Before it was Texas
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs roamed Texas millions of years ago. Their footprints provide giant clues to a world far different from ours.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Dinosaur tracks had been hiding here for 110 million years, but local residents have only known about them for around 110 years. Picture dinosaurs lumbering down the Paluxy River. Come see their frozen steps. It’s a place for the ages!
Government Canyon State Natural Area
Dinosaurs lived near San Antonio long before the Alamo—in fact, 110 million years ago. Hike to the track location with a ranger. He or she will explain the difference between Acrocanthosaurus and Sauroposeidon dinosaurs.
Early Humans
Early humans in this area were hunters and gatherers, moving wherever food and water were plentiful. Over time, indigenous people formed distinct groups, each with its own culture, beliefs and customs. They expressed themselves through art, by painting figures and symbols on rocks. These visual artifacts connect us to Texas’ earliest residents.
Devils River State Natural Area
Rock shelters house the remains of meals left by native people some 14,000 years ago. Archeologists also found the bones of now-extinct species of mammoth, camel, horse and bison. On your visit, think about how earlier people fashioned an existence from the plants and animals at hand.
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
Early hunters and gatherers spent time at Hueco Tanks some 10,000 years ago. Other native people, the Jornada Mogollon, succeeded them. This group left evidence of their culture in more than 200 masks painted on rocks.
Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site
Step back in time to the era when Ice Age hunters pursued big game with stone-tipped spears. Prehistoric artists adorned rock shelters here with elaborate mural-sized paintings of human figures, animals and birds.
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