Dinosaur FootprintS: Leander

Texas’s geological history is rich and diverse and makes finding fossils and other natural records of life before our time easy and fun for the whole family, provided that you remember Texas’s weather tends to run on two settings; Hot and Surface of the Sun. Every outdoor adventure needs to start with an ample portable water supply and sunscreen (bonus if you remember the hat, good hiking shoes, towel, etc.).  

A beautiful example of Winning Geology being the many dinosaur footprints preserved in the ancient limestone formations throughout Texas. Without question, Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose, Texas, is THE place to take the family for a dinosaur filled pilgrimage. If you are planning a trip out there, plan on spending the day- there is so much to explore on the river bed. Although many of the footprints are marked on the Park maps, the erosive power of the river is constantly uncovering new prints so the opportunities for exploration are endless.

If you live in Central Texas and you are not looking to make a dino sized commitment to a beautiful, but long, drive to Dinosaur Valley State Park and you still have a serious case of dinosaur fever, you are in luck! Just a short drive from Austin there is a short span of about a dozen dinosaur tracks exposed in the limestone river bed of the South Fork of the San Gabriel River, up in Leander, Texas. It requires a hike to get down to them, but you should be able to see your first track within minutes.  Be sure to wear good hiking shoes and bring sun protection; the limited shade is fleeting, so you will likely spend most of your time in open sun. We brought a couple toddlers with us who were able to handle much of the hike on their own, but there were some tricky parts for small feet and we noticed quite a bit of poison ivy along the trail at times. 100% toddlerable. 

These tracks are easy to spot- the main line being from a three toed, bipedal dinosaur, likely a carnivorous theropod, possibly a Acrocanthosaurus. They are spaced perfectly so that you could run alongside them with a dino snarl, creeping up on your child, or friends, or hopefully, your hot date (nothing says romance like dinosaur tracks!). There are additional tracks at the beginning of the hike, by the bridge. These are rounded and are likely from a plant eating sauropod, but they are much harder to positively identify. 

Being that this is the river bed of the San Gabriel, according to Texas law, it is public property- but it is in no way a maintained park. There are no “facilities” (pee before you go). I do not recommend wandering onto private property. Use caution when navigating the “trails” and keep an eye out for the wildlife. We saw some great birds and reptiles while we were out there, so please be respectful of their home. No matter how hard she begged, I did not permit my toddler to hug the two foot long water snake we met near the tracks. I recommend you discuss setting similar boundaries with your hiking mates and that you all maintain a distance from critters, for everyone’s sake. With this in mind, also please note that the San Gabriel, like all waterways in Texas, is prone to flash floods if there is rain nearby. When in doubt, go home and hike another day.

How to Get There

From Austin, drive north on old highway 183 towards Leander.  

Just after old 183 and toll 183 rejoin, keep your eyes out for the South Fork San Gabriel River

There is an electrical station on the median between north and south 183 at the turn around, just before the river. I recommend parking there to avoid trespassing on private property.  

Walk north around the fence and down the hill to the water- at the river bed, head west.

The tracks are on the south side of the water, about a half mile down.

For more information on dinosaur footprints in Texas,  please visit http://www.beg.utexas.edu/UTopia/dinosaur/dino_where.html which is a great overview from the University of Texas.

If you would like other suggestions on places to visit, this article has proved invaluable.  http://www.chron.com/life/article/On-the-trail-of-dinosaurs-in-Texas-3569106.php#photo-2953461 

First Published 2014 

*Post Updated September 2023