Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec
Sometimes the Escape Finds You
I did not plan this visit to Dinosaur Valley State Park the way I plan most of my park days. The truth is, I came here because I needed to leave something behind for a few hours.
My internet had been down all morning at the house, and with it went every plan I had for the day. I felt that particular kind of modern frustration that comes from relying on something invisible and then losing it without warning — a small loss of control that somehow felt larger than it should have. So instead of fighting it, I got in the car and drove to Dinosaur Valley State Park.
This is stop 17 of 88 on my journey to visit every Texas state park, and it turned out to be exactly the kind of stop I needed.
Sometimes the best plan is the one you did not make at all.
Walking the Monarch Trail
Dinosaur Valley State Park sits along the Paluxy River, where dinosaur tracks were left in limestone millions of years ago — a detail that has a strange way of putting a bad morning into perspective.
I decided to walk down the Monarch Trail a little way, just looking for a shady spot to sit and sketch. This is, honestly, one of my favorite parts of visiting any park — that stretch of trail where you start to disappear into the trees and the noise of the day falls away behind you.
Partway down the trail, I found that shady spot. The greenery felt almost like an explosion — layered, wild, and very much alive. It was the right kind of overwhelming.
The Sketch: A Little Spiky Shrub
I do not always sketch the most obvious feature of a park. At Dinosaur Valley, with the famous dinosaur tracks just down the road, I sat down instead with a small, spiky little shrub that caught my eye along the trail.
It felt right for the day. My emotions had been, as I put it out loud while I was drawing, kind of exploding everywhere — and there was something satisfying about sketching a plant that looked exactly that way. Chaotic in the best sense. Alive in the same restless way I felt.
A few hikers passed by while I worked and asked what I was doing — a nice little reminder that slowing down in public tends to invite connection, not just curiosity. By the time the sketch was finished, the noise in my head had quieted considerably.
Grounded by Something Much Older Than My Wi-Fi
There is something genuinely grounding about sitting in a place where dinosaurs once walked. Whatever frustration I carried in with me about a few hours of lost internet access felt very small next to that kind of timescale.
I first visited this park decades ago, in college, as part of a botany class field trip. Back then, you could walk right up to the edge of the cliffs and look down at the dinosaur tracks below. Things have changed quite a bit since I was nineteen or twenty — and I am closer to sixty-nine now than I would like to admit out loud — but the magic of this place has not changed at all. It is still here. It is still real.
The magic of being in the park is still here. It is still real.
That is, I think, the heart of what this whole journey keeps teaching me. The seasons of our lives change. Our skin changes. Our energy changes. But the things that genuinely restore us — quiet, nature, a little bit of creative attention — those stay remarkably constant.
Bay Rum Shampoo Bar: What I Carried That Day
I brought my Bay Rum Shampoo Bar with me to Dinosaur Valley State Park, mostly because the scent felt like it fit. Bay Rum is a classic, spicy fragrance — often thought of as masculine, though plenty of women love it too — and there was something about its warmth that matched the grounded, earthy feeling of this particular park.
I did not make this bar to chase a trend. I made it because I wanted something simple and dependable in my own routine — a product that did one thing well after a few hours outdoors, with ingredients I actually understood. That philosophy has not changed in over twenty years of making soap.
Products like this were never meant to be the point of a park visit. They are just part of how I take care of myself while I am out here — the same way the sketchbook is, and the same way a quiet walk down a shaded trail is.
Stamping Park #17
Dinosaur Valley State Park is stop #17 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. Fort Parker came before this one, and tomorrow morning, after spending the night nearby in Glen Rose, Jerry and I will head to Cleburne State Park for stop 18.
Each stamp in that passport book is a small, satisfying piece of proof. Proof that I showed up. Proof that I gave myself the escape I needed, even on a day that did not go according to plan.
If You Need a Little Escape, Too
Whatever park is closest to you, I would gently encourage you to go. You do not need a perfect plan or even a particularly good reason. A lost internet connection and a restless morning were reason enough for me.
Dinosaur Valley State Park reminded me that the magic in these places does not depend on how things have changed around them — the trails, the trackways, the quiet — it is still here, waiting, exactly when you need it.
| Dinosaur Valley State Park is stop 17 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. New episodes post every Friday. If this resonated with you, share it with someone else who could use a little escape of their own. |
Practical Notes for a Dinosaur Valley State Park Visit
- Location: Glen Rose, Texas, along the Paluxy River
- Trail to try: The Monarch Trail offers shaded stretches that are perfect for sketching or simply sitting still
- Day use hours and entrance fees: Standard Texas State Park rates apply — confirm current hours at the Texas State Parks website before you go
- Park highlight: Fossilized dinosaur tracks along the riverbed, best viewed when water levels are low
- What to bring: Water, sunscreen, good walking shoes, a sketchbook if that calls to you, and something grounding for afterward
- Nearby stay: Glen Rose makes a lovely overnight base if you are pairing this visit with Cleburne State Park, as we did
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do at Dinosaur Valley State Park?
Dinosaur Valley State Park is known for its fossilized dinosaur tracks along the Paluxy River, along with hiking trails like the Monarch Trail, river wading, and quiet spots well suited to sketching, journaling, or simply slowing down. It is one of the more distinctive stops on my journey through all 88 Texas state parks.
Where is Dinosaur Valley State Park located?
Dinosaur Valley State Park is located near Glen Rose, Texas, roughly an hour southwest of Fort Worth. It pairs well with a visit to nearby Cleburne State Park if you are planning a longer Texas state parks trip.
How many Texas state parks have you visited so far?
Dinosaur Valley State Park is stop 17 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest — a personal journey to visit every park in the system while documenting how nature, sketching, and simple skincare rituals support graceful aging and intentional living.
What scent is Bay Rum and who is it for?
Bay Rum is a classic, spicy-warm fragrance often associated with traditional barbershop scents, though plenty of women enjoy it as well. I brought my Bay Rum Shampoo Bar to Dinosaur Valley State Park because its grounded, earthy warmth felt right for the day.
Dinosaur Valley State Park is stop 17 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. Next up: Cleburne State Park. New episodes post every Friday — subscribe to follow along.
References
Susan Soaps & More — Bay Rum Shampoo Bar