Dinosaur Discovery Site

“This is the most significant dinosaur tracksite in western North America.”
Dr. James Kirkland, Utah State Paleontologist

The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm is home to exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur tracks, some displaying skin impressions. These tracks, along with hundreds of fossil fish, plants, rare dinosaur remains, invertebrates traces and important sedimentary structures, show evidence that this site was produced along the western edge of a large, Early Jurassic (age between 195-198 million years ago) freshwater lake named Lake Dixie.

Other discoveries that make the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm unique include the largest and best preserved collection of dinosaur swim tracks, a rare sitting impression of a large meat-eating dinosaur, and the unusual association of tracks, traces and actual bones found in close proximity to each other.

"Fossils in our Backyard" Preserve and Protect the Past

Exhbit Dates: December 2009 - August, 2010.

“Fossils in our Backyard” focuses on discoveries made by staff and volunteers from the Discovery Site since its opening, including important fossils from the Chinle, Moenave, and Kayenta formations (Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic – 225 to 193 million years ago).

According to St. George City Paleontologist and Discovery Site Curator, Andrew R.C. Milner, “the exhibit has been designed as a look at life prior to, during and immediately following the existence of Lake Dixie.” The exhibit also has examples of paleontology finds from other parts of Utah, northern Arizona and eastern Nevada. This is the first exhibit completely designed by staff at the Discovery Site and the first to focus solely on the paleontological resources from the local area.