2026 GSC ANNUAL SPRING FIELD TRIP: Connecticut’s Jurassic Park: The Theropod Tracksite at Dinosaur State Park
Where: Meet at the Triassic–Jurassic boundary along the timeline path leading up to the geodesic dome at Dinosaur State Park (DSP), 400 West Street, Rocky Hill, Connecticut
When: Noon–3 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, with a post-trip picnic at the DSP picnic pavilion from 3:30p.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: $25 for GSC members and guests of GSC members. $35 for non-members. $10 for students. The fee covers the park entrance fee, picnic pavilion fee, and cost of food and soft drinks. (*NOTE* Make sure you are logged in in the upper-right-hand corner for access for member prices)
Registration deadline: Noon on Thursday, May 7, 2026
Join us for the society’s annual spring field trip! Trip leaders Peter Drzewiecki, James (Drew) Hyatt, and Michael Ross will lead us on a tour of Dinosaur State Park, both the trackway (see image below) and strata exposed in the immediate environs. A picnic on the park grounds will follow the trip.
Dinosaur State Park is a world-class dinosaur tracksite with over 750 footprints currently on display and even more that have been reburied for protection. Research at the park over the last few decades has revolutionized our understanding of Early Jurassic dinosaurian ecosystems. The trip will include an introduction to the park and its history, a tour of the park displays, a walk on the track surface to examine the tracks and other geological features up close, a description of photogrammetric methods used to map the tracks, and an interpretation of the paleoenvironment in which the trackmakers lived.
