Trail Through Time | Fascinating Hike in McInnis Canyon NCA

Trail Through Time is an awesome interpretive hike in McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area. The vast, soft landscape and gentle trail conditions make this a very pleasant stroll. But the opportunity to see real dinosaur bones that are about 140 millions years old along the way make it a memorable experience!

At only 1.4 miles this loop makes a really cool, quick stop just off I-70 or a nice little adventure while camping nearby at McInnis Canyon. Enjoy the scenery, solitude and interesting information on this enjoyable little loop hike.

While you’re in the area, check out Rabbits Ear Trail – a scenic lollipop hike on the nearby mesa! Or McDonald Creek Canyon Trail – a stroll through a beautiful canyon to the Colorado River.

Quick Info: Trail Through Time

Distance: 1.4 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Directions: From I-70 in Colorado, take Exit 2 for Rabbit Valley. Turn north, cross the cattle guard and park in the dirt parking area.

Good to Know: There are vault toilets at the trailhead and shaded benches on the trail.

Our Experience Hiking Trail Through Time

We had just stumbled upon McInnis Canyon National Conservation area and got all settled in at Jouflas Campground. Then we were excited to go check out the area so we drove across the highway to hike Trail Through Time.

From the parking area, the trail leads toward the Mygatt-Moore Quarry where you’ll find informative signs. Here you can read about the geology formation, area history and the dinosaurs and other fossils found in this area. This information really sets the scene for the rest of the hike.

Along the way there are 21 interpretive signs with more information about the area, geology, and past and present research.

Hike it Later – Pin it Now!

A couple of the stops along the Trail Through Time stood out to us. At one stop, we were able to see the long Camarasaurus dinosaur neck vertebrae in the rock. It was fascinating! (Obviously we hadn’t yet visited the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument..)

And the second was the Diplodocus skeleton. Here you can see vertebrae from a juvenile dinosaur preserved in the sandstone right in front of you! And it’s actually apparent what you’re looking at, not just a “oh yeah I kinda see it” moment.

The landscape views, cool rocks, colorful wildflowers and the sound of the grasses in the wind made it easy to forget the I-70 was right there. Although the hike is mellow and the ascent seemed gentle, it still rewards with a nice overlook of Rabbit Valley.

We hiked Trail Through Time in the evening and had the trail to ourselves. Plus the lighting and temperature were perfect. With so many different elements at play, hiking Trail Through Time was a memorable adventure. And we were excited to see what else McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area had to show us.

Thanks for Keeping Up with The Lost Longboarder!

There’s so much to see and such little time! We are so glad that we stumbled upon McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area and were able to check out some of the hikes here. If you’d like to read about some of our other hiking adventures, check out the articles below:

• Backpacking Missouri and Fancy Pass Loop
• Hiking to the Plane Crash on Humphreys Peak
• Red Mountain Trail
• Rattlesnake Canyon Hike in Joshua Tree

In order to live on the road and explore these amazing places, we create hand painted one of a kind longboards. Check out our Lost Coast Longboarding shop to see some of our boards and t-shirts!

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