PAGE, Ariz. – Everyone who loves dinosaurs and fossils, or would like to learn more about them, is invited to the National Park Service (NPS) National Fossil Festival being held on Oct 9, 2024, in Page, Ariz.  Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA), renowned for being one of the best areas in the nation to study fossils, is hosting the premier NPS event for this year’s National Fossil Day.

The NPS National Fossil Festival will include free, fun, and informative activities throughout the day. Glen Canyon NRA Rangers will be joined by fossil experts and enthusiasts hosting booths from Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site, and Glen Canyon Conservancy.       

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be booths with special paleontology activities at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and opportunities to complete a Junior Paleontologist booklet. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., NPS Rangers will lead guided hikes to nearby dinosaur tracks. The day will culminate at 6:30 p.m. with a lecture at the Powell Museum (located at 6 N. Lake Powell Blvd.) by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Paleontologist Dr. Alan Titus, entitled "Rewriting the Family History of T-rex."

“We are excited to host this year’s National Fossil Day event,” said Michelle Kerns, superintendent of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. “We want to remind visitors how important it is to protect our park resources. If you are in an area where fossils may be present, please practice Leave No Trace principles.  If you discover a fossil, we’d love to know about it.  Please take a photo and note the location, leave it where you found it, and tell a ranger.”