blue lotus adventures

Whenever I visit Moab, I always take the time to hike at least one trail in search for Dinosaur tracks.  This trail will not disappoint.  The Dinosaur Stomping Grounds can be accessed from the northern most trail head for the Megastep mountain bike area (directions below). This area is said to have over 2000 dinosaur tracks in only a 2 acre area.

From the parking area, the trail parallels the Megastep mountain bike trail.  The hiking trail will reach a sign and junction with the mountain bike trail.  Here, the hiking trail turns left on varied terrain marked with yellow blazes.  Follow the trail into a shallow wash.  Soon the trail exits the wash onto a vast slick rock area.

Once on the slick rock area the trail turns left.  Follow the left edge of the slick rock and after about .25 miles.  Start to look for the tracks and continue to follow the edge of the slick rock with an embankment on the left.  Many of the tracks have rocks placed around them but many do not.  Search as long as you want, you may find some real gems.

For an excellent view point of a valley of the northern reaches of Arches National Park, continue past the slick rock.  The trail will cross the Alaska mountain bike trail with an excellent view point.

This is an out and back trail so return the way you came back to the trail head.  Below is a track of the trail from the parking area.  I recommend hiking this trail in the early morning.  Not only will this offer some relief to hiking in the heat of the day, the lower angle of the sun will help with photographing the tracks.

Identifying tracks: While many of the tracks at this location have rocks around them for easy identification, much  more do not.  Also, people may place rocks around what they think is a track but actually is only a small divot or eroded depression in the slick rock.  Look for an outline of three toes.  More importantly, take a step back and see if you can identify a pattern of several tracks or what would be considered a “stride” or “gait” of the Dinosaur.