Nature

Dinosaur Tracks to See in and Around the Texas Hill Country

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Texas history does not just include people. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs once roamed the central and northern parts of the state. You can even see some dinosaur tracks in the Texas Hill Country. Whether you have dino-loving kids or are a Mesozoic maniac yourself, you need to visit these great places in and around the Hill Country to catch a glimpse of evidence of dinosaurs that once walked here.

Government Canyon State Natural Area

Dinosaur Tracks in Government Canyon State Natural Area

Photo: Facebook/Government Canyon State Natural Area – Texas Parks and Wildlife

The only dinosaur tracks in Bexar County can be found at Government Canyon State Natural Area. These tracks were discovered recently, in 2014, and only in the last few years been made available to the public. Like many other tracks in the state, these lie in a typically dry creek bed. Occasional heavy rains, though, fill the creek with water, and this particular area takes a long time to drain. If you want to see these footprints, call ahead to check out the track conditions. These tracks include both two-legged theropods and four-legged sauropods.

Heritage Museum

Dinosaur Tracks at the Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country

Photo: Facebook/The Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country

The Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country carefully protects its tracks by housing some under a pavilion. While this museum houses fossils and footprints, you can also see other relics of the past of the Texas Hill Country. From Native American artifacts to aged antiques, the Heritage Museum is one place to step back in time, whether you want to journey 50 years or 150 million years into the past.

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Dinosaur Tracks on the Ozark Trail at Dinosaur Valley State Park

Photo: Facebook/Dinosaur Valley State Park – Texas Parks and Wildlife

Located in Glen Rose, Dinosaur Valley State Park is slightly to the north of the Hill Country, but it’s worth the detour to get here. This is one of the most well-known sites for dinosaur tracks in the state. Several sites in the Paluxy River show theropod and sauropod tracks. Since the tracks rest in the river, occasionally, high water will flood the tracks, but even with a little water over the tracks, they are still visible. Because water regularly inundates the area, the tracks continue to erode. In fact, some tracks, visible just 30 years ago have almost completely disappeared. Be sure to visit this park before other footprints vanish, and take lots of pictures.