St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm

‍The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm is a discovery made by local residents, which is now being brought to the public eye. The site was discovered in February of 2018 near Johnson Farm in St. George, Utah. It’s located at 2180 E Riverside Dr, St. George, UT 84790, on private property that was given to the family who owns the land and has been used for farming activities since the late 1800s. When they first saw the tracks they were very excited because they believed they could be evidence of a small herd of dinosaurs that once walked around here 10 million years ago. Since then, they have been working closely with Dinosaurs Unexpected and other organizations to raise awareness about this site and get it excavated as soon as possible so we can learn more about these ancient creatures as well as protect them in future generations.

How Did People Discover the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site?

The land where the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site is located was first established as a farming operation in the late 1800’s. Over the years, the property has been used for farming, raising sheep and cattle and most recently there has been an orchard on the land. The orchard has been there for the past 10 years. The orchard is owned by a different family and is not affiliated with the discovery site. In February of 2018, two sisters who were visiting the property with their parents noticed what they thought could be dinosaur tracks in a nearby field and immediately brought it to the attention of their parents who are the current land owners. The family then contacted the City of St. George, Utah who contacted Dinosaurs Unexpected and the rest is history. A great place to also visit is

Track Analysis Confirms St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site Is Real

Analysis of the dinosaur track impressions at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site confirmed that they are real dinosaur tracks. The tracks appear to be from small, bipedal omnivores that had small but strong limbs. A number of different types of dinosaurs have been identified in the area including the horned dinosaur Triceratops, the plant-eating hadrosaur, and the carnivorous Tyrannosaurus Rex. The trackway at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site is similar to the trackway found in the Chinle Formation of Arizona. That trackway was found in 2001 by a single amateur paleontologist and it was the first trackway to be found in North America outside of the prehistoric canyons and river beds of the American southwest. It’s been very exciting to be a part of the excavation team at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site as we are learning more and more about the creatures that once walked around here 10 million years ago.

Excavation Opens New Doors to Learn More About the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site

It was exciting when the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site was excavated to see how many bones were present at the site. After the site was cleaned and the trackways were documented and photographed, the excavation began. Excavation revealed that there are multiple layers of sediment at the site and it appears that there was erosion at the site as well as deposition. The tracks and bones were found in the lower sediment layers while the trackway was found in the middle layer. The excavation also revealed that the orchard next to the dinosaur discovery site is not the original orchard but was planted in the past few years. This suggests that the orchard had been encroaching on the dinosaur discovery site. This is an important finding as it could mean that the discovery site could be an endangered area that needs to be protected from future development.

Protecting The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site From Future Development

It’s important to protect the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site from future development. The land where the discovery site is can only be used for farming and other recreation as determined by the city of St. George. The excavation of the site could lead to the city deciding that the dinosaur discovery site is not eligible for protection under the Antiquities Act because it was not protected in the past. It’s important that we let the city of St. George know that we want the discovery site protected in the future so the area can continue to be studied and excavated for the benefit of future generations.

Conclusion

The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site is a real find that shows the dinosaur-rich nature of the region. This site is also important because it could provide evidence of the original habitat that dinosaurs used to live in. This discovery site also shows that dinosaurs and modern humans lived in the area at the same time. As we continue to learn more about the area, we hope that we can come to better understand why this site is important and how we can protect it for future generations.  Look at this place