Explore Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut

Hello fellow travelers! Connecticut may not seem like it has a lot to offer, but there are a few hidden gems. Dinosaur State Park is one of those hidden gems, and here’s what it’s all about.

About

Dinosaur State Park is located in Rocky Hill, about 30 minutes away from New Haven and 14 minutes from Connecticut’s capital, Hartford. It is one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America. The site opened up in 1968, two years after 2000 dinosaur tracks were accidentally uncovered while excavating a spot for a new state building. However, it takes about 1 hour if you are coming from Rhode Island.

Dinosaur State Park is closed Sunday and Monday, but is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 4:30 pm, with its trails being closed at 4 pm.

Photos

Dinosaur tracks

More dinosaur tracks

This does not even justify the number of tracks that were found.

A sculpture of one of the dinosaur species found via their tracks.

Dinosaur State Park also has a few live animals. This is a boa constrictor.

Another snake

A tortoise

Another view of the tortoise

Close up of one of the snakes

A little African bullfrog

A turtle swimming along in his tank

Some fish

A little gecko in his tank

A diorama explaining about the foot structure of certain dinosaurs.

A display about the iconology (study of fossilized dinosaur tracks) in the Connecticut Valley. The Connecticut Valley runs through central Connecticut, through Massachusetts and into the corners of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Some of the rocks found in the Connecticut Valley. Biotite Gneiss is the oldest rock in Connecticut, and there are also some basalt rocks, suggesting that the area was once near to or was actually volcanic.

More dinosaur dioramas

Different types of geodes and rocks found in the Connecticut Valley.

Dinosaur State Park also has some dioramas of some prehistoric mammals. This one looks like a form of prehistoric opossum.

More fossils

Prehistoric bone fragments

More dinosaur tracks!

Overall, I really loved Dinosaur State Park. Connecticut is not a state where I would imagine finding dinosaur tracks, much less fossils. It was very interesting to see the different tracks, fossils, and bone fragments of all the different prehistoric species found at the park.

Have you ever been to Dinosaur State Park?

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