Riker Hill Fossil Site: An RV Traveler's Guide
PickRV Editorial
The small team behind PickRV
The Riker Hill Fossil Site in Roseland, Essex County, New Jersey, is a 16-acre former quarry famous for some of the smallest dinosaur tracks ever found. Acquired by Essex County in 1970 and recognized as a National Natural Landmark, the dinosaur site itself is not open for casual drop-in visits — Essex County offers guided family field trips to see the three-toed Grallator tracks instead.
Can you visit the dinosaur tracks at Riker Hill?
Not on your own — Essex County states the Dinosaur Park portion is not open to the public. Essex County Parks runs guided family field trips that hike to the National Natural Landmark to see three-toed Grallator dinosaur tracks from the late Triassic. Arrange a visit through the official county page.
- ·Dinosaur site not open for casual drop-in visits
- ·Guided Essex County field trips to the tracks
- ·Three-toed Grallator tracks, late Triassic
State
New Jersey (Essex County)
Town
Roseland
Designation
National Natural Landmark
Tracks
Three-toed Grallator, late Triassic
Managed by
Essex County Parks
Riker Hill began as a stone quarry where dinosaur tracks came to light in 1968. The most fossil-rich portion was preserved and became part of the Essex County park system, and Essex County notes the 16-acre Dinosaur Park is known statewide as the site of some of the smallest dinosaur tracks ever found.
Essex County is clear that this Dinosaur Park is not open to the public for casual visits. Instead, the county runs guided Family Dinosaur Discovery field trips — a roughly one-mile hike to the National Natural Landmark to see three-toed Grallator tracks from the late Triassic age, geared toward families with children.
Because access is by arranged tour only, contact Essex County Parks through the official page for current field-trip dates and reservations before planning an RV trip to the area.
Official sources
- Essex County Parks — Riker Hill Complex other-gov
Nearby & related
Keep planning New Jersey
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of New Jersey trip planning.
Planning an RV trip near Riker Hill Fossil Site: An RV Traveler's Guide?
Was this guide helpful?