Dinosaur Valley State Park

Today, November 30th, was one of my most favorite days since being on the road. We are staying in Dinosaur Valley State Park. Located in the park are several fossilize tracks of three kinds of dinosaurs.

The Paluxy River runs through the park. To view the most recognizable tracks you have to forge the river. This time of year the water is freezing cold. Not to mention, it was only 54 degrees outside with a slight breeze. However, facing the opportunity of viewing tracks from long ago, we decided that a little icy water and a cold breeze would not leave us sitting on the river's edge. We all took off our shoes and socks and made our way stepping on large rocks submerged in the frigid water. After the second rock, my feet were so cold they actually hurt. By the forth rock, I was shaking and by the seventh rock I had no feeling in my toes. Oh but a few feet in front of me was dry rocks basking in the sun and dinosaur tracks to see. Therefore, I just moved a little faster hopping from one rock to another until I reached the exposed river bed full of warm rocks and TRACKS.

Once we saw a few tracks, everyone went in different directions to see what we could find. I heard Jacob say, "Look Mom, one is over here." and Sierra say, " Mom, come see this one." In every direction I heard someone calling my name. Then I heard Jeff say, "Missy come look in the water.

I turned around to see Jeff in the water uncovering a track that had filled with leaves.

Here is Hannah watching her Daddy, the archaeologist. After he cleared out this track, he was off to a different part of the water uncovering tracks. I was so glad to see Jeff get in on the fun. (notice he left his shoes and socks ON)

These are sauropod tracks. They were made from "a dinosaur 30 to 50 feet long , with a relatively short neck and tail, called Pleurocoelus. When walking, Pleurocoelus not only made saucer-like depressions with its four-toed, clawed hind feet, it also left odd, vaguely horseshoe-shaped tracks as its sheathed front feet sank into the mud." (The Apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) are in the same group as the Pleurocoelus. They are both plant eating with long necks.)
This track was made by a large three-toed, bird-like dinosaur. It is believed to have come from a "30 foot long ornithopod - probably an Iguanodon."

Sierra has her hand next to a carnosaur track. "These tracks are Acrocanthosaurus - a 20 to 30 foot long, two-legged carnosaur." (The Acrocanthosaurus belongs to the same group as the Tyrannosaurus Rex.) Right in front of this track is a "giant sauropod (brontosaurus-like) track. "When Roland T. Bird, an archaeologist of the American Museum of Natural History visited the site, among the many tracks he found were remarkable double set of tracks left by a giant sauropod (brontosaurus-like) dinosaur followed by a large carnivorous dinosaur. " Some of the tracks that he found are on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and others are on display at the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin. There are a few tracks on display in the parks Interpretive Center.

Melissa was lying on this rock leaning over the river looking at the tracks that Jeff uncovered.

I couldn't let the children have all the fun. I had to get my hands and feet into the tracks.

After playing in the river bed and in the tracks filled with water, we crossed the river back to the other side. Going back across the water didn't seem to be as cold and painful because we were so excited to have walked and played where the dinosaurs had been many years ago.

These are fiberglass models of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Apatosaurus. They were built by the artist, Paul Jonas of New York. They were put on exhibit at the World's Fair in New York in 1964. Then they were donated to Dinosaur Valley in 1970.

Hannah looking up at the statue and wanting to know if she can "play on it."

Our visit to Dinosaur Valley State Park was not only fun but also educational. The next day, we went to the Interpretive Center where the children view a 10 minute film about the site and how the tracks were found and preserved. The center has several exhibits explaining fossils that we found interesting.

I would come back to this park again. The bath house was nice and clean with plenty of hot water. Across from our site, 44, they had a playground that that the children loved. We loved the fire pit. It was built out of block and was larger than most campsites that we have been in. The park has several hiking/walking trails. We explored one on the upper side of the Paluxy River where the children found natural clay. There are several other trails and several bird-watching areas. Not to mention that this river would be a great place to play in the Summer.

Maybe we will return on day......

(information in quotes came from the park brochure)