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Trip Reports

April 29, 2023
November 17, 2017
April 12, 2012

Overview

Hype:

The Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks are located on two large boulders on the side of a hill near the beginning of the Poison Spider 4x4 road. The upper boulder has tracks of at least 10 different dinosaurs, including Allosaurus, Eubrontes, and Grallator.

190 million years ago, dinosaurs crossed the dune fields in the Moab area leaving their tracks in the damp sands. These tracks were fossilized by being rapidly covered by other dunes and preserved when the sand layers were converted to stone over time.

In the cliffs above, the tracks of at least 10 different meat-eating dinosaurs are preserved in blocks of Navajo Sandstone that have eroded from the cliffs above and fallen, splitting along the bedding planes that preserved them. Both the original tracks and the layer that filled them are present on the slabs.

The tracks here were made by Therapods including Allosaurus, Eubrontes, and Grallator. These 3-toed predator dinosaurs walked on two legs and used their arms for holding and grasping.

The tracks are of several sizes of dinosaurs walking at about 3 miles per hour in a damp area similar to modern beaches but with a subtle twist. Imagine a beach crowded with animals of various sized - but instead of seagulls and sand pipers there are meat eating lizards hunting and being hunted!

Please DO NOT take plaster casts of these dinosaur tracks!

Casting is ILLEGAL, and harms the tracks. The sandstone rocks that the tracks are in are very porous. Unlike trackways in harder stones, the sandstone absorbs the plaster and breaks off when the plaster is removed. Plaster casting is not allowed for this reason.

There are no guards or fences here. You, the visitor, are the protector of this valuable resource. Remember - (like the dinosaurs) leave only footprints - take only photographs.

Trail Condition: Class 2 (Trail may have tree roots or rocks jutting out. Navigation skills may consist of following rock cairns and choosing turns at junctions. Elevation gains may be more substantial.)

Time: 10 minutes

Length: 0.1 miles round trip

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Features:

Dinosaur Fossils
No Drinking Water
Marked Trails
No Restrooms
Road Access is Paved
Access Road is 2WD Accessible
Viewpoint, Overlooks, Vistas
Interpretive Signs
Hiking Trails
Wildflowers and Vegitation
Wildlife and Birding

Getting There

Navigate to 38.532848, -109.608757.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Moab, Utah

Coordinates: 38.532848, -109.608757

Interactive Guide Map

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April 29, 2023 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Miller Dye,

Story

After finishing Pool Arch Canyon, we went to retrieve our stuck rope in Granary Canyon. When we got to the bottom of Granary Canyon, there was a group just finishing the canyon and they collected our rope for us. But instead of tossing it down to us they packed it in their bag and the last person brought it down with them, which meant that I had to wait for almost an hour for them to finish rappelling. Once we had the rope in hand, our car drove back to Moab on the paved road. We stopped at the dinosaur tracks on the way.

When we got to town, we called Anthony and company several times and sent multiple text messages that we had the rope and all was good and we can meet a camp, but they didn't get our messages right away because they left early to go babysit the rope to make sure that another group didn't retrieve our rope after I verified that it was there. That was very courteous of them, but we didn't realize that was the plan, so they ended up driving past us when we were at the dinosaur tracks and we didn't realize it. Miller said that he saw his dad's truck, but the rest of us didn't believe him. Eventually, they got our text message and met us back at camp shortly after we got there. We had a more leisurely dinner and a little bit of campfire before bed which was a nice change of pace compared to the other late nights we had.