Yes, it’s true. Need proof that these huge reptiles roamed the area? Then head on to Holyoke to get a close up view of some fossilized dinosaur footprints in Massachusetts. The footprints are easily accessible right off of Route 5.
And by easy, I mean Benny easy, not me “because it’s only a short hour hike” easy. The footprints are literally a two minute walk away from the Trustees of the Reservation’s parking lot on route 5. (Use the address 1099 US-5, Holyoke, MA 01040 on your GPS app.)
Dinosaurs in Massachusetts?
Up here in New England, we don’t have what you would call a tropical climate. Didn’t dinosaurs need warm weather, you ask? You’re right. Thing is, 190 million years ago, the area was indeed subtropical. Next time you’re driving down I-95, if you envision palm trees, swamps, and carnivorous dinosaurs, you’ll get an idea of what New England looked like millions of years ago.
Dinosaurs made their prints in mudflats, which then dried. Sediment covered their tracks, which is why they were protected all of these years. When construction workers began building route 5 in the 1920’s, these dinosaur footprints in Massachusetts were uncovered.
The Dinosaur Footprints
Naturally, at the first mention of visiting dinosaur tracks, Benny started roaring and wouldn’t stop. Our schedule didn’t allow for us to get here until the late afternoon, so I had to listen to loud roars for most of the day. Note to self: don’t tell him about plans like this so early in the morning.
Once we parked, it was very easy to find the trail.
Some of the tracks have been outlined in chalk, which was really helpful. Notice how the tracks are all going in the same direction. Benny tried to follow the tracks, and then ran into the wall supporting Route 5.
As you can see from the photos, all of the dinosaur footprints are in one area, which makes visiting very easy.
What you should know before visiting the dinosaur footprints in Massachusetts
- It’s free. That’s right, bring everyone, including the dog.
- While picnicking is allowed, we didn’t see any picnic tables. So bring a blanket and enjoy lunch on the rock.
- There are train tracks nearby. DO NOT CROSS THE TRACKS, no matter how badly you want to get up close to the nearby Connecticut River. This is illegal, and the tracks are active.
- This reservation is open from April 1 to November 30.
- Visiting these dinosaur footprints in Massachusetts is a relatively quick trip. A half hour or so is an adequate amount of time to appreciate the site. We ended up staying a bit longer because we were taking pictures.
For more information, check out the Trustees of the Reservation’s site.
Unfortunately for me, it took another hour before Benny stopped roaring.
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Dinosaur Footprints can be found at 1099 US-5, Holyoke, MA 01040.
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[…] fossils!” I turned to look. I understand why he thought that; we had recently visited dinosaur footprint fossils in Western Mass. Thankfully, it was easier to calm him down this […]