Thus far in more than two years of Take the Off Ramp travel columns, I have focused on the present, and sometimes destinations a century old. In this episode, though, we’re going back in time—waaay back—to when dinosaurs roamed the rolling hills southwest of Fort Worth. Archeologists say that 113 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous Period, Texas had some fairly large critters wandering around, long before oil men, bankers and northerners discovered the DFW Metroplex. Turns out they left behind some footprints.
The tracks primarily come from two types of dinosaurs: the massive, plant-eating Sauroposeidon, and the large, three-toed carnivorous Acrocanthosaurus. Both were unwitting contributors to what we know today as Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose. Created in 1972, it is the eighth most-visited state park in Texas, with 230,424 visitors in 2025. The park can reach capacity on weekends. Plan accordingly.
Long ago, dinosaurs stepped in soft mud, leaving behind indelible footprints. As the mud dried and hardened, it perfectly preserved the prints. The passage of time—about a million years—brought about the erosion of these formations, the Paluxy River slowly wearing away the porous limestone. The result is a hard river bottom that is now a showroom of the geologic timeline.
Two giant statues near the visitor center provide fun photo opps. These were created for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City, and were donated by the Sinclair Oil Corporation. Although the statues are of Tyrannosaurus and Brontosaurus, which did not live in the park area, they are perfectly apropos.
The tracks were discovered in 1909, when a child stumbled upon the three-toed footprints of Acrocanthosaurus while playing in the river. Later, in 1928, a New York paleontologist discovered the large round prints of Sauroposeidon, the first proof that these creatures were terrestrial beings. Alas, this was all on private land, and it took until 1968 for Texas to acquire more than 1,500 acres through the state parks bonds program. Four years later, the park opened for all to enjoy.
I visited Dinosaur Valley this past February to participate in the MammothMarch, the local installment of a series of 20-mile, non-competitive hikes held across the country. The event had sold out quickly for the Saturday date; a second day was added, and I was able to snag a ticket. I had the luxury of visiting the park on Saturday for the sake of trail recon, then got to see the vast majority of the park the next day during the event. (Info on next year’s event can be found at MammothMarch.com. I’ll be there.)
Long story short: There is no better way to embrace our state parks than by getting out on foot for a very long walk. Aside from roughly a mile to and from the start/finish, it was all unique trails the rest of the day. My visit on Saturday, though, allowed me to check out some of the tracks, as well as get accustomed to boulder hopping the Paluxy, something I would have to do twice the next day. Along the way, I fell in love with the park.
The best time of year to see dinosaur tracks—and there are many—is during summer, when the river runs low and rainfall is scant. Of course, it can be hot at that time of year. February provided delightfully mild weather, but because of a gully washer a week prior, there was still water flowing, and some of the best tracks were covered. They were still visible, albeit under several inches of water. Check the park’s website (tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/dinosaur-valley) for a downloadable map and to track viewing conditions.
The trails range from easy to challenging, with many short, steep climbs up and over the bluffs—they aren’t bluffing—lining the river. There are more loose rocks than there are Texas residents. Still, mile for mile it is not as difficult as if you were to stitch together a similarly long course in our beloved Palo Duro Canyon.
Nearby Glen Rose offers numerous motels, from chains to mom and pops, along with a nice selection of local eateries. Camping is available in the park by reservation, as well as outside the park. The Glen Rose Brewing Company gets high marks, and is a nice place to relax after a long hike.
Dinosaur Valley is best accessed from Amarillo by traveling south to Lubbock, then to Sweetwater and Eastland, then farm-to-market roads to the park. It’s less than 400 miles away, a short drive in these parts. Bring water shoes in case the river is up, and step into history. I’m betting you won’t even come close to filling one of those tracks.
