Blackland Prairie, Texas
Visiting Dinosaur Valley State Park
What to know, what to do, and where to stay nearby.
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Dinosaur Valley State Park is one of the most unique outdoor destinations in Texas — a 1,587-acre park in Glen Rose where you can walk in the actual tracks of dinosaurs that crossed this landscape 113 million years ago. The tracks are preserved in the limestone bed of the Paluxy River, and during low water you can step directly into them. It is a genuinely wild experience and, at just 30 minutes southwest of Ferncrest Chambers Creek, the easiest big-payoff day trip from the property.
What to Do
Everything Dinosaur Valley State Park has to offer
The dinosaur tracks are the main draw. Several track sites are accessible throughout the park, with the most famous being the Main Track Site in the Paluxy River bed. During periods of low water (typically late summer through fall), you can walk directly in the tracks — sauropod footprints the size of bathtubs and smaller theropod prints with visible claws.
The park includes more than 20 miles of hiking trails through cedar-oak woodlands and along the river. Trails range from easy 1-mile loops to longer backcountry routes. The Blue Trail and the White Trail are the most popular shorter options.
Swimming is popular in the Paluxy River during warmer months, with natural swimming holes throughout the park. The water is spring-fed, clear, and typically cool. Designated swim areas are easy to find.
The park visitor center has well-designed exhibits on the track sites, the geology, and the dinosaurs that made the tracks (primarily Acrocanthosaurus, a predatory theropod, and a sauropod still being identified). A visit to the center before heading to the tracks adds helpful context.
Two life-size dinosaur models — a 70-foot sauropod and a 45-foot Tyrannosaurus rex — stand near the park entrance, originally created for the 1964 World's Fair. Cheesy, memorable, and a popular photo stop.
Why It's Worth the Trip
More than a pin on the map.
There are fossil museums across the country, and most of them display casts or reconstructions. Dinosaur Valley is different. You are walking in the tracks themselves, in the river, exactly where the animals walked 113 million years ago. It is one of the few places in the world where you can physically stand in the footprint of a dinosaur. Add to that excellent hiking and a swimmable river, and you have a memorable full-day destination from Ferncrest Chambers Creek.
Seasonal Guide
Best time to visit Dinosaur Valley State Park
Spring
Wildflowers bloom along the trails and river. Water levels are typically higher, which can obscure some of the tracks. Excellent hiking weather. The park is busy on weekends.
Summer
Best season for seeing tracks as water levels drop. Swimming in the Paluxy River is a welcome cool-down. Hot mid-days are best spent in the river. Early mornings are ideal for hiking.
Fall
Arguably the best time to visit. Water levels are typically at their lowest, exposing the most tracks. Cooler temperatures make hiking and exploring comfortable. Fall color along the river adds atmosphere.
Winter
Quieter and cool. Water levels vary. Hiking is comfortable, and the park is peaceful without summer crowds. The visitor center and main track sites remain accessible.
Frequently asked questions
Where to Stay
Stay at Ferncrest Chambers Creek
25 miles from the property
Dinosaur Valley is one of the easiest standout day trips from Ferncrest Chambers Creek — just 30 minutes southwest, a morning of tracks and hikes, lunch in Glen Rose, and an afternoon swim in the Paluxy before heading back. You return to Ferncrest by early afternoon with the kind of story that lands differently: you walked in the footsteps of something that existed 113 million years ago. And then you had a fire and went to bed.
