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Wilde About Texas: Dino tracks at Canyon Lake
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The Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country tells the story of pioneer life in the area that's now dominated by Canyon Lake.
However, what is protected by a large metal roof keeps visitors coming through their gates—inside is evidence of some of Texas’ prehistoric inhabitants.
"It's really mind-boggling standing here looking at all these tracks when you realize that they were made by animals that lived here about 100 to 115 million years ago,” Museum Docent Toni Knight said.
Experts say they've identified two species of dinosaurs that once strolled across this now hardened surface.
“They believe there was Acrocanthosaurus, and he was a meat-eater, and we also have a nice display of the herbivore that they believe was Iguanodon," Knight said.
The tracks were discovered in the 1970s by accident.
"The owner of this property wanted to build an RV park and he had this great big hillside to dig into," Knight said.
After the hillside was leveled, the tracks rose to the surface.
"There was a lot of rain came and it washed off the limestone ledge and exposed the tracks," Knight said.
There's no telling how many more tracks one day could be uncovered.
"We don't know how far the tracks go under the hillside, and as long as the limestone ledge is intact going under the hillside, then there will still be tracks there and they will be pristine because they're protected by all the rubble that's on top," Knight said.
The museum also tells features exhibits on the building of Canyon Dam.
For more information on the museum and the dinosaur tracks, visit TheHeritageMuseum.org.