Morrison, Colorado

Morrison, Colorado is tiny town hiding in the foothills just west of Denver. It is just near enough to Denver to be a trendy day-trip for motorcycle riders but far enough away that Denver's ever burgeoning urban sprawl has not reached it yet. The town's main claim to fame is Red Rocks, a natural amphitheater that is a mecca for musicians and music lovers.

Red Rocks hosts hundreds of bands every year and it's natural acoustics draw musicians from all over the world. When not in use, people can explore the stage and seatings and try out the acoustics for themselves.

However, under the hills that surround Morrison are 125 million year old treasures. Dinosaurs and giant reptiles once roamed this area in the semi-tropical Jurassic Era and in Cretaceous Era, some swimming in the warm Great Western Inland Sea. After they died, conditions were perfect for fossilization.

Morrison boasts the Morrison Museum of Natural History and nearby is Dinosaur Ridge. The Natural History Museum provides a glance back into local prehistoric life. Curated by renowned paleontologist Robert Bakker, the museum does embody his unique and sometimes controversial view of dinosaurs. While not crammed with fossils, the museum is nicely laid out and almost everything is touchable, a boon to dinosaur crazed kids (and husbands). One interesting exhibit suggests that young apatosauria were capable of walking on their rear legs for extended periods. The gigantic marine reptile, Tylosaur, skull juts into the top floor. This specimen has a perfect double set of rear facing teeth on the roof of the mouth, all the better to slide prey down its gullet. One another stand, visitors can gently touch a pteranodon's delicate wing bones.

 

One of the best sources of information is Docent Doug, lurking somewhere about the museum to answer questions and point out some of the museum's curiosities. The is also a short guided hike that leads past some local points of geological interest. Perhaps the highlight of the trip was the prep room. My children, under supervision, were allowed to try out some fossil preparation on an Apatasaurus ajax. The experience had my tweens skipping out to the car with visions of paleontology dancing in their heads.

Rounding out a visit to Morrison's ancient past is a visit to Dinosaur Ridge. Located near Morrison in a Jefferson County Open Area, Dinosaur Ridge includes a small museum and a mile long hike along one of the hogback mountains common to the area.  The hike is on a paved road, divided into a walking lane and a biking lane.  The road loops from the east side to the west side of the hogback. We were there on a Sunday and so were, apparently, every road biker in the Denver area. Bikers either laboriously climbed up the road or screamed down the other side, amazingly with no crashes, the day we visited. Buses are available for the faint of heart. Along the hike, walkers can examine sauropod and therapod foot prints, search for trace fossils and run their hands over 125 million year old ripple marks left by the shallow sea. Bring water, hats and sunscreen.

Morrison is located off C-470, Morrison exit. Exit west and travel through Morrison to the brown museum sign. Turn left and the museum is several blocks up the hill on the right in an old cabin. Dinosaur Ridge is one exit north of Morrison, off C-470, Alameda exit, or 16831 W Alameda Drive. Exit to the west and the parking area and museum are clearly marked and visible.                

Dinosaur Ridge http://www.dinoridge.org/

Morrison Museum of Natural History http://www.mnhm.org/

Red Rocks http://www.redrocksonline.com/