NM History: Where Dinosaurs Once Roamed

Only in Your State | New Mexico | by Monica Spencer | Revised by Jaymi Firestone

Dinosaurs are forever a part of our history. Seeing a life-sized model or a computer-generated version in a movie is pretty cool, but finding actual evidence of their existence on land is almost unreal! There is a place in New Mexico where you can see that physical evidence with your own eyes.

Clayton Lake State Park, located about 13 miles northwest of Clayton near the border shared with Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas, has some hidden gems that not many know about. It was established in 1955 as a community fishing area. The park’s 170 acres holds a large reservoir for recreation, but the hidden gem is that it is also home to a short trail where you can see dinosaur tracks.

The trail is just a short trek and is located on a railed boardwalk, making this a perfect walk for children and elderly alike. And it’s a walk worth taking, because you’ll experience gigantic footprints left millions of years ago by these historical creatures. In fact, more than 500 prints can be found here that date back to approximately 100 million years ago. The tracks were uncovered after a flood over 3 decades ago removed a layer of silt, unveiling the tracks for the first time. They are considered to be some of the best-preserved dinosaur footprints in the entire country.

There is plenty of information along the boardwalk where you can read about the tracks and variety of dinosaurs that created them. Sadly, there aren’t any T-rex tracks here, though! But it’s still worth a short trip to check it out. Our state’s history is rich, and goes back much further than the days of Juan de Oñate.

If you’re interested in visiting Clayton Lake State Park, it is located at 141 Clayton Lake Road. It’s about 13 miles northwest of Clayton.

You can find details about visiting the state park by checking out the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department website.

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