Dinosaur State Park - Rocky Hill, CT
Posted by: 
KDubs
N 41° 39.080 W 072° 39.397
18T E 695135 N 4613718
Dinosaur State Park has tracks of Dinosaurs.
Waymark Code: WM76J7
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 09/09/2009
Views: 20
The Connecticut Valley has a long history of fossil track discoveries. Outstanding specimens uncovered in 19th century brownstone quarries found their way into museums throughout the world. A new chapter in the history of such discoveries was written in 1966 when hundreds of tracks were exposed in Rocky Hill. This site became what is now Dinosaur State Park. The trackway, preserved in place, is a Registered Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
History of the Park: In August 1966, bulldozer operator Edward McCarthy was excavating a rocky site for a state building. He turned over a slab of gray sandstone and saw something very exciting: six large, three-toed footprints. Officials, local scientists and the media were notified, and the news of the discovery quickly spread. Many more tracks were uncovered and the site was fenced in and guarded. Within a few weeks officials decided to preserve the site as a state park. Two seasons of careful excavation resulted in one of the largest on-site displays of dinosaur tracks in the world.
Surface of petrosomatoglyph: Rock
Impression of petrosomatoglyph: Natural
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Visit Instructions:
- Take pictures of the petrosomatoglyph.
- Tell about your visit at site.