Emery County and the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinasaur Quarry
A day trip to Emery County could include many sites but the three recommended include a tour of each of the two museums in Castle Dale plus a jont out to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.
The visitor center acts as the main starting point for exploring Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.
What can I see and do?
At the Quarry a juvenile-sized allosaurus fragilis mount greets visitors rounding the corner and entering the main part of the center. Dinosaur bones and replicas are all displayed throughout the building. An eight-foot tall camarasaurus lentus leg replica is propped against a pillar holding up the roof. A glass case contains additional bones, gastroliths and vicious looking teeth.
A map covers most of the wall between two window casements. Thousands of bones are depicted in the chart.
Two metal buildings protect the exposed bone bed from weather and vandals. One building has a catwalk to allow closer viewing of bones still in the ground and partially exposed.
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is open to the members of the general public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until next Monday, Sept. 2. After Sept. 2, the quarry’s hours switch to Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the end of the month in question or possibly until October.
Nominal user fees are required for adults and youth wishing to tour the facilities and the displays featured at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.
Bones of 74 individual dinosaurs have been excavated at the quarry site, with nearly 70 percent of the fossils belonging to the meateater allosaurus.
In total, between 12,000 and 18,000 bones have been excavated from Cleveland-Lloyd.
The Emery County Pioneer Museum in Castle Dale focuses on the region with displays of tools, implements and re-creations of an early home, a mercantile store and a lawyer’s office. A visit will give people a sense of what it was like to build farms and communities in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The facility in Castle Dale is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m.
The Museum of the San Rafael is also located in Castle Dale. A quality museum, the facility highlights the geology, history, animal and plant life of the San Rafael Swell area.
Replicas of dinosaurs and Indian artifacts are two main areas of concentration at the museum.
The Sitterud Bundle, listed among the world’s finest Indian artifacts, is on display at the facility as are sculptures and mounted specimens. Area art and craft shows are often presented.
Operational hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m.
How do I get there?
From Price, Castle Valley residents and visitors to the Carbon-Emery area should travel along Utah Highway 10 south to the Cleveland/Elmo turnoff.
Motorists should take the Cleveland-Elmo turnoff and follow the directory signs to the quarry.
The last 12 miles to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry are on graded unpaved road.
From Huntington, visitors should follow Utah Highway 10 north and take the Cleveland turnoff.
After reaching Cleveland, people should drive south toward the San Rafael Swell and follow the signs.
What is the driving time?
Drivers should plan about 30 minutes to Castle Dale while it will take about another 30 to 45 minutes back northeast to the Quarry.
For more information:
For museum information, contact the Museum of the San Rafael at 435-381-5252 or the Emery County Pioneer Museum at 435-381-5154.
Emery County day trips include dinosaurs and recreation
