Glen Rose Day Trip: Dinosaur Tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park and Giraffes at Fossil Rim

Few day trips let you stand in a dinosaur’s footprint in the morning and have a giraffe peer into your car window after lunch. Glen Rose, about an hour southwest of Fort Worth, pulls off both, and it makes for one of the best family outings in North Texas.

The town sits where the Paluxy River meets the Brazos in little Somervell County. Here’s how to plan a day around its two headliners.

Dinosaur Valley State Park: tracks in the riverbed

Roughly 113 million years ago, this area was the edge of an ancient sea, and dinosaurs left footprints in the soft mud along the shore. Over time those tracks hardened into limestone, and the Paluxy River eventually wore away the layers covering them. Today Dinosaur Valley State Park protects some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world, from both three-toed meat-eaters (theropods) and the huge, rounded prints of long-necked sauropods.

The catch is that the tracks are in the riverbed, so whether you can see them depends on the water. When the Paluxy runs low and clear, you can walk right up to them. After heavy rain, they can be underwater. Texas Parks and Wildlife posts a trails-and-tracks update on the park’s page; its September 2026 update reported the tracks visible and trails open. Check it the morning you go.

What else to do at the park

• Say hello to the two big fiberglass dinosaurs near the entrance, a Tyrannosaurus and a Brontosaurus originally built for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. They’re a must for the family photo.
• Hike the trails along the river bluffs. The park covers more than 1,500 acres of hills and cedar.
• Wear water shoes or sandals with grip. You may wade across shallow, slick rock to reach some track sites.
• Pack a picnic. There are picnic areas, and food options inside the park are limited.

Day-use entry is $8 for adults, and kids 12 and under get in free. The park often fills up on nice weekends and holidays, so TPWD strongly recommends reserving a day pass online ahead of time. Also note that the park is set to close to the public for hunts Dec. 6–10, 2026, and Jan. 10–14, 2027, and a burn ban was in effect as of late August 2026.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: a drive among the herds

A few miles from the park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a nonprofit conservation center that breeds endangered and threatened species. Most visitors take the self-guided drive, a 7.2-mile paved, one-way loop through rolling pastures where giraffes, rhinos, antelope and many other species roam. Plan on about two hours, longer on busy days.

At check-in you get a free cone of feed for every five people, and more is sold at the halfway stop. You toss pellets onto the ground away from your vehicle; giraffes are the only animals you may hand-feed. The Overlook, roughly halfway around, has a cafe, restrooms, a nature store and an animal discovery area where you can stretch your legs.

Fossil Rim rules worth knowing ahead of time

• No pets of any kind are allowed, even if they stay in the car. Make arrangements before you leave home.
• Keep windows, doors and sunroofs closed except to drop feed, and stay in your vehicle.
• Soft-top Jeeps and convertibles are allowed only with hard tops and hard doors in place.
• The speed limit is 15 mph, and the loop only goes one direction.
• Buy tickets online in advance; Fossil Rim recommends it. Guided safari tours and behind-the-scenes tours are also offered for an extra cost.

Fossil Rim’s posted admission window runs from 8:30 a.m. into the mid-afternoon, depending on the season, and it’s closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Prices vary by ticket type and day, so check the site when you book.

Putting the day together

For most families, the easiest plan is Dinosaur Valley first thing in the morning, while it’s cooler and before the park fills, then lunch and Fossil Rim in the afternoon. If you only have time for one, pick based on the river: low water favors the dinosaur tracks. Want to stretch it into a weekend? Granbury’s historic square is about 20 miles up the road.

Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the Dinosaur Valley State Park page before you head out.

Glen Rose is proof that you don’t need a plane ticket for a trip the kids will talk about for years. Check the river, pack the cooler and go see what walked through Texas long before any of us did.

Featured photo: Diane Turner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.