Volunteers clearing debris after devastating floods in central Texas uncovered a set of 115-million-year-old tracks left by one of the largest dinosaurs of its time.
The discovery was made along the banks of Sandy Creek in northwest Travis County, where recent, powerful floodwaters acted like a natural power washer, stripping away layers of sediment to re-expose the ancient rock bed beneath. The find was later confirmed on Aug. 5 by paleontologists.
“The tracks that are unambiguously dinosaur were left by meat-eating dinosaurs similar to Acrocanthosaurus,” Matthew Brown, director of vertebrate paleontology at the University of Texas at Austin, said.
The dinosaur tracks uncovered in Texas belong to the Acrocanthosaurus
The 15 distinct footprints, each measuring 18 to 20 inches, belong to a massive dinosaur. The Acrocanthosaurus, whose name means “high-spined lizard,” was known for the tall neural spines on its vertebrae that likely supported a ridge or sail of muscle along its back.
Reaching lengths of about 35 feet, it was the apex predator in North America during the early Cretaceous period, long before its more famous relative, Tyrannosaurus rex, appeared.
Possible dinosaur tracks were found in the Sandy Creek area of Central Texas roughly one month after deadly flooding. https://t.co/3I912EuIjF pic.twitter.com/5vFuixK7bL
— KVUE News (@KVUE) August 8, 2025
The criss-crossing pattern of the tracks suggests multiple dinosaurs may have been moving through the area, perhaps as a group, turning a simple set of footprints into a potential snapshot of social behavior.
The tracks are embedded in the Glen Rose Formation
The age of the tracks is confidently dated because they are embedded in the Glen Rose Formation, a well-known geological layer in central Texas that is roughly 110 to 115 million years old. During that time, this part of Texas was the muddy coastline of a shallow sea. This soft, muddy environment was ideal for capturing and preserving impressions such as footprints, which later hardened into stone.
While a remarkable find, the discovery isn’t entirely surprising for the region. Central Texas is a known paleontological hotspot.
Fossilized dinosaur footprints are relatively common in Travis County. Previously documented tracks that were reburied by sediment over the years were also uncovered in the area. The area lies just a few hours’ drive south of the world-renowned Dinosaur Valley State Park, famous for its exceptionally well-preserved trackways.
Researchers plan to return to the site to conduct a more thorough analysis. Matthew Brown said his team hopes to use modern technology, such as drones and high-resolution surface scans, to create detailed 3D models of the trackways.
This advanced documentation could provide new insights into the dinosaurs’ biomechanics, how they walked and ran, as well as their behavior and interaction with their ancient coastal environment.
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