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Garden Park Fossil Area
Nat'l Recreation Area
Nat'l Recreation Area

Garden Park Fossil Area

United States

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We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this park using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 20, 2026. Spot an error in our data?

About

Imported description
Fossils of well-known species of large dinosaurs have been discovered at this site over the last 120 years. Many of the dinosaur fossils discovered at this site are on exhibit at museums around the country, including the Denver Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.Fossils of two-legged, plant-eating dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs, and dinosaur tracks have also been discovered in the Garden Park Fossil Area. In addition to dinosaur bones, Garden Park contains 2 significant, rare plant species, Brandegee wild buckwheat and inch milkweed.Garden Park is a BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern, a Colorado Research Natural Area, and a National Natural Landmark. For more information, please contact the Royal Gorge Field Office.Remember your OUTDOOR ETHICS when enjoying your public lands. Please RECREATE RESPONSIBLY.Need a map? Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway

Source: recreation.gov

From Wikipedia

Garden Park is a paleontological site in Fremont County, Colorado, known for its Jurassic dinosaurs and the role the specimens played in the infamous Bone Wars of the late 19th century. Located 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Cañon City, the name originates from the area providing vegetables to the miners at nearby Cripple Creek in the 19th century. Garden Park proper is a triangular valley surrounded by cliffs on the southeast and southwest and by mountains to the north; however, the name is also refers to the dinosaur sites on top and along the cliffs. The dinosaur sites now form the Garden Park Paleontological Resource Area, which is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wikipedia — text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify alerts and operational details with the managing agency below.

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Hunting in this park

Hunting is generally prohibited in this National Park Service unit

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