Still celebrating Heart and Soul of Golden month, this is the tenth in a series of articles describing the histories of Golden Cultural Alliance members. Today we're focusing on Dinosaur Ridge.
The Dinosaur Ridge Visitors Center and Martin Lockley Discovery Center are located between Golden and Morrison. The Triceratops Trail is located in Golden, on the west side of Fossil Trace Golf Club. This entire area–from Golden down through Morrison–has been the site of many dinosaur discoveries.
Arthur Lakes, a geology professor at the Colorado School of Mines, made the earliest discoveries of dinosaur fossils, beginning with a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth on South Table Mountain in 1874. He went on to find many more fossil remains, and in 1902 discovered dinosaur footprints. When Alameda Parkway was built in 1937, many more dinosaur footprints were uncovered.
In 1973, Jefferson County Open Space purchased the first of many parcels of land that now comprise Matthews/Winters Park, which includes Dinosaur Ridge. The Morrison Fossil Area was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973.
The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge was formed in 1989 "to address increasing concerns regarding the preservation of the site and to offer educational programs on the area’s resources." The first of two Visitors Centers opened in 1996, and the site becomes a popular spot for field trips.
Here in Golden, the Fossil Trace Golf Course opened in 2002 and the adjacent Triceratops Trail opened in 2006. Learn more about the gradual unfolding of our dinosaur heritage on the Dinosaur Ridge website.
Dr. Beth Simmons wrote and produced an excellent documentary for Dinosaur Ridge: Arthur Lakes Discovering Dinosaurs. It features reenactors in costumes and has some scenes set in the Astor House. It’s available for viewing on YouTube. (You should watch it!)
