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| Dinosaur Tracks near Glen Rose, Texas. |
| 2 February 2008. |
| When I am not out gallivanting around the Universe in an aircraft of some sort, my other fascination is with Dinosaurs. On 2 February 2008, while undergoing the CH-47F model Chinook helicopter transition at Fort Hood, Texas, I went out for a short drive (123 miles) and wound up near Glen Rose, Texas. While there, I was fortunate enough to view the tracks left by some magnificent creatures approximately one hundred and eleven million years ago. |
| The photographs below highlight some of the areas I visited in the park. Click on the full size image following each smaller photograph to get a better understanding of what there is to see. Bear in mind, when I visited, most of the tracks were under 1 to 2 feet of water so they are difficult to examine. However, presently this is the best way to preserve the tracks as exposure to air causes rapid weathering (erosion) of the tracks. |
| One may wish to view a map of the park layout in .pdf format for familiarization. Simply Click-N-Go Here. |
| One may also wish to read a brochure about the park in .pdf format for familiarization. Simply Click-N-Go Here. |
| "The Blue Hole" |
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| Click-N-Go on the images above to view larger versions. |
| Possible tracks made by an Acrocanthosaurus (ak-ro-KAN-tho-SAWR-us; meaning 'high-spined lizard') are visible along the water's edge in an area known as "The Blue Hole" (Track Site #1 on map). Acrocanthosaurus was a Theropod, or three-toed dinosaur. It was generally a meat-eater. Formerly a swimming hole in the days before the area became a state park, the Blue Hole is a section of deep water (12 to 21 feet deep) near a bend in the Paluxy River that cuts through the park. |
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| A sign above the "Blue Hole" indicates the location of the tracks down below near the edge of the bank. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Looking down from the top of the hill towards the Blue Hole. From this vantage point, approximately 100 feet to the water's edge, the dino-tracks were clearly visible - even though they were under approximately one foot of water. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Two possible Acrocanthosaurus footprints are clearly visible in this image. For scale, the ruler is 12 inches long and was placed on a ledge approximately 1 foot above the water. The water was 12 inches deep. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Just downstream (north 25 feet) from the above photograph, at least two distinct trackways are visible (lower set). The third set of tracks (near the top) is possibly from the same type of animal. The larger version of the photograph shows the direction of travel. A trackway consists of multiple tracks showing the general direction of movement of an organism. A track is the impression of a footprint preserved in the strata (rock layer). Again, these are possible tracks of an Acrocanthosaurus. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. The ruler is on a ledge approximately 4 feet above the water and the water is approximately 12 inches deep. |
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| A wide area view of the Blue Hole looking north towards the area where Roland T. Bird and company performed his work. The larger version of this photograph shows where the tracks are at the Blue Hole. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
| "R. T. Bird" |
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| Looking south, this is the area where Roland T. Bird and company excavated the trackways in the early 1940s (Track Site # 2 on map). When this photograph was taken, as is often the case, the area was submerged. R. T. Bird was working for the American Museum of Natural History in New York at the time and that is where several of the specimens are located today. The larger version of the photograph shows the approximately area that was excavated. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| An artist's rendition of a Pleurocoelus. |
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Shown in this 1941 photograph, a portion of the area excavated can be seen. Examination of the area hinted at the possibility that a theropod was chasing a Pleurocoelus (pronounced PLOOR-oh-SEEL-us, meaning "hollow-sided (vertebrae)" ) as the trackways seem to indicate the two animals were moving in the same direction. Pleurocoelus was a sauropod, or generally a plant-eater. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
| "Modern Day Digs" |
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| This informative sign is located across the river and on the hill overlooking the R. T. Bird excavation site. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| This view is from near the area where the sign above was photographed. The area shown by the pink and yellow ribbon tape (top, center) is the current excavation site. Shown on the larger version of the photograph is the approximate area of the R. T. Bird site indicated by green dashed lines. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Another overview shot of the modern day dig site just a few meters from the R. T. Bird site. A series of stepping stones allows the visitor to cross the river from the parking area to view the site up close. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| This is the area of the modern day site dig. It contains several theropod and sauropod tracks. Some have been excavated from the site. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Although the water was cloudy this day, it was only a few inches deep. As such, the theropods tracks were visible. These were in the area surrounded by the pink color ribbon tape. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| The area surrounded by the yellow ribbon tape contains several theropod and sauropod tracks. Some have been removed for preservation. The large holes under water are the ones that have been removed. Once exposed to air, weathering will eroded a track to the point where it is no longer visible in only a few short years. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| A large sauropod track (bottom, center) near the south end of the new dig site surrounded by yellow ribbon tape. Near the top left center is a threopod track. The water is cloudy, but the massive size of the beasts is evident from the marks they left. The yellow tape is 2 inches wide. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
| "Park Signs" |
| The following signs on display in the parking lot at Track Site 2 show information about the creatures that made these marks and the excavations. |
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| Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
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| Click-N-Go Here to view a larger version. |
| "Epilogue" |
| Unfortunately, the tracks at Track Site 3 were no longer visible. Time, water and weather has erased them from view. This emphasizes the importance of extracting the evidence and preserving it for future generations to study and enjoy. |
| Related Sites |
| Ichthyosaur Extraction in Alaska |
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