Navajo Moenave Dinosaur Tracks

This place is amazing. Our guide, Helen, was knowledgeable and knew exactly where to look. The area used to be an ocean and evidence of marine animalia and fauna was visible. She didn't ask for money, but I tipped her $20 for her excellent service.

What a cool thing to see. So random, at first you're wondering if you're going to the right place. Middle of nowhere, sign that says dinosaur tracks. You just pull in and drive up to where the Natives have their little jewelery huts. Donate what you want for them to give you a tour, because they know where all the best tracks are. Tip heavily, they deserve it. They stand out in the heat all day. If it was bought out by some company and made into an attraction, you'd be paying a lot. I appreciate it being in its natural state.

Well worth the stop! Orlando Whitestone was my guide when I was there and was incredibly knowledgeable! I highly recommend accepting a tour from a guide; they’ll point out the best tracks, fossilized eggs, fossilized dung piles, and point out the ancient river beds. The guides work off donations, $10-20 is a good range to tip for their service.

There are an abundance of tracks, and they look really cool with the red dirt water in them. Our guide was Jennifer. She told us where to park and greeted us when we got out. Her guiding style was show and identify a track, then walk to the next one and wait for us to take our pics and catch up to her. One track she said was a brontosaurus, and knowing better, I can say that it was not. But didn’t comment to her about the error. About 200’ into the tour, she declared that she was too hot, and returned to the jewelry stands. It wasn’t very hot that day, and she had a sweatshirt on that she could have taken off. So the tracks were really neat, but the interaction with our guide was sorely lacking. We gave her a good tip anyway, just because.

The site itself is very interesting and worth stopping to see — there are real dinosaur track fossils here. In particular, the large three-toed tracks found in this area are consistent with Dilophosaurus, a real early Jurassic theropod that lived in this region around 190 million years ago. That part is accurate and scientifically supported. However, just a note about the guided explanations: the guides here are local individuals, not trained paleontologists, and some of the information offered can be incorrect. For example, we were told that there were T. rex and Velociraptor footprints here, but that is not possible — those dinosaurs lived over 100 million years later, in much younger rock layers than the ones at this site. So those particular claims were not accurate. My recommendation: Enjoy the site for what it truly is — a rare chance to see authentic Dilophosaurus-era tracks in the open desert. Just take the spoken explanations with caution and look up the scientific details afterward if you’re curious. Overall: Great stop, real footprints, but verify the dino facts independently.

This hidden gem in the desert is like stepping back into the Jurassic era. The dinosaur tracks are real fossilized footprints preserved right in the rock—you’re literally standing where dinosaurs once walked! Local Navajo guides are usually on-site and enthusiastically point out different types of tracks, explaining which ones might belong to T-Rex or Triceratops. It’s not a polished tourist site, but that raw, open-air setting adds to the authenticity of the experience. A must-visit for anyone interested in dinosaurs, geology, or off-the-beaten-path adventures.

Pretty sure my brain lost a few IQ points out there, but here we go. This place hits you with a very bold promise. Navajo Dinosaur Tracks. Sounds epic. Sounds Jurassic. Sounds like Chris Pratt might jump out from behind a boulder and start whisper-yelling at imaginary raptors. Instead you get… footprints in sand. And not even fresh ones. The dinos didn’t RSVP. You stand there, wind blowing sand into your teeth, trying to pretend you’re connecting with ancient history, but your brain is quietly whispering: “Dude, you could be in a museum right now. With air-conditioning. And skeletons that actually look like something.” There are tracks. Sure. And a guide will probably tell you they’re totally legit. And maybe they are. Or maybe a giant chicken ran through wet mud ninety million years ago. Who knows. Science is tricky. Overall vibe? It’s meh. See it if you’re passing by and want to stretch your legs. But if you're craving hardcore dinosaur action, go stare lovingly at a full T-Rex skeleton in a museum. At least that one won’t be hiding under three kilos of sand like a shy toddler. End of review. Now go dust the sand out of your shoes.

We had an awesome tour guide - Jennifer Whiterock - who walked us out and showed us what was what and told us stories about the finds. We saw a lot of really cool things, and she encouraged us to touch the bones, stand on them, etc - there is no other place I have ever been or very likely will - who would let you do that. Our guide brought a water bottle to add water to the finds to make them more visible. She made sure we were okay to continue exploring in the heat when a member was falling behind. She is so sweet. Be respectful of where you are. This belongs to the Navajo, and they chose to share this with you. Do not take bones or stones. Leave the environment as you find it. Listen to the stories and learn. Our guide told us payment was up to us, that we could pay as we saw fit. We bought some jewelry from her as well. If you can't pay, it's fine. Obviously, if you can, please do. This is a treasure they are sharing. Let your children see the wonders, even if you can't afford it. This is a once in a lifetime experience.