Approximately 200 million years ago, this area was a subtropical retreat for dinosaurs.
During the early Jurassic period, this area was home to a large lake while the rest of present day Utah was primarily covered by sand dunes.
The lake created a subtropical oasis that boasted several plant varieties. Fossil records show remains of ferns, equisetum, cycads and conifers.
Because the dinosaurs enjoyed the area’s lake and plants, many dinosaur tracks have been discovered throughout Washington County. The tracks shown on the rocks to the right of this sign are identified as swim tracks, which are created as toes scrape or tails drag in the mud when dinosaurs move on the lake’s shallow shoreline. These rocks were found during the construction of the water district’s office building, which neighbors the garden to the east.