Ok. You don’t come all the way here unless you REALLY love fossil collecting. It’s a 3 1/2 hour drive from Salt Lake City and almost 6 hours from Las Vegas. But, if you love fossils this is one of the world’s premier destinations for trilobites, plus it’s great for all ages. If you can wield a small hammer you’re good to go. 

Over 500 million years ago these now extinct marine arthropods were swimming around the shallow sea that once covered western Utah. My favorite paleo artist Charles Knight (Charles Knight: The Artist Who Invented the Dinosaur ) painted them in all their glory in “A Cambrian Sea.”

After death they sunk to the bottom and were covered by the mud that now form the shale deposits that sit in the middle of the desert. Today, visitors to U-Dig fossils can darn goggles and using a small pick axe split shale pieces to discover the fossils hiding between the layers. There are plenty of common trilobites alongside rarer species and other marine animals. You pay for a time slot and are free to take home any discoveries you make. Bring a box! They provide the equipment, you provide water and sunscreen. Note: The site is open seasonally, so check their website for opening dates. 

Along the way…

We did a geology focused loop from Las Vegas encompassing Great Basin NP with its caves and ancient Bristlecone pines,

The WAY off the beaten path Meadows Hot Springs. On private land just off the main road, they are literally in the middle of a cow field in the middle of nowhere. Pack in/out. NO facilities. Find directions online. 

Bryce and Zion Canyons, two of Utah’s Mighty 5. 

And finished up with dinosaur tracks in St. George.