Hiking Dinosaur Ridge
Date Hiked: November 11, 2017
Length: 1.1 Miles (add 8+ miles for Dakota Ridge)
Elevation Gain: 210 ft
Starting Elevation: 5960 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Distance from Denver: 20 Minutes
Sarah’s Ranking: 8/10
Total Hike Time: 1 hour
Parking: Small Lot, Free
Best Time: Non-Windy Day, No Snow
Features: Dinosaur tracks and bones, view
Additional Information: All Trails
About the Area:
Dinosaur Ridge is the best place to find dinosaurs near Denver, CO. It is located near the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO, and is a fun, easy, and educational hike. The ridge itself starts and ends with a small parking area and information center; one of which is at the entrance of the Red Rocks Amphitheater. The entire hike is on an abandoned asphalt road with numerous interpretive signs at each location of interest including dinosaur tracks, dinosaur bones, various fossils, and numerous geologic formations and structures (yes, they are all real!). If you want a little more adventure and a great view of Morrison, you can head up the Dakota Ridge trailhead which runs right through this Dinosaur Ridge road.
The Dakota Ridge trail is an additional 8+ mile trail and takes you along the hogback where Dinosaur Ridge is located. Within the first half mile of hiking along this trail, you will see panoramic views of Morrison, Lakewood, and surrounding cities.
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How to Get There:
This hike is an incredibly easy find. There are numerous signs, even from the highway. From downtown Denver, you can take 6th Ave West until you reach I-70. Head west on I-70. From here you can go to two different parking locations:
A. East Parking Location: Take Exit 260 for Route 470 towards Colorado Springs, take the exit for Alameda Parkway (follow signs to Dinosaur Ridge) and take a right. You can park at the center for free or along the road just past the center. The hike begins where Alameda Parkway is closed off (at the gate).
B. West Parking Location: Take Exit 259 towards Jefferson County 93/Morrison, turn left onto County Road 93 (follow signs for Red Rocks Amphitheater). Once you reach the amphitheater, turn left instead of right onto Alameda Parkway into the Dinosaur Ridge Parking lot (free). This parking lot is fairly small but if you don’t mind the walk, you could park at the center or closer to the amphitheater if it is full.
My Favorite Essential Gear:
For every hike, I am always sure to bring the ten hiking essentials and a good pair of sturdy hiking boots. The ten essentials are crucial to a comfortable and safe day of hiking and have saved me in a few extreme cases!
For this hike, in addition to the ten essentials, you should also consider bringing:
- Day Backpack
- Your phone or a good camera to capture some great shots of dinosaurs!
- Light Jacket
Our Experience:
It was a last minute decision for my husband and me to take a quick hike. We arrived at the eastern trailhead around 3:45p and immediately headed up the “trail” (AKA the abandoned portion of West Alameda Parkway). Our first stop was the dinosaur and crocodile tracks exhibit. This area is, in my opinion, the coolest of the whole hike!
As soon as we left this area, we headed up the hill and onto the northern Dakota Ridge Trail (thinking this was part of the dinosaur ridge hike). After clearly leaving the true dinosaur ridge area, we realized it was all worth it. The view at the top of this trail is beautiful! We ended up hiking this trail for about an extra hour until deciding to turn around.
For a nice, yet chilly autumn day, the Dakota Ridge Trail was pretty busy. And when I say busy, I mean there were about 30-40 mountain bikers flying passed us! That is not an exaggeration. There were a few close collision calls… As we continued on the trail, it was clear why it is so popular with riders. The trail has been constructed for easy bicycle usage including ramps instead of stairs! Pretty cool!
We decided to turn around at the large Zorro Trail fork. Good thing too because the sun was getting pretty low. As we continued back we were able to see the Red Rocks Amphitheater, the town of Morrison, and continuous valley just pre-sunset. It was gorgeous! Once we arrived back on the Dinosaur Ridge road, we completed the hike by going down the western side and viewing the exhibits for dinosaur bones, dinosaur track impressions, ash layers, and the gas/oil information sign before returning back to the car. The entire hike took us nearly three and a half hours but we were definitely taking our time. I returned to this area with some friends the following week and we only walked along the Dinosaur Ridge road. This in total took us less than an hour and we stopped at all of the sights.
Tips:
- Go during a non-windy and non-snow covered day to ensure the visibility of each exhibit and keeping your fingers.
- Beware of mountain bikers and cyclists on both the paved and dirt trails.
- Also, beware of the tour bus that frequently drives on this road. If you’re interested, tickets for the bus and other additions can be bought at the information center.
- Parking can be found at both information centers as well as along the road on the western side and the small parking lot. All spaces are free.
- For a better view, hike the northern Dakota Ridge Trail. Just to the top is all you need!
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Where are your favorite places to hike near Denver, CO?
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