Nearby Dinosaur Track Sites

And kudos to a Hideout guest who made
one of these important discoveries!

During the summer months, it is not unusual to see international scientists exploring and working on the many paleontological and geological sites for which Wyoming is world renowned.

The Red Gulch track site contains literally thousands of rare Middle Jurassic age dinosaur tracks embedded in oolitic limestone. Located on public land near Shell, Wyoming , this site covers 40 acres set-aside by the U.S. government's Bureau of Land Management.

The tracks at this site were laid down approximately 167 million years ago by dinosaurs believed by experts to have been similar to the "raptors" depicted in the movie Jurassic Park . The tracks are preserved in limestone in an area that was once a beach that fringed the Sundance Sea , a vast inland body of water. The tracks were discovered in 1997 and since then thousands more have been found at nearby sites.

These sites are among the world's most significant dinosaur track finds, according to the Director of the University of Wyoming Geological Museum.

In fact, the Gypsum Spring Dinosaur Tracksite was first discovered in 1999 by Walter Parrs Jr, a New York City resident visiting The Hideout.

It includes impressions made by land-dwelling two-legged dinosaurs that were small- to medium-sized, comparable to those found in the younger Sundance formations at Red Gulch.

Guests at The Hideout with an interest in paleontology, archeology, or geology are treated to some of the most interesting sites.

For instance, we offer our guests the opportunity to tour the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite -- one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America -- with Cliff Manuel, a local expert.