Blue Hole Loop

The Blue Hole Loop at Dinosaur Valley State Park delivers a more substantial hiking experience than the famous trackway trail, exploring the rugged canyon terrain along the Paluxy River through a landscape of cedar brakes, rocky bluffs, and the clear spring-fed swimming holes that characterize the best of Central Texas Hill Country. The blue hole itself is a deep, spring-clear pool in the river that serves as a cooling refuge during the hot Texas summer months.

The trail climbs above the river corridor onto cedar and juniper-covered limestone ridges where views extend across the rolling Somervell County landscape. White-tailed deer are frequently encountered in the cedar thickets, and wild turkey flocks work the river bottom. Canyon wrens call from the limestone bluff faces with their descending cascade of notes that define the acoustic character of Texas canyon country. The river crossings required on this loop can be challenging during high water periods following rainfall, so checking conditions before departure is advisable. In dry conditions the crossings are ankle-to-knee deep and add considerably to the adventure character of the route. Wildflowers along the bluff edges can be spectacular in spring, with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and prickly pear cactus blooms creating vivid color against the white limestone outcrops.