Dinosaur Valley State Park Review

Dinosaur Valley State Park is right up the road from Dinosaur World just outside Glen Rose, Texas. This was my second of three planned stops on this vacation day for me. After touring Dinosaur World, I went right up the road to Dinosaur Valley State park when it was recommended to me.

The history of this area goes back an estimated 113 million years ago. Prairies and lakes are flanked by the Paluxy River. The park is known for it's sandstones and limestones. Many animals such as wild turkey, bobcat, beaver, raccoon, coyote, squirrel, and fish can be seen at the park. Over 1,500 acres of land were purchased in 1969, and is officially a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. The park itself opened in 1972.

As soon as you enter the park, you'll notice the souvenir shop on the right. I bought a few items while I was there including a Dinosaur Valley State Park t-shirt that glows in the dark. I shopped before going on the tour.

The first place I stopped was when I saw a sign for dinosaur tracks. The look down the Paluxy River were breath-taking, and you could cross over the stones in the river to see the dinosaur tracks. It wasn't too difficult to cross over the stones, but you don't want to rush getting to the other side either.

After that, I went to other areas of the park to view and take pictures. I happened to come across another area of the Paluxy River where I seen a turtle trying to go upstream. The only other wildlife I did see were squirrel and fish.

Ironically, I seen a few of the same people that were just at Dinosaur World there at the park, too. I just took in the views of everything on a day where there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

My review of Dinosaur Valley State Park:

The bad: You can camp out here at the park, but you cannot leave once it closes at 10pm. You have to wait until 7am the following day to leave the park again. So knowing that, make sure if you're staying overnight that you have what you need before 10pm. Like Dinosaur World, it's a good drive away to find something to eat at night if you're not cooking out.

The good: The price to get into the park is only $5. Yes, you read right. You can park your car in designated areas of the park, and there's plenty of opportunities to see an abundance of animals and wildlife there. They have a gift shop as well as maps of where you can go to the park in order to see what you want. It;s a very ideal place for campers and hikers.

Overall: The price is more than reasonable, and it is a worthwhile place to get away from the daily grind in this relaxing atmosphere. You never know what you'll see at the park, and the views as well as hiking trails makes it appealing for all types of people. So if you're going to Dinosaur World, then you might as well give this place a look since it is right up the road.

You can view more Dinosaur Valley State Park Pics that I took on my site.