Tag Archive | weekend getaway

Dinosaur Valley State Park

May26

Glen Rose, TX

One day, a long time ago, a family of plant-eating longnecks was walking along the muddy water’s edge grazing on yummy plants and ferns. Unbeknownst to them, a herd of hungry meat-eaters was hot on their trail. Let’s just say the day ended quite poorly for the plant-eaters.

What we are left with today at Dinosaur Valley State Park is the fossilized footprint evidence of this journey and the encounter. The round, elephant-like footprints were the plant-eaters and the three-toed prints were the meat-eaters. Over 100 million years ago, many types of animals lived in this shallow Mesozoic sea area. Tidal pools and coastal swamps covered what is now the state of Texas. Today, these lower Cretaceous rocks are where we find the Paluxy River and its shoreline containing hundreds of dinosaur prints.

One area within the park contains so many preserved footprints that it is named “The Ballroom” due to hundreds of tracks moving in all directions – as if they were all dancing (or trying to keep from being eaten!). Some of the prints are on the dry limestone creek beds, some are in shallow water, and some have (unfortunately) eroded over time. The park provides detailed maps showing all the track sites.

When I stood looking at some of these well-preserved footprints, I could barely wrap my head around seeing something from 105 million years ago. How is that even possible? It was the highlight of my trip, for sure.

Besides seeing the dinosaur prints in the park, my husband and I did quite a bit of hiking with our yorkie “trail dog.” There are over 20 miles of hiking trails running all through the park and the beautiful Paluxy River Valley. Trails lead into and along the river, up over limestone ridges, through shady cedar brakes, and beside grassy prairie lands. I really enjoyed our walks alongside the clear, shallow river spotting unusual rocks, dinosaur tracks, crawfish, and fish. We also saw lots of lizards, animal tracks, and beautiful wildflowers along the grassy and wooded trails.

A few of the trailheads start near the popular and more crowded attractions within the park. The Blue Hole (definitely green) looked like a family-friendly swimming area, as there were quite a few people there. The Main Track Site had the most visitors with ample parking and easy access to prints on dry land for close-up viewing. When we ventured off on many of the other trails, there were fewer people.

I suggest wearing good hiking shoes for all the varying terrain (rocks, dirt, roots, gravel) and bringing a pair of water shoes to get up close and personal to some of the tracks in shallow water and for river crossings on some trails. Pack a picnic lunch, bring plenty of water, and enjoy the park and all it has to offer!

Reservations are highly recommended as the park limits the numbers of visitors per day. The cost for a one-day pass is $7 per car. Overnight camping is also available with reservations.

See you on the trail!

Beavers Bend State Park

Mar19

Hochatown, OK

Our pandemic trips continue and we recently revisited Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma for a long weekend. We had rented a cabin and stayed in this same area earlier in the fall and enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back.

Sweetwater Cabins has some lovely rentals in this area and we chose one this time called Just-A-Swingin. The cabin was appropriately named, with a porch swing on the lower level, and had a beautiful, open-concept interior. The neighborhood is a hilly, pine-forested area just minutes off the highway and a stone’s throw away from the park entrances. Location, location, location! This cabin was perfect.

My husband and I had taken our yorkie on the last visit and she did so well that she was invited along again this trip! She seemed to enjoy hiking the nature trails with us so we are turning this nine-pound, nine-year-old spoiled lap dog into a decent trail dog!

We were lucky enough on this trip to experience great weather again. We grilled hamburgers on our deck the first night and prepared for two days of hiking to follow. Our days were full of activity and our evenings were quiet and lazy – just the way we like it!

The first full day inside the park, we chose the Beaver Lodge Nature Trail for our first hike. This was a 1.2 mile hike that started at the base of the Broken Bow Lake’s hydro-electric dam and was a great one-way hike with gorgeous scenery. The trail head was a little tricky to find since it began away from the dam’s parking lot, across a stream, and was not marked. Once we spotted some people coming off the trail, it was much easier to locate and follow.

This trail led us through a forested area, along a high ridge, and stayed parallel to the Mountain Fork River. I enjoyed the busy sounds of the rushing water and the wind in the pines. It was a truly beautiful hike. We saw several trout fishermen in the water and a few tourists climbing on the river boulders. We hiked until the trail became too narrow and treacherous and turned back around.

We explored the shoreline on the way back, climbed over some boulders, and took a short rest in the middle of the rushing water on a rocky plateau . This is where “said trail dog” plunged into the shoulder-deep water after slipping on a mossy rock. She was wet and smelly but took it like the true trooper she is!

After lunch, we were back on the trails. Our next destination was the Lakeview Lodge Trail. This is a 1.4-3.5 mile trail that started at Lakeview Lodge on Broken Bow Lake. There were three loops to chose from and it is meant to be hiked in a clockwise direction. The trail had beautiful pine trees, great views of the lake, clear streams, colorful rocks and a varied terrain. It was very quiet and peaceful. We never saw anyone else on the trail and I was quite surprised that we didn’t see any wildlife other than birds. If there had been a chance of stumbling upon a wild animal, this would have been the place!

Day one was in the books. After a delicious dinner picked up from Rolling Fork Takery (wings and potato salad), all three of us were tired and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Day two found us inside the state park again on the 3/4 mile Pine Ridge Nature Trail. The trail looped like a figure-eight and winded through an evergreen forest, a lagoon, a piney ridge, and a floodplain. It was a short trail but had varied vegetation and different elevations that were unlike any other trails. We followed the path up, down and around some very beautiful spots on this easy, shaded walk. Lime green moss, ferns, cane, and new spring flowers were the highlights.

We took a break and explored the main areas in Beavers Bend State Park and played around on the rocks in the Mountain Fork River. We drove through the park and checked out the campgrounds, pony rides, train depot, fishing spots, and kayak/paddleboat/canoe rentals. There was more to do here than we ever imagined! Another trip may be in order.

Our afternoon hike was the toughest of them all. Cedar Bluff Nature Trail is listed as a “moderate trail with minimal terrain.” What the trail guide doesn’t tell you is that the 1-mile hike is all straight uphill through a pine forest! After a little huffing and puffing on my part, we made it to a beautiful rock cropping overlook. At that elevation, we were overlooking the river, bald cypress trees and rocky cliffs below. The stunning views were well worth the effort and we took a few minutes to soak it all in.

We met another couple at this overlook where we exchanged pleasantries and took each other’s photo before we headed off. Hiking down the trail was a much easier than the hike up!

We picked up a pizza and salad on the way back to the cabin and had a quiet dinner. All three of us were tired but energized from all that we had seen and done. Once again, our trail dog had done extremely well and exceeded expectations (she also slept the entire way home!).

Another great trip to Beavers Bend State Park was in the books. I would love to return in the early fall to hike a few more trails and see the colorful foliage. I highly suggest this area for a quick weekend getaway or for a longer stay to do more activities with family or friends. Check it out if you haven’t already – it is beautiful country.

I hope to see you on the trails soon!