WHEN Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park hit the big screen in 1993, fictional paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler made fossil hunting look cool.
However, Brit holidaymakers don’t need to visit a desert – or an island covered with dinosaurs – to step into Dr Grant’s fictional shoes because England is home to one of the best fossil hunting spots in the world.
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Smithsonian Magazine named the Jurassic Coast as one of the best fossil-collecting sites on Earth because visitors are actively encouraged to save fossils, where possible, for research purposes.
The Jurassic Coast was also named one of the best fossil hunting spots in the UK by Countryfile.
England‘s Jurassic Coast stretches for 95 miles from East Devon to Dorset, meaning there’s lots of space for dinosaur enthusiasts – whatever the age.
Would-be paleontologists should make a beeline for Lyme Regis, which is often dubbed the Jurassic Coast’s fossil capital thanks to English fossil collector Mary Anning.
The 19th-century paleontologist made some important discoveries, including finding the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton and the first plesiosaur skeleton.
And there are still plenty of skeletons, dinosaur footprints and fossilised treasures waiting to be found, with a 6ft-long pliosaur skull found just last year.
Other prime fossil hunting spots include Kimmeridge Bay, a sheltered and secluded bay that’s a mixture of pebbles and sand.
There’s also Ringstead Bay, an unspoilt beach that’s backed by farmland and cliffs.
At Ringstead Bay the bedrock must not be disturbed, meaning fossil hunters will need to look with the eyes rather than taking their finds home to be verified.
If you’re not much of an explorer, but still want to see traces of dinosaurs, then head to the Spyway Dinosaur Footprints.
What is it like to visit the Jurassic Coast?
ASSISTANT Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski (centre) explains what it’s actually like to visit Durdle Door.
DESPITE the Jurassic Coast being one of the most well-known spots for rambling in the UK, it has managed to remain gloriously peaceful.
I barely passed another soul during a Sunday hike along the rugged coastal path above Durdle Door a few years back – only a herd of cows munching on the unkempt grass at the top of the cliff.
Admittedly, things grew a little busier as I approached Lulworth Cove. But that’s no surprise with a horseshoe-shaped pebble bay and turquoise waters that could rival those in the Caribbean.
Make sure to wander over to Fossil Forest while you’re here too, where you can observe ripples of an ancient sea floor within the rocks and fossilised remains of old tree stumps that date back to the dinosaur era.
Located in Purbeck, next to a working quarry, it is easily accessible from the Priest’s Way walking path.
The footprints were made 145 million years ago when the area was covered in tropical forests and swamps, giving visitors the chance to step back in time.
The fossils were discovered in 1997 by quarrymen Kevin Keates and Trev Haysom before the site opened to the public in 2016, with the Jurassic Coast Trust occasionally running guided walks of the site.
Charmouth, a village in Dorset, is another prime location for fossil hunting.
Make a beeline for Charmouth Beach and get booked onto a fossil hunting walk with Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.
The 90-minute walking tour takes place outdoors where a guide helps holidaymakers search for fossils, with visitors even able to take their treasures home.
A trip to the Jurassic Coast isn’t complete without seeing Durdle Door – one of the area’s most well-known landmarks.
The natural arch was formed from a layer of hard limestone that stands almost vertically out of the sea.
Durdle Door stands at the foot of a steep path, which is accessible from the South West Coast Path.
In the last few years, some holidaymakers have likened Durdle Door to beaches in Portugal because of its coastline and rock formations.
One person wrote on TripAdvisor: “Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door: Reminded me of the Algarve in Portugal!”
While another added: “The rocks protruding out of the sea were so pretty you would forget you’re still in England and reminded me of a trip to Portugal.”
A third commented: “You don’t feel like you are in the UK. It seems more like Portugal or California.”
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay overnight, then the Sun’s Head of Travel recommends Durdle Door Holiday Park.
The family-owned holiday park has endless sea views as well as unrivalled access to Durdle Door.
Sun Online Travel have found touring pitches from £30 per night per pitch.
There are plenty of other places across the Uk where dinosaur enthusiasts can get the Jurassic Park fix.
One of those places is Paradise Park in East Sussex, which is home to life-size moving dinosaurs, fossils and a Dinosaur Safari at Paradise Park.
Meanwhile, Knebworth House in Herefordshire has a dinosaur-themed adventure section.
And Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park in North Devon has 19 animatronic dinosaurs, including a life-sized T-Rex, Dino Express train and a play zone.
Can you get fined for taking fossils home?
WHILE some fossil hunters will simply choose to look and not touch, there will be others who will want to take their treasures home.
The rules surrounding fossils are a little grey, with holidaymakers needing to do their own research because every area is different.
According to the Natural History Museum, holidaymakers will need to make sure they have the “appropriate permission and access rights” to take fossils home.
For example, some areas are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, which may have extra restrictions.
Guidance on the Natural History Museum website states: “Always look up and follow the rules for the specific areas you visit or those imposed by owners or controllers, which can include obtaining permission to access and collect in the area, avoiding disturbing wildlife, and recording what you found and where. In some places you can look but mustn’t collect anything.”
Meanwhile, ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure in Norfolk is set to open a new land in 2026.
Gigantosaurus Land will be based on an animated series of the same name, which currently streams worldwide on services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney Plus.
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