June 12, 2016

Dinosaur Footprints Reservation (Holyoke, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: May 31, 2016

Location: US-5, Holyoke, MA – it comes up pretty quick (about half a mile from the entrance to Mount Tom on Reservation Rd).

Cost: Free

Hours: Open from dawn until dusk

Parking:  There is room for about 5 cars.

Dog Friendly:  I didn’t see during my visit.  But, yes, they are welcome!

Highlights:  Dinosaur footprints, Connecticut River behind the footprints, active wildlife, very short and easy trail to the footprints and river

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A long, long time ago, the entire Connecticut River Valley, specifically the Holyoke area, was home to a variety of dinosaurs.   And you can still see their footprints in the ancient mudflaps of the region.  There are also remnants of flowers and even ripples of water from the streams that once flowed in the area.

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The prints are believed to have been formed during the early Jurassic period, making them approximately 200 million years old.   Or, about as long as your average RMV/DMV wait time.

The main types of dinosaurs that are thought to have existed in this location are theropod dinosaurs.  Theropod dinosaurs are mainly 2 legged creatures.  Some of the more well-known Theropods are  Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velicoraptor and Torvosaurus (think some of the dinosaurs from the Jurassic Park movies).  It is believed these types of dinosaurs evolved into the birds that we now see so prevalent in the area.

I did see a lot of bird life but I didn’t see any theropods.

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One of the nice surprises was seeing the stream behind the footprints; the Connecticut River.  In fact, although seeing the footprints was cool, this may have been the highlight of the trip for me.

The Dinosaur Footprints Reservation is a great place to visit if you want to check out some cool remnants from a distant era.  But, it is also a nice place to go and sit by the river or go fishing.  Just don’t stay too long if you start seeing the water shaking.  You know, like in the movie.

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About New England Nomad

Hi I'm Wayne. Welcome to my blog. I am a true New Englander through and through. I love everything about New England. I especially love discovering new places in New England and sharing my experiences with everyone. I tend to focus on the more unique and lesser known places and things in New England on my blog. Oh yeah, and I love dogs. I always try to include at least one dog in each of my blog posts. I discovered my love of photography a couple of years ago. I know, I got a late start. Now, I photograph anything that seems out of the ordinary, interesting, beautiful and/or unique. And I have noticed how every person, place or thing I photograph has a story behind it or him or her. I don't just photograph things or people or animals. I try to get their background, history or as much information as possible to give the subject more context and meaning. It's interesting how one simple photograph can evoke so much. I am currently using a Nikon D3200 "beginner's camera." Even though there are better cameras on the market, and I will upgrade some time, I love how it functions (usually) and it has served me well. The great thing about my blog is you don't have to be from New England, or even like New England to like my blog (although I've never met anyone who doesn't). All you have to like is to see and read about new or interesting places and things. Hopefully, you'll join me on my many adventures in New England! View all posts by New England Nomad
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