On April 18 one of the premiere sites for viewing the extraction of dinosaur fossils will open for the season in Emery County.
TheCleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry contains the densest concentration of Jurassic-aged dinosaur bones ever found. Over 12,000 bones (belonging to at least 74 individual dinosaurs) have been excavated at the quarry. Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry has helped paleontologists learn a great deal about the Jurassic period, yet the site presents at least as many mysteries as it helps to solve. Curiously, more than 75 percent of the bones come from carnivores, primarily Allosaurus fragilis. With more than 46 individual specimens of Allosaurus, scientists have been able to deduce much about how Allosaurus aged and compare individuals to better understand intraspecies diversity. Yet the sheer density of bones proposes many questions. How did the carcasses of so many animals end up in one place, and why are most of them meat-eaters? While many good hypotheses have been presented, they all still have major flaws – the mystery has yet to be solved.
The quarry is located in the San Rafael swell and the roads are dirt and gravel much of the way. However they are well maintained and any vehicle can pass over them. Be careful because they can be slippery when wet.
To get to the quarry from Price take Hwy 10 south to the Cleveland/Elmo turnoff and follow the signs. The last 12 miles are on a graded, unpaved road.
To get there from Huntington follow Hwy 10 north and take the Cleveland turnoff. In Cleveland, go south toward the San Rafael Swell and follow the signs. The last 13 miles are on graded, unpaved road.