This Fascinating Arizona Road Trip Is a Paleontologist’s Dream

Straddling the border of Arizona and Utah, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has some of the most alluring landscapes in each state. Throughout its 1.25 million acres are the Colorado River, Lake Powell, slot canyons, hoodoos, mesas, buttes, sandstone rock formations, and seemingly endless natural wonders. Guess what else you can find here? If you said "fossils," you are correct!

Glen Canyon's geological history dates back 300 million years, when dinosaurs roamed the land. A shallow sea also covered the area, and numerous dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the area's sandstone layers. While fossils can be seen throughout the park, you can find tracks at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and the Wahweap Ranger Station, both in Page, and the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center in Marble Canyon. If you'd like to celebrate Glen Canyon's fossil findings, don't miss National Fossil Day in mid-October.

Our next stop is in Tuba City within the Navajo Nation. This is where we will find 200-million-year-old dinosaur footprints that are trace fossils from the Jurassic period. Once you arrive at the Navajo Moenave Dinosaur Tracks, you'll be greeted by a member of the Navajo Nation who will offer a tour. While there's no obligation to pay a fee or take a tour, you may want to, or at least buy a piece of art or jewelry from one of the local vendors on the site. A short hike through the fossilized footprints is one of the best things you can do in Arizona if you're interested in paleontology.

After viewing dinosaur tracks, drive to Flagstaff for a stay at the Stargazer Tiny Home. This 1-bedroom, 1-bath home with four beds can sleep up to seven adventurous road-trippers. Glamping at its finest, you'll experience both the home's luxurious interior and the great outdoors around a campfire under a star-filled sky. To add to your adventure, you can always explore downtown Flagstaff, head to the Grand Canyon for a day, or hike through ruins at Wupatki National Monument.

For a more indoorsy experience to see and learn about fossils found in Arizona, we will now visit the Museum of Northern Arizona. Displays of fossilized dinosaur footprints from the early to middle Triassic era can be found in both the museum's courtyard and the Geology Gallery. This is the Footprints of the Past exhibition, and it's a must-see!

Triassic fossils have been found throughout the 218,533 acres of the Petrified Forest National Park. In addition to fossils, there are petroglyphs and ruins from ancient Puebloans, as well as petrified logs dotting the landscape. It's an area where you can see a collision of natural and human histories—how fascinating is that?

Several trails will lead through a landscape of colorful petrified wood, some of which have crystals, and you may even spot fossils in certain areas. You can even bring your dog to hike at this national park or tale a scenic drive instead.

A shallow sea once covered much of what is now Arizona. While it existed 66-252 million years ago, it left behind fossils that can be found throughout the state, including the Indian Garden's Paleo Site in Payson. Tucked along US-260, if you didn't know it was there, you'd probably pass right by. With a small dirt parking lot and a sign for Indian Gardens Paleo Site showing what fossils you can find here, it's a hidden gem. I've been here a couple of times in the past and saw no more than five other people each time.

Fossil hunting takes a lot of patience, but when you find something, it's exciting! My kids and I have found small pieces of rock with fossils of ferns and shells. To better help your fossil-hunting quest, I suggest you take a chisel and hammer with you as well — you never know what you'll find!

Photo credits (from top to bottom): Tony Shi Photography/Moment via Getty Images, Michael Ariz/AllTrails, Stargazer Tiny Home: Grand Canyon Getaway/Airbnb, mksfca/Flickr, Peter Unger/Stone via Getty Images, Melissa Mahoney/Only In Your State

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