Dinosaur Valley State Park
State park in Somervell County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1972. 1,654 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Dinosaur Valley is where you can stand in real dinosaur footprints, left in mud at the edge of an ancient ocean and now exposed in the bed of the Paluxy River near Glen Rose. The tracks aren't always visible, so check track visibility and trail status with the park before you drive out. It's about an hour and 15 minutes from Fort Worth, with 20 miles of trails and room to swim, fish and paddle in the river.
Things to do
Find the dinosaur tracks
Head to the river: the tracks are in the riverbed. Water levels decide what you can see, and trails may close when they're wet, so contact the park or check its social media before you go. TPWD's Mapping Dinosaur Tracks page has maps you can load on your phone.
Swim and paddle the Paluxy
Swim, fish, and kayak or canoe the river. There are no lifeguards.
Hike or bike
The longest route is the 7.5-mile Cedar Brake Outer Loop, rated challenging. The Limestone Ledge and Overlook trails are hiking only.
Ride a horse
Bring your own horse to the 100-acre South Primitive Area. There's no drinking water, so bring a bucket; horses can drink from the river. A local company offers guided rides and wagon rides.
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Trails
TPWD counts about 20 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone Ledge Trail (hiking only) | 1.5 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
| Cedar Brake Outer Loop | 7.5 mi | Challenging | 3.5 hrs. |
| Black-capped Vireo Trail | 2.7 mi | Moderate | 1.25 hrs. |
| Denio Trail | 1.6 mi | Moderate | 45 min. |
| Buckeye Trail | 1.4 mi | Moderate | 45 min. |
| Rocky Ridge Trail | 1 mi | Moderate | 30 min. |
| Oak Springs Trail | 0.3 mi | Easy | 10 min. |
| Overlook Trail (hiking only) | 0.5 mi | Challenging | 30 min. |
| Horseshoe Equestrian Trail (no biking) | 3.1 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. |
| Paluxy River Trail | 2 mi | Easy | 1.3 hrs. |
| Monarch Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy | 15 min. |
| Discovery Loop Trail | 0.1 mi | Easy | 10 min. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
There are 36 campsites with electricity, plus walk-in and hike-in primitive sites and two group camps.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 36 | 8 | $26 |
| Primitive Campsites (Walk-in)Primitive | 8 | 8 | $18 |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in)Primitive | 7 | 8 | $16 |
| Sauropod Group Camp (40 Person)Group | 1 | 40 | $60 |
| Theropod Group Camp (20 Person)Group | 1 | 20 | $40 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- March through November
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists March through November as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity, so reserve a day pass. Track visibility depends on the river, so call the park the day you go.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Glen Rose, TX 76043
(254) 897-4588
Open in OpenStreetMap (32.2462, -97.8134)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 1 hr 13 min | 46 mi |
| Dallas | 1 hr 38 min | 72 mi |
| Waco | 1 hr 42 min | 60 mi |
| Austin | 3 hr 7 min | 135 mi |
| Tyler | 3 hr 14 min | 147 mi |
| San Antonio | 4 hr 20 min | 197 mi |
Nearby parks
- Cleburne State Park
- Meridian State Park
- Lake Whitney State Park
- Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
- Palo Pinto Mountains State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.
Questions people ask
Can you see dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park?
Yes, in the bed of the Paluxy River, but they aren't always visible. Contact the park for current track visibility before you go.
Can you swim at Dinosaur Valley State Park?
Yes, in the Paluxy River. There are no lifeguards.
How far is Dinosaur Valley from Fort Worth?
About an hour and 15 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- DinosaurValleyStatePark015.JPG by Gordon Reid, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Glen Rose August 2017 30 (Dinosaur Valley State Park).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Dinosaur Valley State Park October 2020 03 (Paluxy River Nature Trail).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Dinosaur footprints in river.png by DatraxMada, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Picnic table curves.jpg by Hu Nhu, CC0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Dinosaur Valley has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Dinosaur Valley State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Dinosaur Valley State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Dinosaur Valley State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Dinosaur Valley State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026