Glen Rose, Texas is one of the smaller towns of the state. In 2000 the population of Glen Rose was a mere 2,122. To reach Glen Rose visitors must fly into Dallas/ Fort Worth and rent a car. The town is sixty miles from the airport. The small town has a fairly long history with Dinosaurs roaming the land, Native Americans inhabiting it, and finally settlers from the east creating a town in 1849. The area was a Comanche Indian Reservation in 1855, so the town founder left, but in 1859 the reservation was abolished and Charles Barnard moved back.
Part of the attraction for Barnard was the Paluxy River. This river runs through the town providing a water source, as well as beautiful scenery. One of Glen Rose's attractions for visitors is Big Rocks Park. This park is town owned and therefore open to the public. There are no park rangers to watch over the park. Instead the town depends largely on visitors respecting the land and having fun while at the park.
Glen Rose has many free attractions like the Somervell County Museum and Big Rocks Park. Any visitor to Texas who wants to save a little money can travel to Big Rocks Park. The park is set on Paluxy River where it is surrounded by trees and huge rocks.
The rocks one can climb on gave the park its name. It is quite obvious why when visiting the park. The rocks are large enough for rock climbing explorations. Many local residents and Texans who enjoy rock climbing will come to this park. There are boulders for novices to learn on and then larger rocks to really enjoy a few hours. Some of the rocks are set in the river.
Paluxy River took many years to form as the water eventually ate away at the limestone and other sediment in the land. As the water ate away at the sediment the rocks remained. So the river has to flow around the majority of the rocks. The river banks are a little steep in spots, more like a slide, but there are still areas for visitors to climb into the river and swim. For the most part the river is tame running slowly through the park. There are a couple of spots where rocks will cause a little wave action. On the whole though the river is calm for all swimmers, and parents are asked to keep near their children.
It is also recommended to wear life vests for those who are not strong swimmers. Swimming is only possible in the warm months of the year. During winter the water is too cold to be comfortable.
The rest of Big Rocks Park is going to be open all year round. With no fee, a visitor can go hiking, climbing, biking, or walking through the wooded areas. There is plenty of parking on site, and often in summer the river is full of swimmers enjoying a little cool down.
