← The Weekend Getaways
🥾 ActiveWeekend · from Dallas, TX

Dinosaur Trails & Mineral Waters

Discover ancient dinosaur footprints and soak in rejuvenating mineral waters on an unforgettable Texas escape.

Day 1 — Dinosaur Valley State ParkDay 2 — Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Day 1 — Dinosaur Valley State Park

Day 1 — Dinosaur Valley State Park

🚗 2 hr 30 min driving📍 6 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Dallas, TX → Dinosaur Valley State Park
2 hr 5 min
📍
Dinosaur Valley State Park
★ Reviews →
Cross the Paluxy River to walk alongside 113-million-year-old footprints pressed into limestone bedrock. Both sauropod and theropod trackways are preserved on opposite banks — bring water shoes for the crossings, which are part of the experience. Some of the most extensive dinosaur tracks on earth, and you can touch them.
🍽️
Lunch
🚗
Drive
Dinosaur Valley State Park → Grumps Burgers Glen Rose
10 min
🍽️
Grumps Burgers Glen Rose
★ Reviews →
Glen Rose's most beloved burger joint — hand-pressed patties, fresh fixings, and zero pretension. Perfect fuel after a morning tracking dinosaurs through the Paluxy River.
☀️
Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Grumps Burgers Glen Rose → Dinosaur Valley State Park
10 min
📍
Continue at Dinosaur Valley State Park
★ Reviews →
Use the afternoon to explore a different trail, cool off at a swimming hole, or find a scenic spot to watch the sunset.
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Dinosaur Valley State Park → Big Cup Eatery
5 min
🍽️
Big Cup Eatery
★ Reviews →
Fuel your adventure with artisanal coffee and locally-sourced breakfast fare in a charming, community-focused café atmosphere.
🍽️
Snyder's Tavern
★ Reviews →
A well-regarded dinner spot near La Palmilla Texas Hotel.
🛏️
La Palmilla Texas Hotel
A 4.9-rated boutique hotel in Glen Rose, the Hill Country gateway to Dinosaur Valley — the kind of polished small-town stay you'd be surprised to find outside a major city. Excellent rooms and a staff that knows the Paluxy River valley inside out.
Day 2 — Lake Mineral Wells State Park

Day 2 — Lake Mineral Wells State Park

🚗 3 hr 36 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Dinosaur Valley State Park → Lake Mineral Wells State Park
1 hr 16 min
Lake Mineral Wells State Park
★ Reviews →
Escape into nature with pristine hiking trails, crystal-clear lake waters for swimming and paddling, and scenic overlooks perfect for weekend relaxation.
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️
Woody's Bar & Grill
★ Reviews →
A casual local bar and grill in Mineral Wells serving hearty burgers and Texas comfort food with cold beer. No-frills and reliable — exactly what you want after a morning on the trailway.
☀️
Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Lake Mineral Wells State Park → Lake Mineral Wells Trailway
3 min
📍
Lake Mineral Wells Trailway
★ Reviews →
The 20-mile Cross Timbers Trailway follows a converted rail line alongside Mineral Wells Lake through rolling mesquite and cedar terrain — flat and scenic, ideal for a long afternoon hike or bike ride through quintessential North Texas cross-timbers landscape.
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Lake Mineral Wells Trailway → Mesquite Pit - Mineral Wells
3 min
📍
Mesquite Pit - Mineral Wells
★ Reviews →
Savor authentic Texas barbecue slow-smoked over mesquite wood in a rustic pit setting that captures the true spirit of Texas hill country cuisine.
~1 hr📍 See location
🚗
Drive
Mesquite Pit - Mineral Wells → Dallas, TX
2 hr 14 min
← All Dallas trips
More getaways from Dallas
Turner Falls & the Arbuckles — Oklahoma's Tallest Waterfall, Castle Ruins & Swimming Holes — Day trip🥾Wichita Mountains — Granite Peaks, Free-Roaming Bison & Elk Mountain — Weekend🥾Beavers Bend & Broken Bow — Cold Rivers, Ridge Trails & the Cabin Country of the Ouachitas — Long weekend🥾Denison & Sherman — Eisenhower's Birthplace & Red River Squares — Day trip🏛️Oklahoma City — Memorial, First Americans & the Western Frontier — Weekend🏛️Nacogdoches & the Piney Woods — Oldest Town in Texas, Caddo Mounds & El Camino Real — Long weekend🏛️Mineola & Canton — Antiques, a Soda Fountain & the Sabine River Bottoms — Day trip🌿East Texas Lake Country — Winnsboro's Arts Town & the Mount Vernon Square — Weekend🌿
© 2026 theweekendgetaways.com · All itineraries are original content. Terms
Plan your own escapeExplore more trips →
Free · Every Friday
One weekend.
Planned for you.

A hand-picked itinerary in your inbox every Friday — real places, real drives, ready to go. No roundups, no sponsored content.

No spam. Unsubscribe any time.