Kaiparowits Formation, Sedimentary formation in southern Utah, United States

The Kaiparowits Formation is a sedimentary rock unit over 850 metres thick in the Kaiparowits Plateau of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, southern Utah. Its sandstone beds were deposited by rivers and its mudstone beds are floodplain deposits laid down on the coastal plain of southern Laramidia. The fossil-bearing lower half has yielded most specimens.

This formation developed during the Campanian age around 77 million years ago when the region featured swamp environments bordering a shallow sea. These conditions allowed sediments to accumulate and preserve remains of prehistoric animals.

The formation's name comes from the Kaiparowits Plateau, a Paiute word often said to mean "home of the desert spirits." Fieldwork since 1982 has been led mainly by the Natural History Museum of Utah, and less than 10% of the formation has been explored for fossils.

The site lies within protected lands and requires proper preparation for visits. Anyone wishing to explore the area should check conditions and access information before going.

Paleontologists have discovered several dinosaur species within this layer, including Gryposaurus, Kosmoceratops, and Teratophoneus curriei. Despite these discoveries, much of the formation remains unexplored and likely holds additional fossils.