Texas RV Travel blog

For 20 years I have heard folk talk about dinosaur tracks in the Blanco River. Some people state they are downstream from Five Mile Dam outside of San Marcos. Others swear they are on private property down river from Blanco State Park.

Following directions in the book, Roadside Geology of Texas (Spearing, 1996), we found the dinosaur tracks last weekend on our journey back from Fredericksburg.

The Sauropod tracks are in the Blanco River bed west of Blanco, Texas. To see the tracks, the water level must be low, so this summer is perfect for viewing!

Take US Highway 281 South from Austin to Blanco, turn right onto FM 1623, and look for County Road 103 on the left. Turn and park safely, at least 1500 feet from the low water crossing.

Stand on the low water crossing facing downstream. Walk to your left toward FM 1623 and enter the riverbed. Gingerly walk about 150 feet and you cannot miss these tracks! There are about 20 of them and they lead right into the water.

You must cross the river and walk quite a way to see the next sets of tracks. With the water low, there is a danger of slipping on algae covered rocks, so walk carefully. It is better if you walk in the water rather than on the land. Snakes snooze on the rock ledges next to the river.

Look for the gravel bar that lies roughly in the middle of the river. You want to walk down the right side of this gravel bar.

You will know that you are heading toward the right place when you see the Cretaceous limestone outcropping depicted in the picture to the left.

Continue to walk toward the limestone overhang, looking toward the gravel bar. Soon you will spot tracks radiating from the gravel bar toward the bank and then curving back toward the sand bar.

While these tracks are not as numerous the Theropod and Sauropod tracks in Dinosaur Valley State Park, these three Saurapod trackways in the Blanco River bed will amaze you.

Step into the footsteps of dinosaurs. Sit and ponder the time that has passed since these huge, herbivores walked the Earth.

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A comment I received:

Your post “Have You Ever Seen Sauropod Tracks?” states that folks should “Turn and park safely by the low water crossing.” For your information there is no parking allowed on the one lane low water crossing or on CR 103 within 1500 feet from the ends of the low water crossing. But lots of people park on the bridge, lock their cars/trucks/SUVs (park safely?) and take off down or up the river. Other folks park “by” the low water crossing because all those no parking signs really don’t mean “no parking” for them since they are there to see the Dino tracks. All laws seem to be deemed null and void if you are looking for Dino tracks…

So thanks for sending all your friends to our lovely part of the Texas Hill Country but could you please ask them to obey the parking and no trespassing laws and please ask them to take their beer cans, plastic sacks, plastic water bottles, baby diapers and their other miscelaneous trash with them when they leave. Thanks..

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Be safe when you explore Texas.

Tags: dinosaur tracks, Blanco River, sauropod trackways

Posted by CyberCelt under Day Trips, Education, Family Fun, RV Travel, Rivers, Strange