There was a time 80 million years ago when the only thing roaming the rolling hills and beaches of New Jersey was an impressive dinosaur. Yes, a dinosaur in New Jersey.

Hadrosaurus (NJDEP)
Hadrosaurus (NJDEP)
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Did you know that we have a state dinosaur here in New Jersey? Well, we do and he must have been quite an amazing creature.

After all, it's not easy for a beast that size to fit thru the EZ Pass toll booths, and not every dinosaur can hold down a good enough job to afford our taxes, but the Hadrosaurus managed to pull it off.

Google Street View
Google Street View
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Measuring about 23 feet long, New Jersey's state dinosaur was an impressive specimen. Skeletal remains of this amazing creature were discovered in the mid-1800s in a place known as the Woodbury Formation.

Hadrosaurus was the perfect dinosaur to be roaming the Garden State since experts believe it was a herbivore, meaning it only ate vegetation, according to Dinosaur Pictures.

Photo by Madison Nickel on Unsplash
Photo by Madison Nickel on Unsplash
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The hadrosaurus was pretty massive, having two and a half tons on that 23-foot length, so it was most likely relegated to the right lane on the Parkway.

It took all the way until 1991 for the Hadrosaurus to be named the official dinosaur of New Jersey, but now it is all ours and we love it.

A great place to learn more about Hadrosaurus at the website created for Haddonfield's own dinosaur.

Google Maps
Google Maps
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That's just the tip of the iceberg of the information on the dinosaur that once roamed the very areas we live and play in here in New Jersey. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.

Imagine two and a half tons of dinosaur speeding toward you while you're trying to pick out produce at Delicious Orchards or waiting in line for a ride at Great Adventure. That puts it into perspective a little bit.

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