Red rocks loom overhead east of Capitol Reef National Park at the Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry, where paleontologists are currently excavating the bones of some of the largest animals to ever roam the earth—dinosaurs from 150 million years ago.
Each year, educational staff from the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois come to the quarry to turn it into a large outdoor classroom. Sue Fivecoach works at the Hanksville, Utah quarry and said it provides the opportunity to learn more about Utah's ancient history.
“There is quite a variety of bones here and they do explain how the bones came to be there and such," Fivecoach said. "I don’t want to be a spoiler and give away all the information about the tours. But it is pretty fascinating to learn how they came to be there and why they seem to be of such a large variety at this sight.”
This is the eighth year the Bureau of Land Management has joined with the Utah and Illinois dinosaur experts to educate the public about long-necked sauropods, carnivorous dinosaurs and the rare Jurassic armored dinosaur, Mymoorapelta.
“What better way to show your youth that are interested in the paleo field exactly how a quarry works?” Fivecoach said.
Tours begin May 29 and run through June 6. The quarry site is located approximately 10 miles northwest of Hanksville, Utah and is a 30 minute drive on U.S. Highway 24. High clearance vehicles are recommended because the road into the quarry is not maintained for passenger cars. For more specific directions and other information, visit the BLM Utah Field Station in Hanksville, Utah at 380 South 100 West, or call (435) 542-3461.