A Trip To This Fossil Park In New Mexico Is An Adventure Like No Other
While learning about ancient artifacts and seeing pictures is always cool, this state park in New Mexico is also one of the United States’ coolest fossil parks. Here you can walk amongst the same land that dinosaurs roamed, and even see fossils of footprints and other evidence that they left behind. There are boardwalks throughout this Clayton park that take you through the archeological wonders right before your eyes. Get ready to experience a piece of the prehistoric past at this fossil park for an adventure like no other.
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Welcome to Clayton Lake State Park! Just northwest of Clayton, right near the border that's shared with Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma, you'll find this incredible state park that's also home to some of the most amazing fossils.
While the fossils are reason enough to visit this vast park, Clayton Lake State Park is also an amazing place to fish, camp, or picnic upon the rolling grasslands.
Of course, one of the main draws of this park is the dinosaur trackway. Here you'll find over 500 dinosaur fossils, making it one of the most extensive dinosaur trackways in our continent.
The walk to the fossils is lined with railed boardwalks, making this the perfect activity for anyone and everyone. This way you can get up close and personal with fossils from millions and millions of years ago.
While these fossil footprints were left approximately 100 million years ago, they weren't discovered until a flood swept away a layer of dirt and revealed the footprints about 40 years ago.
Now, you can see these fossils perfectly, as they're some of the best-preserved dinosaur fossils in the country. Upon the boardwalks you can read informative signs about what kinds of fossils are there.
It's not every day that you can see remnants of prehistoric creatures, preserved beautifully in New Mexico nature, but at Clayton Lake State Park, you can see fossils from long, long ago, and it's truly incredible.
Address: 141 Clayton Lake Road, Clayton, NM, 88415
Hours: 24/7
For more information on Clayton Lake State Park, you can visit the New Mexico State Parks website right here.
Have you ever seen prehistoric fossils up-close at this amazing fossil park? What did you think? We’d love to hear all about your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to share photos from your adventures with us in our New Mexico Nature Lovers Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram by tagging #onlyinnewmexico for a chance to be featured!
E Jamar is a published writer based in Milwaukee, WI. Despite being a Midwesterner at heart, you can often find them trekking throughout the states and discovering new hidden gems. When they're not traveling, you can find them discussing disability issues, cuddling their pug puppy, and checking out new local spots.
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