Wyoming may be the Cowboy State but, with our vast collection of prehistoric treasures, we could just as easily be the Dinosaur State. As early as the 1800s, fossils and bones were being dug up in various spots around Wyoming, attracting archaeologists and amateur dinosaur hunters from around the country and eventually the world. Today, there are numerous places across the state that showcase the valuable ancient finds that have been discovered here. To give you an idea, we’ve created this thrilling dinosaur trail for you to follow across Wyoming for an epic adventure.
This epic dinosaur trail will lead you all around Wyoming, offering adventure and education every step of the way.
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- The Dinosaur Center, 110 Carter Ranch Road, Thermopolis
Michael Tiday/Google Maps
appahowa/TripAdvisor Known as a real-life Jurassic Park, this warehouse of a museum in Thermopolis is packed full of dinosaurs you have probably only seen in movies including an Apatosaurus, Velociraptors, and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
- Red Gulch, off US-16, Greybull
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Jennifer K/TripAdvisor About 38 miles south of Greybull there’s a section of the landscape that’s frozen in time. There, you’ll find actual footprints made millions of years ago by dinosaurs walking through the area. It’s like taking a trip through time as you place your feet in the dinosaur tracks and walk in their footsteps.
- Tate Geological Museum, Casper College, 125 College Drive, Casper
Tate Geological Museum at Casper College/Facebook
montanan_traveler/TripAdvisor The museum hosts dinosaur digs every summer, and the finds are on display at the college along with other prehistoric treasures from around the state.
- Paleo Park, Newcastle
Paleo Park/Facebook
Paleo Park/Facebook The Zerbst Ranch outside of Newcastle has intrigued archaeologists for over 100 years. Amazingly complete Triceratops skeletons have been found on the site, along with fascinating finds such as perfectly preserved dinosaur skin and a treasure-trove of fossils. The coolest part is that you can participate in a dig and take home a souvenir from the past.
- Glenrock Paleontological Museum, 506 West Birch Street, Glenrock
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Jaci Gish/Google Maps One of the newer museums along the dinosaur trail, this one got its start with the discovery of a Triceratops at a nearby ranch. You can spend hours here viewing the large collection of marine reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals from the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Oligocene periods.
- Wyoming State Museum, 23601 Central Avenue, Cheyenne
Joe Smith/Google Maps
Larry Willis/Google Maps No Wyoming dinosaur trail would be complete without a stop in the state capital. Here you can view a T. Rex in Pieces, the permanent exhibit on display, as well as the skeleton of one of the very first dinosaurs discovered in the Cowboy State.
- University of Wyoming Geological Museum, 200 North 9th Street, Laramie
Judity Wyo/Google Maps
tlkmerrill/TripAdvisor The centerpiece at this museum is the amazing Apatosaurus, a 75-foot vegetable-eating dino that was dug up in Albany, Wyoming in 1901. Visitors can also marvel at the most complete specimen of an Allosaurus ever to be unearthed in addition to numerous other dinosaurs. Plus, the prep lab at the museum is open to the public, allowing anyone to watch researchers work on fossils and ask them questions.
- Western Wyoming Community College, 2500 College Drive, Rock Springs
Western Wyoming Community College/Google Maps
245PatH/TripAdvisor The majority of the prehistoric collection here can be found at the college’s Natural History Museum, but there’s so much to be seen, it overflows onto the rest of the campus. View fossils of reptiles, fish, and vegetation in the museum, then take a tour of the grounds to check out life-sized specimens of a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops and even have lunch with the T. rex in the cafeteria.
Have you visited any of the stops along this trail? What’s your favorite Wyoming dinosaur spot?
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Michael Tiday/Google Maps
appahowa/TripAdvisor
Known as a real-life Jurassic Park, this warehouse of a museum in Thermopolis is packed full of dinosaurs you have probably only seen in movies including an Apatosaurus, Velociraptors, and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
ad2travel/TripAdvisor
Jennifer K/TripAdvisor
About 38 miles south of Greybull there’s a section of the landscape that’s frozen in time. There, you’ll find actual footprints made millions of years ago by dinosaurs walking through the area. It’s like taking a trip through time as you place your feet in the dinosaur tracks and walk in their footsteps.
Tate Geological Museum at Casper College/Facebook
montanan_traveler/TripAdvisor
The museum hosts dinosaur digs every summer, and the finds are on display at the college along with other prehistoric treasures from around the state.
Paleo Park/Facebook
The Zerbst Ranch outside of Newcastle has intrigued archaeologists for over 100 years. Amazingly complete Triceratops skeletons have been found on the site, along with fascinating finds such as perfectly preserved dinosaur skin and a treasure-trove of fossils. The coolest part is that you can participate in a dig and take home a souvenir from the past.
Jaci Gish/Google Maps
One of the newer museums along the dinosaur trail, this one got its start with the discovery of a Triceratops at a nearby ranch. You can spend hours here viewing the large collection of marine reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals from the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Oligocene periods.
Joe Smith/Google Maps
Larry Willis/Google Maps
No Wyoming dinosaur trail would be complete without a stop in the state capital. Here you can view a T. Rex in Pieces, the permanent exhibit on display, as well as the skeleton of one of the very first dinosaurs discovered in the Cowboy State.
Judity Wyo/Google Maps
tlkmerrill/TripAdvisor
The centerpiece at this museum is the amazing Apatosaurus, a 75-foot vegetable-eating dino that was dug up in Albany, Wyoming in 1901. Visitors can also marvel at the most complete specimen of an Allosaurus ever to be unearthed in addition to numerous other dinosaurs. Plus, the prep lab at the museum is open to the public, allowing anyone to watch researchers work on fossils and ask them questions.
Western Wyoming Community College/Google Maps
245PatH/TripAdvisor
The majority of the prehistoric collection here can be found at the college’s Natural History Museum, but there’s so much to be seen, it overflows onto the rest of the campus. View fossils of reptiles, fish, and vegetation in the museum, then take a tour of the grounds to check out life-sized specimens of a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops and even have lunch with the T. rex in the cafeteria.
If you like your history to include more than fossils and dinosaurs, you’ll want to visit these 10 Epic Wyoming Museums.
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