Family camping pick

Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose landed at No. 5 on a new 2026 national list of the best places to camp with kids. (dallas.culturemap.com) CultureMap Dallas reported the ranking on April 22, 2026, citing The Dyrt’s “Best Places to Camp With Kids” list, which was released April 15. The Dyrt said Dinosaur Valley was the only Texas campground in its top 10. (dallas.culturemap.com) (thedyrt.com) The pick centers on what families can do once they get there: Dinosaur Valley’s fossil tracks sit in and around the Paluxy River, and Texas Parks and Wildlife says visitors can also camp, hike, bike, swim, fish, paddle and use the park’s interpretive center. The park lists 20 miles of trails. (tpwd.texas.gov) That combination puts the park in the same lane as the family-camping formula The Dyrt highlighted in this year’s roundup. The company said the winning campgrounds stood out for kid-focused activities, fishing, playgrounds and other ways to keep children busy outside. (thedyrt.com) (dallas.culturemap.com) For North Texas families, the draw is geography as much as novelty. CultureMap described Dinosaur Valley as a short drive from Dallas, and the state park’s Glen Rose location makes it a realistic weekend trip rather than a long-haul summer vacation. (dallas.culturemap.com) (tpwd.texas.gov) The park’s camping setup is not just tent pads in a field. Texas Parks and Wildlife says visitors can stay at campsites, while The Dyrt’s campground listing describes sites with electric hookups, picnic tables and fire rings, plus restrooms and showers noted by campers. (tpwd.texas.gov) (thedyrt.com) The broader list is also a marketing moment for a state park that already had a built-in hook: actual dinosaur footprints. The Dyrt called family camping the kind of trip that can shape future campers, and Dinosaur Valley’s mix of river access and track viewing fits that pitch cleanly. (thedyrt.com) (tpwd.texas.gov) For parents planning summer weekends, the ranking does not change the park itself. It does put one Glen Rose campground with dinosaur tracks, river recreation and established campsites onto a national short list for 2026. (dallas.culturemap.com) (thedyrt.com)