rattlesnakes nearby. I used to walk the rocky dirt trails in sandals freely and never once encountered a rattlesnake but BE AWARE! It's a great place for hiking and biking, but don't expect Dinosaur Ridge to be Jurassic Park. Five minutes of looking at fossilized dino footprints and you got it. Skip the Visitor's Center unless you absolutely have to have a plush Stegosaurus that you could buy at pretty much any toy store for half as much just to keep feeding the tourist dinosaur. read more

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Their Walk with a Geologist outdoor walking tours are led by extremely knowledgeable people and are well worth the small cost.

This incredibly preserved dinosaur trackway brought the animals to life for me more than any skeletons, no matter how menacingly reconstructed. We walked up the road for free, and were invited to gather around to listen when the tour guide arrived with his bus load. I loved how they let you touch some of the lower ones even though people have chiseled them out to take home. HG and I walked as far as the bend in the road - the other makers weren't as interesting. His parents waited for us in the car, having been burned out by the less spectacular dinosaur "bulges" on the Triceratops Trail in nearby Golden. This is a very small, low-key operation, and I wish we had paid to see the "Trek Through Time" exhibit to let them make some money and keep the site going. I'm more bummed that HG Jr., creator of backyard dinosaur habitats, wasn't there - maybe it would have sparked a love of etymology, Greek, and Latin roots, leading to a high score on his SATs, med school, and supporting his mother in her old age... read more

First off, this is a short, easy walk. Not a hike. As long as you realize that before going, you'll enjoy it. There are some great examples of fossils in situ, and they're okay with touching and/or licking them (if you take the tour, you'll understand). It's all paved, and the fossils are well marked (and have interpret signs) for those of you without a paleontology degree. The tour was much shorter than I expected - only 3 stops - whereas there are closer to 10 interpretive signs with things to see. The tour's cheap enough ($8 from the visitors center) and interesting enough that I think it's worth it, but certainly not necessary. There's also a trail that runs along the ridge (this trail goes up one side and down the other) for anyone looking for a real hike with kid friendly aspects read more

Beautiful... well worth the walking. Must see. Don't know what else to put other than myst go spot

Okay, maybe it was the extra hype on the website, but I was expecting a lot more. And, I admit, I'm slightly bitter about our fall. But, wait--I'm getting ahead of my story here. Let's back up a minute. My husband and I decided to take our three small kiddos to Dinosaur Ridge. Our oldest son (just 4 years old) is beginning to take an avid interest in dinosaurs and we love taking all our children on hikes with us, so the idea of a hiking trail along which intriguing dinosaur evidences could be viewed was exceedingly intriguing. Generally, on our family hikes, my husband puts our 2 year old in a shoulder pack, I carry the baby (5 months now) and our 4 year old walks very well, getting a lift every once in a while in my husband's arms if he needs it. So this isn't our first rodeo. We like hikes. Our kids like hikes. I think I feel the need to explain myself and family in advance because I have to admit that if you could have seen us fall, it probably would have been on the level of a 3 stooges pratfall. Seriously. So we go to the visitor's center (an overpriced small building with dino info), but from what I could see, the only bone was the leg bone at the entrance. We opted not to pay to view what could be better enjoyed on the internet at home. The kids played a little in the sand pit, and the lady at the entrance explained where we needed to go to begin the hike up Dino Ridge. It was a fair jump away from the center where we'd parked, which she failed to elaborate on in her explanation. And it was already slightly uphill, so our 4 year old was ready for a short rest by the time we got to the gate. There is no real "trail". It is a road, and not in the greatest of shape, gated at the bottom. "Why do they have a gate here, Daddy? Why can't we just drive our car on this road?" Got to admit, kids sometimes have the best of questions. Why, indeed? Why not have a radio station that plays a tour recording to which you can tune in for your drive up this road that is clearly not a hiking trail? Well, it became more evident as we walked. The walkers/hikers were NOT the priority here: the road was saved for the tour buses that opened the gate and drove up, making the people walk off to one side along an asphalt edge that has NOT been laid down with walkers in mind. At some points, the asphalt is about a foot above the dirt on the edge of the road, and if you're not careful it can be treacherous. So, along came one of these little trams (there were three in operation on the day we were there), and to make way for it, we moved off the side of the road. The asphalt is buckled and curled, and my husband rolled his ankle. I watched him go down in horror, with my two year old on his back and my four year old held in his arms. I rushed to help and hit the same roll of unsafe asphalt and my ankle rolled under me, too. Down I went with my 5 month old attached to my front. It would have been hilarious had we not had small children connected to us. The little tram slowed down (to better their view of this comic relief, perhaps?) and KEPT RIGHT ON GOING. They did not stop to see if we had broken a two year old's ribs or fractured one of our ankles. With Epic Unconcern of our plight, or that of our children, the driver trucked steadily along. Some of the walkers who had seen our fall came to see if all was well after the tram drove on past. We were shaken, of course, but for the most part, we had survived with little casualties. Our two year old was in tears, our four year old was sobbing with gravel in his hand and up his nose, traumatized by the whole experience. Thank God he and my husband were both wearing jeans. I was nursing my ankle but it seemed okay, so we walked on, laughing at ourselves, and yet miffed at the driver of the tram. Couldn't he have at least ASKED if we were okay? We made it up to the Dinosaur Tracks before I realized that my ankle was in much worse condition then I previously thought. We stopped for a rest and it became decidedly worse. Stiff, and painful to walk on. Two days later, I am still hobbling. I'll be honest. Had we not fallen, I may have given the experience a 3 star review. The dinosaur statues near the parking lot are fun to take photos with. The sand pits for the kids to dig around in are a good idea. But, I really had a very different expectation based on the website, which gave me visions that promised a much more exciting experience. I wasn't intimidated by the steepness of the trek: it is, as many have said, an easy trail to walk, were it not for the fact that this whole place definitely seems to give preference for the vehicles which hold the paying customers, and is apparently lacking any concern about the rough edge of the road where the walkers must move to when one of the vehicles comes along. Eh, give me a dirt hiking trail any time. All in all, not a good experience. read more

Gave it one star to keep the rubes away... I love this place sooo much. It's a good hike on weekday mornings. I'd say pass it up on the weekends if you're looking for a semi peacefull non dog poo'ed walk... read more

It's a beautiful place to be sure. However, unless you are a total geology nut (which plenty are) you would probably be ok passing this one up. One piece of advice: skip the bus tour and just walk the main hill. It saves times, gives you good exercise, and you'll see what it worth seeing. Sure, at the area where the dinosaur track are it's pretty cool to think about standing in such a neat place, but really that's about it. I did enjoy the view and that site, but this was a little over hyped by some in my travel party. read more

I love going to Dinosaur Ridge with my daughter. Authentic dinosaur artifacts and a very knowledgable and friendly staff. My dino-crazy daughter loved seeing the dinosaur footprints and touching the fossils on the bus tour! I hope the area does not become over developer. read more

This place is so awesome and full of fun things to learn. It is free if you walk or bike but maintained by nonprofits and volunteers so be sure to give a donation to keep it going! read more

Loved our afternoon walking along Dinosaur Ridge! Thank goodness there were a few clouds or our 6 year-old might not have made to the end of the trail where he touched a REAL dinosaur bone. Thrill of the month for him. We were fortunate to be following behind one of the tour guides- Dan- as he gave his group all the tidbits of info we were there to benefit from his knowledge and enthusiasm! Bring a hat and lots of water, I'd recommend walking because there are lots of cool things you'd miss if you took the mini-bus tour. read more

The tour guide made this so boring and it felt like he half-assed the whole thing. I wish the shuttle would have made more stops along the road. You're probably better off hiking it and taking your time looking at everything along the way. I gave it two stars because the man in the museum was such a joy. He was very knowledgable and was more than eager to tell us about what we were looking at. read more

Really enjoyed the guided tour of the ridge. We were gonna do the self walk but I am glad we did the guided instead. We learned a lot more than if we would of went on our own. read more

If you're looking for a cheesy, commercialized amusement park-type place this is not for you. We went with our 4 & 6 year olds and had a great time. You can choose to either walk the 1.5 mile (each way) tour or pay $4 to take the shuttle (which makes 3 or 4 stops along the way). We decided to walk and enjoyed the geological formations and dinosaur footprints. Very well done and nicely preserved. The gift shop is one of the best I've seen. Each kid got to buy a reasonably priced fossil as a souvenir. read more