Discovery of 20,000 Dinosaur Footprints Near 2026 Winter Olympics Venue in Stelvio National Park
In a remarkable paleontological discovery, about 20,000 dinosaur footprints were uncovered near the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics venue of Bormio in Stelvio National Park. The footprints date back to the Late Triassic period, approximately 210 million years ago, and are believed to have been made by long-necked bipedal herbivores roughly 33 feet long and weighing up to four tons, resembling Plateosaurus.
The prints were discovered by wildlife photographer Elio Della Ferrera in September 2025 at Stelvio National Park near the Fraele Valley close to the Swiss border. They are located on a north-facing wall at an elevation of about 7,900 to 9,200 feet above sea level, with visibility requiring a strong lens.
This prehistoric coastal area, previously unexplored for tracks, revealed tens of thousands of prints. Despite the significance of the find, there are currently no plans to make the footprints publicly accessible. Lombardy regional governor Attilio Fontana described the discovery as a "gift for the Olympics." The announcement was made on December 16, 2025, ahead of the Winter Olympics scheduled from February 6 to 22, 2026. The park entrance where the prints are located is approximately a mile from the site of the Men’s Alpine skiing events.
