The 150-Million-Year-Old Wrong Turn: Dinosaur Walked in a 360-Degree Loop

Imagine being a 50-ton sauropod 150 million years ago, making a wrong turn in Jurassic Colorado, walking in a giant 360-degree circle, and having 21st-century scientists analyze your limp.

At the West Gold Hill Dinosaur Tracksite near Ouray, Colorado, paleontologists using high-resolution drone imagery and 3D modeling have uncovered a 130-footprint trackway spanning over 95 meters. The centerpiece? A rare, unbroken 360-degree loop where a massive herbivore executed a complete U-turn before resuming its original path.

Did the Dinosaur Have a Limp?

Researchers led by Dr. Anthony Romilio measured a persistent 10-centimeter (4-inch) step asymmetry between the dinosaur's left and right sides. Coupled with variation in footprint depth, the evidence suggests this long-necked giant was nursing a slight limp as it navigated the tight turn.

Preserved for Eternity

The U.S. Forest Service recently acquired the West Gold Hill land to protect this unique trackway permanently. Today, hikers on the Silvershield Trail can walk alongside the fossilized tracks and ponder the ancient moment a giant dinosaur got lost in the mud.