City: Denver, CO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Address: 16831 W. Alameda Pkwy.

Description: This unexpected park is a treasure of exposed dinosaur bones and tracks, along with plant and animal fossils. In 1877, some of the nation’s best preserved dinosaur bones were found on the slope of this ridgeline, and highway construction exposed dinosaur tracks in 1930. Life and science teachers treat this geologic treasure as an outdoor classroom, introducing their students to the place where the mountains meet the prairie, and where plant and animal life of all kinds has been fossilized in rock layers that have been uplifted over time until they pierced the ground.A visitor center provides information about the discovery, but Dinosaur Ridge is essentially an outdoor experience. Reach it by traveling west on I-70 to the Morrison exit, then following Highway 26 south to West Alameda Parkway. Turn left and follow the road to the visitor center, which provides information about hours, tours, and displays, and also contains a small gift shop. Guided tours are offered of this wheelchair-­accessible site. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.