What kid doesn’t like dinosaurs? Mine has since he was a toddler. Whenever I get a chance to take him to see these creatures, tracks included, I do. Our visit was anything but boring. Check out the things to do at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, TX, besides looking for dinosaur tracks. There’s so much more.
Things To Do At Dinosaur Valley State Park
the scenic Paluxy River and is home to many dinosaur tracks owned by the ancient Acroscanthosaurus and the Sauroposeidon. There’s plenty of things to do at Dinosaur Valley State Park besides mapping out dinosaur tracks. However, I’m pretty sure looking for dinosaur tracks is the main reason why people come out to the park.
Finding Tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park
The most asked question is: “Are the tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park real?” According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, they are. Depending on how much rain the area has received will determine the sighting for tracks. But to find some, you will probably have to wade in the water to find them.
Last month when we visited, my son and his friend were determined to find any dinosaur track – small or large, it didn’t matter. So off they went to walk on rocks in the river and wade in the water to find them. I stayed back to take pictures. Well, I really didn’t want to walk across those rocks. Brody later said, “Mom, you would not have made it” – thanks, son! To my defense, those rocks were slippery, and I didn’t have on the correct shoes. Do you believe that?
Read about Mapping Dinosaur Tracks, and if you want, download the digital dinosaur track maps on your GPS-enabled smartphone.
Plenty of Picnic Tables Available
There is a designated picnic area in the park next to a children’s playground, but busy during lunchtime. If this area is too crowded, there are a few picnic tables at the front next to the park’s store. The store is opened in case you forgot something at home. It’s a small store, but they have drinks and snacks, and a few more items.
Lots of Hiking Trails at Dinosaur Valley State Park
The map you receive when checking in mentions all the trails. It’s your guide to 20-miles of nature trails to explore. Some trails are more difficult than others, and the map lets you know which is which. Whichever way you go hiking, make sure to wear a good pair of hiking boots or shoes because some of the trails are steep and rugged.
Save some energy to hike up to the Paluxy River Scenic Overlook area. That’s the only way to get there. Parking is not close by.
Horseback Rides
Saddle up and enjoy awesome views along Dinosaur Valley State Park’s scenic trails next to the Paluxy River on a guided horseback tour. Guided tours are through Eagle Eye Ranch Carriage Company .We didn’t do this, but next visit, we will! It looked amazing.
Look For Geocaches
We were excited to find out that we could look for geocaches at the park. Do you have the geocaching app on your phone? If not, get it, this sport is so much fun! We were lucky and found two geocaches and the boys were thrilled. If you’ve never done geocaching in Texas State Parks, this would be a brilliant place to start.
Related: Ten Reasons Geocaching Is A Great Hobby
The Blue Hole Swimming Pool
The Blue Hole is a popular area to go swimming. There’s plenty of places to dip your feet in the water in the park, but at The Blue Hole, where it’s 20-feet deep, you can put your whole body in the water. Walking down the rocky ledge was quite a picture of me, but hey, I did it, and it was fun…once I got down to the swimming area, but Chastity saw a snake, and that was it for us!
PS. Life jackets are a must!
We saw the neatest thing and thought it was a brilliant idea. It’s a “Borrow A Life Jacket” stand with life jackets that anyone can use while swimming in the river. I wished I got a photo of it. The life jackets looked pretty new.
Tent Camp
If you like to tent camp, you’re in luck: no cabins here, only campsites with or without electricity. More information is e found on the Dinosaur Valley State Park’s campsites page. Bring your dogs because they are allowed!
See, there are lots of things to do at Dinosaur Valley State Park other than to look for tracks. Have fun!! I’ll leave you with a photo of this enormous creature!
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