Dinosaur Valley State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dinosaur Valley State Park |
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The Paluxy River in Dinosaur Valley State Park
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| Location | Somervell County, Texas |
| Nearest city | Glen Rose, Texas |
| Area | 1,524.72 acres (6.1703 km2) |
| Established | 1972 |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| Designated: | 1968 |
Dinosaur Valley State Park is a state park near Glen Rose, Texas, United States.
History
Dinosaur Valley State Park, located just northwest of Glen Rose in Somervell County, Texas, is a 1,524.72-acre (617 ha) scenic park set astride the Paluxy River. The land for the park was acquired from private owners under the State Parks Bonds Program during 1968 and opened to the public in 1972. In addition to being a state park, it is also a National Natural Landmark.
Eastward-dipping limestones, sandstones, and mudstones of the Glen Rose Formation were deposited during the early Cretaceous Period approximately 113 million years ago along the shorelines of an ancient sea, and form the geological setting for the park area. Over the last million years or so, these layered formations have been eroded, dissected and sculpted by the Paluxy River which, in many places, has cut down to resistant beds and planed off sizable exposures of rock in the river bottom.
