Dinosaur Valley State Park draws thousands of visitors each year to see some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. But some locals fear that view could soon include something far more modern: towering high-voltage power lines.

At the park, the ancient tracks are embedded in limestone along the Paluxy River — footprints millions of years old that leaders say define the town.

"This is limestone the dinosaurs actually walked on," Mayor Joe Boles added. "You can see the claw marks. You can see the footprints."

Boles says the prints are central to Glen Rose's identity.
"You don't have dinosaur prints in Texas," he said. "That's why Glen Rose is known as the dinosaur capital of Texas."

But a proposed Oncor project could one day bring 200-foot transmission towers into view near the park.

"And I try to tell people, visualize as you're driving to the park… these 200-ft towers on both sides of the road," Boles said during a tour.

The power lines are part of the large Dinosaur–Longshore Project, a plan to run 765-kilovolt transmission lines from Somervell County to Howard County to meet new state power demands. Three possible routes are under consideration, including one that would pass just south of the state park.

Oncor said in a statement: "Oncor recognizes the cultural, educational, and ecological importance of Dinosaur Valley State Park. We appreciate the engagement we've seen from local community members on this project. None of the preliminary routes under consideration enter or cross the park. All routes are still preliminary, and Oncor must present a geographically diverse set of routes in our application as part of regulatory requirements. We are reviewing these preliminary routes alongside our ongoing environmental assessment. Feedback from the local community is an important part of this process and residents can continue to contact our team at transmissionprojects@oncor.com."

City officials say even one power line here would be too many. They want every inch of this land protected — not just for its natural beauty and ecosystem, but for the tourism the community depends on."

"This park generates about 250,000 visitors," Boles said. "For every dollar spent here, $12 goes into the community. We are a tourist community. This is the heartbeat."

Residents have launched a campaign to keep the lines away, posting signs reading "Don't tread on my tracks" and rallying in town.

"The county commissioners, the city council, the state representative; all the residents came together," said Mayor Pro Tem Stewart Mann. "We're just trying to keep that moving and keep sending as many letters as we can get."

Oncor plans to submit its final proposal to the state in February. Oncor says it has had several meetings with the community and will continue to assess needs and plans in the coming weeks. Until then, Glen Rose leaders say they will continue pushing to protect the park and the prehistoric footprints that draw people from around the world.

"We're the second smallest county in Texas," Mann said. "We have to have a voice, and we all have to come together for that voice to carry anywhere."