Dinosaur Valley State Park dinosaur tracks

Save
Dinosaur Valley State Park dinosaur tracks

Photo: Gordon Reid · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🥾 Hike · Glen Rose

4 hours · $ · Check website for reservations

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 1.0
1–3 yrs
★ 2.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 105 min drive
    From Plano · Parking: State park lot; entry about $8/adult, under 12 free, reserving a day pass online is recommended on peak-season weekends
  • 🎒
    Carrier recommended
    Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
  • 🌳
    Some shade
    Great on sunny days · Handles heat · Good on cool days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 4 hours
    Best seasons: Summer · Fall · Spring

Real dinosaur footprints over 100 million years old in the bed of the Paluxy River; when the water is low you can stand right in them. Two giant dinosaur models left over from the 1964 World's Fair stand at the entrance — a place every Texas kid should go once.

💡 Tips
Late summer and early fall have the lowest water and the clearest tracks (check the track site water-level updates on the website); the riverbed rocks are slippery, so wear water shoes. Day passes sell out on peak-season weekends, so reserve ahead on the TPWD website. Pair with Fossil Rim for a day, or stay a night in Glen Rose.

What this place offers

✓dinosaur tracks
✓river play
✓dinosaur models
✓state park
✓restrooms
✓picnic
✓day trip

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Glen Rose

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

☁️
Sat 10/17
Overcast · 43–59°F · 0% rain
☁️
Sun 10/18
Overcast · 48–71°F · 0% rain

Location

Glen Rose, Texas

More like this

Bob Woodruff Park lakeside trail
Kid favorite

Bob Woodruff Park lakeside trail

5.0

Plano · 10 min drive

1.5 h · stroller-friendly

Free · Parking: Several free lots on both sides of San Gabriel Dr and Park Blvd

Towne Lake Recreation Area
Kid favorite

Towne Lake Recreation Area

5.0

McKinney · 20 min drive

2 h · stroller-friendly

Free · Parking: Free lot at the Wilson Creek Pkwy entrance

River Legacy Park & Living Science Center
Kid favorite

River Legacy Park & Living Science Center

5.0

Arlington · 40 min drive

2.5 h · stroller-friendly

Free · Parking: Several free lots at the NW Green Oaks Blvd entrance

Trinity Park riverside trail
Kid favorite

Trinity Park riverside trail

5.0

Fort Worth · 55 min drive

2 h · stroller-friendly

Free · Parking: Free lots along University Dr and Trinity Park Dr