9 Reasons to road trip Queensland’s Dinosaur Trail

Dinosaurs and road trips might not seem like an obvious combination, but head far enough into Outback Queensland and you’ll find one of Australia’s more unusual touring routes. Australia’s Dinosaur Trail links Winton, Hughenden and Richmond, taking road trippers through a part of Queensland where some seriously impressive prehistoric discoveries have been made.

We’re talking dinosaur bones, ancient marine reptiles, enormous footprints and even evidence of a dinosaur stampede.

Better still for caravanners and RV travellers, you can drive between the three main towns on sealed roads, with plenty of caravan parks and camping options along the way. Just be prepared for some dirt if you’re heading out to the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry.

So, if you’re looking for an excuse to point the van towards Outback Queensland, here are nine reasons to add the Queensland dinosaur trail to your road trip list.

#1. See Australia’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils in Winton

Winton is probably the best-known stop on Australia’s Dinosaur Trail, thanks largely to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History. Sitting on a huge mesa around 24 kilometres from town, the museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils.

The Ultimate Dinosaur Tour takes visitors through the Fossil Preparation Laboratory and Collection Room, as well as the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition. You can also wander through Dinosaur Canyon, where life-sized recreations help put the area’s prehistoric residents into perspective.

Even if you’re travelling without kids, it’s a fascinating look at just how much prehistoric history is still being uncovered beneath the Outback Queensland landscape.

#2. Walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs at Lark Quarry

Around 110 kilometres from Winton is one of the most remarkable dinosaur sites in Australia: Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park. Thousands of fossilised footprints have been preserved here, recording an event that occurred around 95 million years ago.

Whatever your level of dinosaur enthusiasm, standing in front of a rock surface covered in ancient footprints is pretty hard not to be impressed by.

It’s worth noting that although the main roads linking Winton, Hughenden and Richmond are sealed, the road to Lark Quarry includes around 65 kilometres of unsealed road. Check current road conditions before towing out there.

#3. Meet Hughie the Muttaburrasaurus in Hughenden

Roll into Hughenden and it’s time to meet Hughie. The Flinders Discovery Centre is home to a life-sized skeletal replica of a Muttaburrasaurus, along with fossils and displays exploring the prehistoric history of the Flinders region.

It’s also a reminder that dinosaurs aren’t the entire story out here. Millions of years ago, much of inland Queensland looked very different from the dry landscape you’ll see through the windscreen today, and fossils of marine creatures have also been discovered throughout the region.

#4. Take the van to Porcupine Gorge

You don’t need to spend the entire Queensland dinosaur trail staring at fossils. Around 60 kilometres north of Hughenden, Porcupine Gorge National Park provides a pretty good excuse to pull on the hiking shoes and stretch your legs.

Sometimes dubbed Australia’s ‘Little Grand Canyon’, the gorge has towering sandstone cliffs, walking tracks and the impressive Pyramid rock formation down on the gorge floor. There’s also camping at Pyramid Campground, making Porcupine Gorge an easy addition for campers and caravanners who have a little more time up their sleeves.

#5. Discover an ancient inland sea at Kronosaurus Korner

Richmond swaps land-based dinosaurs for something arguably even more terrifying. Around 110 million years ago, this part of Queensland was covered by an inland sea populated by enormous marine reptiles.

Kronosaurus Korner houses Australia’s premier marine fossil collection, including fossils of plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and other creatures that once lived in these prehistoric waters. One of its star exhibits is ‘Penny’, the Richmond Pliosaur, described by Australia’s Dinosaur Trail as Australia’s most complete marine vertebrate specimen.

It’s a very different prehistoric story from the one you’ll encounter back in Winton.

#6. Go fossil hunting in Richmond

Why settle for looking at fossils behind glass when you can try finding one yourself? Richmond is one of the few places where visitors can have a crack at uncovering their own prehistoric treasures.

Kronosaurus Korner offers fossil hunting experiences where visitors can learn how to find and identify fossils, and there’s something undeniably cool about splitting a rock and wondering whether you’re the first person in millions of years to see what’s inside.

Just make sure you follow the local rules around where you can fossick and what you can take.

#7. Cool off at Lake Fred Tritton

After days of red dirt, fossils and long stretches of outback highway, Richmond’s Lake Fred Tritton makes a handy place to slow down. The man-made recreational lake has become a popular spot for swimming, fishing and picnicking and is an easy addition to your stay in town.

For RV travellers, that’s one of the advantages of taking your time on Australia’s Dinosaur Trail. There’s no need to race from museum to museum when the towns themselves have plenty worth stopping for.

#8. Add some Waltzing Matilda history to your dinosaur road trip

Dinosaurs aren’t Winton’s only claim to fame.

The town is closely associated with Australia’s unofficial anthem, Waltzing Matilda, and the Waltzing Matilda Centre explores the story of the song alongside Winton’s broader history. It’s well worth adding to your itinerary, particularly if you’re already spending a couple of nights in town for the Australian Age of Dinosaurs and Lark Quarry.

Throw in Winton’s pubs, historic streets and classic outback atmosphere and there’s plenty here to keep you occupied between dinosaur encounters.

#9. Make the journey part of the adventure

One of the best things about the Queensland dinosaur trail is that it works particularly well as an RV road trip.

Winton, Hughenden and Richmond form an outback touring triangle, with approximately 215 kilometres between Winton and Hughenden, 110 kilometres between Hughenden and Richmond and 218 kilometres between Richmond and Winton.

The roads connecting the three towns are fully sealed, although some side trips – most notably Lark Quarry – involve unsealed sections. Rather than blasting around the triangle in a few days, give yourself enough time to explore the towns, take a few detours and enjoy the outback landscapes along the way.

Hughenden and Richmond also sit on the Overlanders Way between Townsville and Mount Isa, while Winton can easily be incorporated into a longer Outback Queensland road trip.

Planning your Queensland dinosaur trail road trip

The cooler months are generally the most comfortable time to tackle Australia’s Dinosaur Trail, with April through September avoiding the worst of the outback summer heat. Accommodation along the route ranges from caravan parks and campgrounds to cabins and motels, but booking ahead is sensible during the busier winter touring season.

As with any Outback Queensland road trip, don’t rely entirely on mobile reception. Download your maps before leaving town, carry plenty of drinking water and keep an eye on fuel levels and road conditions.

If you’re planning to visit all four of the major dinosaur attractions, the Australia’s Dinosaur Trail Pass bundles entry to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, Dinosaur Stampede National Monument, Kronosaurus Korner and Flinders Discovery Centre into one ticket.

The pass needs to be booked across at least three days, which is probably a good hint anyway. This isn’t a road trip worth rushing.

Is Queensland’s dinosaur trail worth the road trip?

You don’t need to know your Muttaburrasaurus from your Kronosaurus to enjoy Australia’s Dinosaur Trail. For caravanners and road trippers, the dinosaurs are really just the excuse to explore another fascinating corner of Outback Queensland.

Between Winton, Hughenden and Richmond you’ll find spectacular outback landscapes, quirky country towns, camping opportunities and a surprising amount of evidence that, around 100 million years ago, this dusty part of Queensland was a very different place indeed.

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