Utahraptor State Park near Moab prepares for grand opening

Utahraptor State Park will open Spring 2025. Photo: Utah DNR

MOAB, Utah — Utah’s newest state park is preparing for its grand opening this spring. Utahraptor State Park will provide more recreation options in the busy Moab area and preserve Jurassic-era dinosaur fossils.

The park was formally created in the 2021 Utah legislative session, but with minimal infrastructure, the park had a long way to go before opening to public use. Primitive camping areas within the new park’s boundaries that were previously open to the public have remained so but with a $15 per night fee.

With new roads, trails, campsites and a visitor center, park officials hope to preserve the historic significance of the area and provide easy access to popular outdoor recreation areas.

The new park is located about 15 miles northwest of Moab, the famous gateway city for both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Historic — and prehistoric — sites

Within the park’s 6,500 acres lies one of North America’s largest dinosaur bone beds.

Scott Strong, director of the Utah Division of State Parks, told members of the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, “You can almost pick up a rock … put it on your tongue, and if it sticks you know you’ve got a dinosaur bone. They’re just everywhere out there.”

Over 5,500 bones representing more than 10 dinosaur species have been excavated in the area, including fossils of the park’s namesake. The Utahraptor was a fearsome Jurassic predator. At 20 feet long and weighing nearly a ton, the species was presumably larger and faster than many of its contemporaries.

While Utahraptor State Park’s fossils date back millions of years, the park will also include the Dalton Wells Quarry, which is home to more recent history.

During the 1930s, the Dalton Wells Civilian Conservation Corps camp was established near Moab as a base of operations for Depression Era work projects nearby.

For a time during World War II, the abandoned camp was used as an internment camp for Japanese American citizens. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it’s anticipated that the new state park will include commemorative signage.

Recreation Opportunities

With both ancient and modern history, as well as all-terrain vehicle and mountain biking trails, Utahraptor State Park is set to provide even more outdoor recreation options in the bustling area of Moab.

Future park visitors can expect a modern campground, flush restrooms, showers, an entrance station/visitor center, and trailheads for access to the nearby OHV and mountain bike trail systems, according to the Utah State Parks website.

In a statement on their site, Utah State Parks wrote they believe “that — with proper planning and coordination with partners — we can better protect the area while maintaining its recreational value.”

To learn more about entry fees, and reservations, visit the Utahraptor State Park website.