Dinosaur Footprints Found Near 2026 Winter Olympics Site

Near the site of the 2026 Winter Olympics, roughly 20,000 dinosaur tracks dating back 210 million years have been discovered by paleontologists.

Dinosaur Footprints Found Near 2026 Winter Olympics Site

The Milan Natural History Museum (MNHM) made the stunning announcement on Instagram on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The discovery of thousands of footprints date back hundreds of millions of years, to the Triassic period. The find was made by nature photographer Elio Della Ferrera in the Alps’ Fraele Valley, which lies between Livigno and Bormio—the venues for February’s Olympic Games. 

“This represents one of the most important deposits of Triassic trace fossils in the world,” MNHM wrote in its statement. “Ferrera spotted hundreds of meters of dinosaur tracks on extensive, nearly vertical dolomite walls,” it continued. “The tracks, preserved in excellent condition despite the altitude, show traces of toes and claws imprinted on tidal flats at the end of the Triassic.”

Tracks Were Made by Long-Necked Bipedal Herbivores

Scientists have so far been able to identify about 20,000 footprints across an area spanning roughly three miles. They believe the tracks were made by long-necked bipedal herbivores, which measured up to 33 feet in length and weighed as much as four tons, per the Associated Press. 

Nature Photographer Made Stunning Find

The first person notified of the discovery was Cristiano Dal Sasso, a paleontologist at Milan’s Natural History Museum. “This time, reality really surpasses fantasy,” he told the outlet. Dal Sasso went on to explain that the tracks indicate the dinosaurs traveled in groups, and often formed circles with one another, possibly as a defensive tactic. “There are very obvious traces of individuals that have walked at a slow, calm, quiet rhythmic pace, without running. The huge surprise was not so much in discovering the footprints, but in discovering such a huge quantity. [There are] tens of thousands of prints up there.”

'Never Before Reported or Studied'

“The area cannot be reached by trails: drones and remote sensing technologies are needed to study it,” explained the MNHM. The MNHM was assisted in their detailed analysis of the fossils by the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Como, Lecco, Sondrio, and Varese; and the Stelvio National Park. The scientists produced and logged photos and videos, along with other geo-paleontological evidence, to further analyze the footprints at a later date. “It is the largest site in the Alps and one of the richest in the world,” said the MNHM. “Never before reported or studied, it will engage geologists and paleontologists for decades."