KEY POINTS
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Dinosaur fossils were uncovered during road construction at Dinosaur National Monument, the first excavation at the Utah site since 1924.
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Construction was paused to remove approximately 3,000 pounds of fossils and surrounding rock for further study and public display.
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The parking lot and road upgrades, including enhanced accessibility near the Quarry Exhibit Hall, were completed after successful fossil recovery.
A road construction project at Dinosaur National Monument led to a significant paleontological discovery, uncovering dinosaur fossils in an area that has not been excavated in a century.
Asphalt Demo Leads to Fossil Discovery
The National Park Service said in a statement on January 16, 2026, that the fossils were first spotted by park staff on September 16, 2025. The discovery was made after crews removed old asphalt near the Quarry Exhibit Hall parking lot, exposing a section of the fossil-filled sandstone below.
Upon discovery of the fossils, all construction work was immediately halted to allow paleontologists to assess and excavate the site properly. According to park officials, the fossils belong to a large, long-necked sauropod, likely a Diplodocus, a species commonly found within the area.
Historical Context of the Site
The road-construction discovery is particularly noteworthy, as it marks the first excavation at this location since 1924. The area was excavated initially by institutions, including the Carnegie Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the University of Utah, between 1909 and 1924.
Dinosaur National Monument itself was established in 1915 to protect the paleontologically fertile area.
A crew works to remove a dinosaur fossil discovered during a 2025 construction project on the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Utah’s Dinosaur National Park. Image: National Park Service
The recent excavation, which took place from mid-September to mid-October 2025, was a collaborative effort involving park staff, a Utah Conservation Corps crew, volunteers, and on-site construction crews. Together, they removed approximately 3,000 pounds of fossils and surrounding rock.
A 1901 image of a composite skeletal reconstruction of Diplodocus carnegii by American paleontologist and fossil hunter John Bell Hatcher. This specimen was collected on an expedition funded by Andrew Carnegie and discovered in Wyoming. According to Dinosaur National Monument officials, the fossils found in Utah during 2025 road construction belong to a large, long-necked sauropod, likely a Diplodocus, a species commonly found within the area. Image: John Bell Hatcher, 1901
The newly excavated remains are now being studied at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, Utah. Visitors to the museum can observe the fossil cleaning process in the facility’s public fossil preparation lab.
Some fossils from the excavation are already on display for public viewing at both the Quarry Exhibit Hall and the Utah Field House.
Completion of Construction Project
Following the successful fossil recovery, the planned parking lot and road improvement project was completed. The project involved significant concrete and asphalt work, as well as crucial accessibility upgrades around the Quarry Exhibit Hall, known as the “Wall of Bones.” The hall allows visitors to see around 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in the original rock face.
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