Search For Fossils At A Holyoke Park In Massachusetts Which Was A Subtropical Wetland Once Upon A Time
By Melissa Mahoney|Published January 16, 2023
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Melissa Mahoney
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I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. While they still seem like mythical creatures, there is evidence of their existence, including in the Bay State. To those of us who are also consumed with utter fascination that these massive creatures once existed, a visit to Dinosaur Footprints in Massachusetts is a must.
Head to Holyoke, Massachusetts and you'll find an eight-acre park called Dinosaur Footprints which is overseen by The Trustees.
Set in the Connecticut River Valley, this was once a subtropical wetland area during the time of the dinosaurs. In addition to the subtropical wetlands, small shallow lakes also existed in this region 200 million years ago.
Perfectly preserved fossils of dinosaur footprints were first discovered here in 1802. Since that time, more have been discovered throughout the Connecticut River Valley.
Set in sandstone, paleontologists believe that these dinosaur footprints are from some of the earliest known species of these prehistoric beasts. And yes, both meat-eating and plant-eating dinosaurs are believed to have once roamed this region.
Seeing these footprints in person will surely bring out your inner paleontologist. It's one of the most fascinating places to visit for both kids and adults and a great activity the whole family can enjoy!
Have you ever seen the Dinosaur Footprints in Massachusetts? Do you know of any other location in the state to see fossils? If so, tell us all about it in the comments. To learn more about the Dinosaur Footprints in Holyoke, visit The Trustees’ website as well as the organization’s Facebook page.