Dinosaur fossils unearthed during parking lot construction at Dinosaur National Monument

Monument staff work on excavated dinosaur fossils in the Quarry Exhibit Hall Parking Lot. Photo: NPS // ReBecca Hunt-Foster

VERNAL, Utah — Recent parking lot construction work in Dinosaur National Monument revealed previously uncovered dinosaur fossils near the Quarry Exhibit Hall, according to the National Park Service. This marks the first fossil excavations at this location since 1924.

Park officials say the discovery was made Sept. 16, 2025, when crews removed asphalt near the Quarry Exhibit Hall and exposed a section of dinosaur-bearing sandstone. Construction was immediately paused while paleontologists assessed and excavated the find.

Scientists believe the fossils belonged to a large, long-necked dinosaur, most likely a Diplodocus — a species commonly found in the monument’s famous bonebed. Park staff led the effort with support from a Utah Conservation Corps crew, volunteers, and on-site construction workers.

Between mid-September and mid-October, crews removed approximately 3,000 pounds of fossils and surrounding rock. The material is now being cleaned and studied at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, where visitors can observe the process in the museum’s fossil preparation lab. Some of the newly uncovered fossils are already on display at both the Quarry Exhibit Hall and the Utah Field House.

The Quarry Exhibit Hall — often called the “Wall of Bones” — is the monument’s most popular attraction. The building sits atop the original Carnegie quarry and allows visitors to view roughly 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in rock.

Historic fossil excavations at the Quarry were conducted between 1909 and 1924 by institutions including the Carnegie Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the University of Utah. Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1915.

Following the excavation, the parking lot and road improvement project was completed, including extensive concrete and asphalt work and accessibility upgrades around the exhibit hall.

More information and current hours are available at nps.gov/dino.