Want to put your hand in a dinosaur track? The place to do this is Dinosaur Valley State Park in near Glen Rose, TX. This unique 1524.72 acres is in Somervell County, TX and is located on both sides of the Paluxy River, a branch of the Brazos River. Using funds from the State Parks Bonds Program, it was bought in 1968 and opened to the public in 1972.
About 13 million years ago this area was an ancient sea. The deposits from this sea’s shoreline provided a perfect geological setting for the dinosaurs’ tracks. There are two main kinds of dinosaur tracks to be seen at the park. On of the dinosaur tracks is a three toed, sharp clawed, meat eater. It was two legged and was known as a theropod. These are thought to have been made by the large, twenty to thirty foot, Acrocanthosaurus, a carnosaur. Bones of this dinosaur are found in the same area. The second sets of prints are over a yard long. This are thought to belong to giant brontosaurus.
They were four legged, plant eating sauropods. The front tracks resemble a rounded modern elephant track and the back prints are more like a huge bear track with claws. Pleurocelus is thought to be the maker of these tracks. The first known Sauropods tracks were discovered in 1930’s at Glen Rose.
The tracks in the area are dated back to at least 110 million years ago. They had remained buried in the river bed and shore until the Paluxy River by eating away at the sediment exposed them. Tourists are furnished with maps to view the tracks. They are best seen in two areas, the Main Site and the Blue Hole. At the Blue Hole you can actually fish and swim among the dinosaur tracks. The Blue Hole is accessed from the western camping area, or you can hike upstream from the Main Site. The Main Site is found adjacent to the parking lot of the park headquarters. It is a short hike down a path with stairs and stepping stones. Since many of the tracks are in the river bed, it is advisable to call ahead for water depth and weather before going there.
Life- like dinosaurs, the Apatosaurus standing 70 feet tall and the Tyrannosaurus Rex at forty-five feet are in the park so the visitors can get an idea of how huge they really were. These were originally built for the New York World’s Fair at the Dinosaur Exhibit of 1964. They were commissioned by Sinclair Oil Company.
For the horseback rider, the park has over 100 acres of woody, semi-rocky area to ride in. Bring your own horse and enjoy a real river ride. There is a parking lot for your trailer and restrooms nearby. There are no set trails so you are free to ride anywhere in the designated area. This is day use only, no overnight rides.
There is mountain biking in the park also. You can ride for a while then take a cool swim in the river to cool off. Hiking offers great opportunities to not only enjoy the dinosaur’s tracks but the wildlife abundant in this park.
Of course there is camping and picnicking in the park. The park has RV sites with water and hook-ups. It has a dump site. There are tables and grills at each parking site. There are campsites for backpackers about 1-2 miles from the main entrance. There is water there but no restrooms or showers. Also in the park are day picnic areas with tables and a large pavilion for big gatherings with a fireplace. An outdoor amphitheatre is used for occasional use. The headquarters has an interpretive center and plenty of volunteers to answer all your questions. The park has a store for cold drinks and snacks and of course dinosaur collectibles.
