Over 150 million years ago , a sauropod take a walk through an area that would later become part of Colorado . Now , you could see the evidence it leave behind in sensational raw drone footage that captivate the globe ’s longest uninterrupted dinosaur trackway .
Famed for its wealth of dinosaur fossils , Colorado is already a fossilist ’s ambition – but the West Gold Hill Dinosaur Track land site near Ouray is particularly special . retrieve at an altitude of around 2,835 metre ( 9,300 foot ) , the site is a 96.3 - meter ( 316 - animal foot ) farseeing stint of 134 consecutive dinosaur footprint dating back to the recent Jurassic .
The footprints are reckon to have been made by a sauropod : long - necked , thick - legged dinosaurs that would persist untilthat pesky asteroidcame along .
While it ’s not the largest dinosaur track site in the US – that titlebelongs tothe one at Picket Wire Canyon Trail , also in Colorado – West Gold Hill is in fact the longest known uninterrupted set of dinosaur footprint in the world .
Not only that , but as can be seen in the new drone footage , the website also showsevidenceof a sharp turn ; the sauropod dinosaur had walked north for around 45 metre ( 148 fundament ) , before making a 180 ° bit to the south , walk for around 15 meters ( 49 base ) before turning to the east and continue until the tracks terminate . Maybe it call back it left something at dwelling , perhaps it was just indecisive – guess we ’ll never know .
What we do know is that such evidence is rare ; there are just six other lie with examples ofsauropodturning in the entire world , found in the US and China , and only one of them demonstrates a likewise piercing twist .
If you ’d like to catch a glimpse of this particular land site in real lifetime and not just in dawdler footage , we have adept newsworthiness – as of April 2024 , the West Gold Hill Dinosaur Track site isnow public land .
It used to belong to the Charles family , who had possess the situation since 1945 , but had no idea that the holes in the ground were in fact dinosaur footprints until 2021 – their dog had been using the footprints as a resting spot .
After that , the family approached the US Forest Service to see if it would be interested in taking on the land so that it could be uphold andenjoyed by the public , and a successful wad was made .
" By preserving these fossilize imprint , we are not only safeguarding a worthful scientific resource , ” said Jim Pitts , Acting Forest Supervisor for Grand Mesa , Uncompahgre and Gunnison ( GMUG ) National Forests , in astatement , “ but also create an incredible opportunity for the populace to link with the aloof past times , prompt curiosity , teaching and stewardship . "
