This beautiful green earth is full of wonders and all around us it is ever-changing. Rivers carve out caves from mountains, wild creatures blaze trails throughout the wilderness in search of nourishment, and all while this blue orb hurtles through space around the burning star giving life to the surface. This world, which we have shared with so many before us, is scarred and tattooed by the might of the elements it creates. Waters gush through the valley and the twisting branches of mighty trees push ever upward in a race through the forest's canopy for precious sunlight. Displaying all of the beauty of nature's splendor, among so many places for longing travelers and adventurers to seek out, is Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Once home to gargantuan reptiles who sought the refuge of the forest and the cool refreshment of the once dangerously deep river which cascades along sandy cliffs, this park is now a sanctuary for dozens of magnificently preserved dinosaur tracks. Imprinted into the jagged limestone lining of the riverbeds, the tracks stand as a testament and hint at the curious creatures presiding in this land long before us. While we still have much to learn about them, the park offers a chance to see their tracks, fossils, and the type of world they lived in.
Dinosaur Valley has a certain untouched feeling to it. Unmarred by man's thumbprints of industry and mechanization, the rich green forest instead looms on the expanse of the horizon dotted by jutting hills and rocky cliffs. So much land lays open to be explored, and it is there for the exploring if one is bold enough to take on the challenge. With so few trail markers, signs, rails, or pathways, most of the park rests in virgin condition. Ledges must be climbed, branches and vines must be navigated through, thorned bushes threaten to shred apart clothes and flesh. But to the brave wanderer who ventures forward into the unknown, magnificent views await at the tops of those ledges, and just beyond the tangled brush and hanging branches lay wonders yet to be seen. Flowers blossom in the brightest reds and yellows with plume-like petals, birds sing from their elaborate nests high in the treetops, and vibrant colored lizards and snakes creep along through the woodland where their colossal ancestors once reigned supreme.
Drawn back to this place again and again for the beauty yet to be explored, I continue to challenge myself to venture further with each visit. Following the river, the trails, the hills, and the tracks lead me in every-which-way throughout the park and always lead me to new discoveries. It has become my favorite place to visit on warm sunny days, and it is my intention over the summer to spend a harrowing night camped in the heart of the park overnight. More details of that to come.
Dinosaur Valley State Park is a beautiful place to visit with wonders for people of all ages to enjoy. I encourage anyone with a love for the outdoors, kayaking, fishing, hiking, sunbathing, picnicking, or exploring to see the park for themselves. Step back in time to the land where the dinosaurs inhabited and revel in the untamed beauty of the wilderness.
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