Not Many People Know The Largest Flying Creature Of All Time Was Discovered In Texas’ Big Bend National Park

Everything is much bigger in Texas, including prehistoric creatures. The largest flying creature of all time was discovered on the land that is now home to Big Bend National Park. To see it for yourself, you'll want to check out Big Bend National Park, which happens to be the best national park to visit in Texas.

Tucked away in the vast desert landscape of Big Bend National Park, the Fossil Discovery Exhibit is one of the most unique museums you'll ever visit.

It offers a self-guided journey through 130 million years of geologic time, showcasing how the region slowly evolved from an ancient sea into the dry, mountainous terrain that exists in the present day.

Divided into five sections, the museum is intended to be experienced chronologically.

You'll start off in the Early Cretaceous period, when the entirety of Big Bend was underwater, eventually making your way to the Volcanic Highlands environment, which ended just 10,000 years ago.

For many, the highlight of the exhibit is the Gallery of Giants, which is filled with the most massive creatures that roamed the area between 83 and 65 million years ago.

You'll see life-size bronze skulls of the giant alligatoroid, Deinosuchus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and the largest flying creature ever discovered, Quetzalcoatlus northropi.

Wing bones and skull pieces have been found scattered throughout the park, and they were pieced together to form this skeleton.

It almost takes up the entire ceiling!

Quetzalcoatlus was a large pterosaur that lived alongside the dinosaurs.

It flew around the globe like modern albatrosses and waded in the water to seek out mollusks like the shorebirds of today. You'll also see bones from the long-necked sauropod, Alamosaurus, as well as rocks that cross the boundary line signifying the extinction of dinosaurs.

This rendering shows how Quetzalcoatlus probably looked - remarkable, isn't it?

Seeing one of them next to a dinosaur really puts their size into perspective.

As if the exhibit wasn't cool enough already, just wait until you see the views.

The sprawling Chisos Mountains open up before you, providing 360-degree panoramas that will leave you breathless.

You'll find the exhibit located eight miles north of Panther Junction on the Persimmon Gap Entrance Road (Highway 385).

Hours: dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

There is no charge to visit the Fossil Discovery Exhibit. Visit the official website for more information.

Have you ever seen the remains of the world's largest flying creature at Big Bend National Park? If so, we'd love to hear all about your experience in the comments below. Tell us how it went, then check out our previous article for another prehistoric adventure you can only have in Texas.