Texas' Park Just Outside Of San Antonio Once Again Displays Dinosaur Fossils Covered By Recent Floods

Floods can be absolutely devastating. The July 2025 floods in Texas were no exception. A torrent of rain caused the Guadalupe River to overflow in mere hours, killing 135 people (at current count), including 27 girls and camp counselors at Camp Mystic, a summer camp northwest of San Antonio. But now that the river's waters have receded — but not the grief of those affected — an ancient site swallowed by flood debris has resurfaced in Government Canyon State Natural Area. As the park reported in an August 14, 2025, Facebook post, its 110-million-year-old dinosaur footprints are visible once again. At the time of writing, however, the route to the tracks — the Joe Johnston Route — is still not available to hike.

For those looking to visit, the fossils go by the very on-the-nose name of Dinosaur Tracks in Government Canyon. Located about 35 minutes northwest of downtown San Antonio, plus a 5-mile round-trip hike, the dinosaur tracks had been under debris-filled water since the July flood. They had been underwater so long, in fact, that tadpoles were born at the site. It's an interesting, even poetic, juxtaposition to the destruction caused by the flood, as well as to the tracks themselves. Those tracks were made by a carnivore-herbivore pair of dinosaurs: the bipedal, 13-foot-tall predator, Acrocanthosaurus, and the monstrously huge, quadripedal sauropod, Sauroposeidon. 

As of this publication, the only trail open at Government Canyon State Natural Area is the 1.23-mile-long Discovery Trail. It costs $6 to enter the park, which you can do now or when the Joe Johnson Route is open again.

Texas is no stranger to dinosaur fossils. As far as dinosaur fossils are concerned, they're somewhat common in the Lone Star State, especially in north-central and central Texas, the latter of which is where San Antonio and Government Canyon Natural Area are located. That park makes a good stop-off on the way to check out even more fossil-related sites, most notably the crème de la crème of dinosaur-related parks, the ancient Dinosaur Valley State Park. Located southwest of Dallas and about four hours from Government Canyon Natural Area, it isn't exactly close. But, there are tons of outdoor activities to do there — hiking, camping, mountain biking — besides viewing the dinosaur tracks (which are located in the riverbed of the Paluxy River and are not always visible). Glen Rose, the adjacent gateway town to the "Dinosaur Capital of Texas," has a legitimately pretty Historic Downtown Square completely worth visiting, too.

Dinosaur enthusiasts looking to head further afield could head to Dinosaur National Monument. Located in the beautiful, lake-filled Uinta Mountains in Utah, Dinosaur National Monument partly extends into Colorado and has actual, exposed dinosaur fossils embedded in stone in its Quarry Exhibit Hall – we're talking skeletons, including full-on skulls. Besides these 150-million-year-old fossils, Dinosaur National Monument contains petroglyphs etched into stone by the local Fremont people.

Dinosaur National Monument and Dinosaur Valley State Park are a bit overwhelming in comparison to Government Canyon Natural Area and its once-water-covered dinosaur tracks. However, the latter arguably offers a more personal, lesser-known experience, perfect for a quick trip. And even though Government Canyon Natural Area's Joe Johnson Route to the tracks isn't open, the tracks have at least been cleared and await visitation.