Date: 8/4/2007

Difficulty: Easy

Miles: Approx. 1/2 Mile Round Trip

Rating:

Type: Loop

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 39° 9'7.79"N, 108°45'47.17"W

 The Fruita Paleo area is located just South of Fruita Colorado and is located in the Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife area. To get there turn South onto Broadway from I-70 and continue traveling South until you come to Kings View Drive. Turn right and drive through Kingsview subdivision, continue on the road. Bear left when the pavement ends and follow the gravel road for about 2.2 miles until you see the sign indicating the Fruita Paleo Area. There is a small parking area on the left hand side of the road and the trail loops around South of the road.

The Fruita Paleo Area is kind of an intresting area. There are about twenty interpretive signs along the trail describing the geology and paleontology of the area.

There is a quarry on top of the hill that has produced many different types of dinosaur fossils. They have found large dinosaur fossils, tiny mammals, snails and clams. They have also found fossils of a dinosaur that are smaller then a chicken.

I rated this small hike a three star only because it is so short and the scenery isn't all that great. The information you can get from the signs is very interesting.

Fruita Paleo Area