Fossilized oyster shells in the Dakota Formation indicate a marine environment.
NPS
Fossils, like all natural features, are protected within Capitol Reef National Park. Please leave what you find--removing such objects diminishes the experience for other visitors, and removes an important piece of the scientific story of the park. If you do find an interesting fossil, please take a picture, record the location, and tell a park ranger.
The many sedimentary rock layers found in Capitol Reef contain clues to the environments and ancient life of the geologic past. The Chinle Formation is known for petrified wood--not surprising as this is the primary layer found at Petrified Forest National Park. The petrified wood in Capitol Reef is not as abundant or colorful, but a keen eye may notice some out on the trails. The Morrison Formation is known worldwide for dinosaur fossils, (like those at Dinosaur National Monument), but not many fossils have been found in the park. Paleontologists have found quite a few dinosaur fossils at the nearby Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry. Marine fossils, such as oyster shells in the Dakota Formation tell of periods when an ancient inland sea covered the region.
Fossil trackways have been found in the Moenkopi Formation, providing information about early reptiles that roamed this ancient coastal plain and tidal flat environment.
Fossils called stromatolites found in the Navajo Sandstone show that this ancient sand dune desert was not always completely dry--at times, lakes between the sand dunes provided habitat for mats of cyanobacteria.
Fossilized tracks are considered "trace fossils" because the actual remains of the animal are not present. Note the marker and the ruler for scale. Left: Right: Grallator track found in the Kayenta Formation.
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Recorded park information available 24 hours a day. Phones are answered when staff is available. If no one answers, please leave a message, your call will be returned. Questions may also be sent to care_information@nps.gov.
