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Discover Texas’s Most Mind-Blowing Prehistoric Sites On This Epic Road Trip

Get ready to travel way back in time—like way back—to when giant dinosaurs stomped across Texas, ancient seas covered the land and early humans left their mark on rocky cliffs! 

This prehistoric road trip will take you across Texas to see real dinosaur footprints, dig up fossilized sea creatures and gaze at mysterious rock art painted thousands of years ago. 

Imagine standing in the same footprints as a dinosaur or holding a 300-million-year-old fossil in your hand! 

Texas has some incredible prehistoric sites just waiting for you to explore. 

This epic Texas adventure has been millions of years in the making!

1. Mineral Wells Fossil Park

The first stop on our road trip is Mineral Wells Fossil Park which is a dream for fossil hunters and anyone curious about prehistoric life! 

Located just outside the small town of Mineral Wells near Fort Worth, this unique park is known for its incredible collection of ancient marine fossils, which date back over 300 million years to when Texas was covered by a shallow sea. 

You can dig for fossils of ancient sea creatures like crinoids, echinoids and brachiopods—all just lying on the surface, so no special tools are needed. 

Best of all, it’s completely free, and you can take home any fossils you find, making it a perfect stop for a hands-on, family-friendly prehistoric adventure!

2. Dinosaur Valley State Park

Randall Chancellor / Flickr

Next up is Dinosaur Valley State Park, a must-visit for anyone who dreams of walking where the dinosaurs once roamed! 

Located near Glen Rose (not far from Fort Worth), this park is famous for its incredible dinosaur footprints that are preserved in the bed of the Paluxy River.

These tracks are real evidence of giant sauropods and theropods that roamed here over 113 million years ago. 

Dill Tom / Flickr

The park has marked trails leading right to the tracks, so you can stand in the actual footprints of dinosaurs and imagine life in the prehistoric world. 

Besides fossil hunting, the park also offers scenic hiking, swimming and even life-size dinosaur models that make the experience feel like a real dino adventure!

3. Waco Mammoth National Monument

Rockin’Rita / Flickr

Our next stop is Waco Mammoth National Monument, an amazing site that lets you step back into the Ice Age! 

Located in Waco, this monument is home to the remains of a herd of Columbian mammoths that were trapped by a flash flood around 67,000 years ago. 

Inside the climate-controlled Dig Shelter, you’ll get to see enormous fossilized mammoth bones still partially embedded in the earth.

Diann Bayes / Flickr

You’ll also get to see fossils from other Ice Age animals like saber-toothed cats and camels. 

You can take a guided tour to learn more about these creatures’ lives and the excavation process.

4. Whiskey Bridge

cmh2315fl / Flickr

Our journey into Texas prehistory continues at Whiskey Bridge, a lesser-known fossil hotspot along the Brazos River near College Station. 

This spot is famous for the layer of marine fossils from around 35 million years ago, when the area was submerged under a warm, ancient sea. 

You can easily find fossilized shark teeth, seashells and even ancient coral right on the riverbank. 

Bring a small bag and a sharp eye—this site is open to the public and is perfect for anyone eager to unearth Texas’s ancient underwater past!

5. The Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country

Next we arrive at The Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country, a fantastic place to learn about history and prehistory near Canyon Lake, just north of San Antonio. 

This museum is known for its impressive collection of over 200 dinosaur tracks, preserved in limestone and offering a peek into the lives of the dinosaurs that once roamed central Texas. 

Many of the tracks here belong to Acrocanthosaurus and Iguanodon, giant dinosaurs that left their footprints in what was once a muddy riverbed some 110 million years ago.

In addition to the dino tracks, the museum also features local historical exhibits, making it a great stop for learning about both prehistoric creatures and the heritage of the Texas Hill Country.

6. Government Canyon State Natural Area

J. Maughn / Flickr

Our next prehistoric stop is Government Canyon State Natural Area, a rugged, scenic spot just outside San Antonio with a surprising ancient twist! 

Hidden along the park’s Joe Johnston Route Trail are 110-million-year-old dinosaur tracks left by Acrocanthosaurus and Sauroposeidon, pressed into what was once a muddy shoreline. 

J. Maughn / Flickr

It’s a bit of a hike to reach the tracks, but the journey through oak-dotted canyons and limestone hills makes the adventure even more rewarding. 

Besides the dinosaur tracks, Government Canyon offers over 40 miles of trails, so you can spend the day hiking, spotting wildlife and soaking up the natural beauty of Texas.

7. Seminole Canyon State Park

runarut / Flickr

Next on our Texas prehistoric road trip is Seminole Canyon State Park, an incredible site where you can explore some of the oldest rock art in North America! 

Located near the Texas-Mexico border, this park is famous for its ancient pictographs painted by early hunter-gatherer societies around 4,000 years ago. 

runarut / Flickr

These colorful murals, found in the park’s caves and rock shelters, depict mysterious figures and scenes that give a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of Texas’s earliest inhabitants. 

Guided tours of the Fate Bell Shelter offer an up-close look at these stunning works.

8. Paint Rock

Our last stop brings us to the Painted Rocks in the small town of Paint Rock which sits right on the border between central and west Texas.

Located on private land along the Concho River, these cliffs are covered with over 1,500 ancient pictographs created by Native American tribes as long as 1,000 years ago. 

The vibrant red, yellow and black symbols feature animals, people and mysterious geometric patterns, each telling stories that have survived through centuries.

Tours are led by the landowners themselves, giving visitors a unique, personal glimpse into one of Texas’s richest collections of rock art and the spiritual life of its early people.


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Tom Jackson

Tom was born in San Antonio but spent most of his childhood in Dallas, he has lived in several cities across Texas and joined the team in 2024 to create travel guides on Texas.

Learn more about the Traveller's Elixir Team.

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