Following in their footsteps
At Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, you can trace the paths of creatures that lived here 280 million years ago
One of the wonders of New Mexico is being able to see the history of the world in bold and vivid detail. Take, for instance, the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument located in the Robledo Mountains just northwest of Las Cruces.
This 5,200-acre tract within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument contains fossilized remains of pre-dinosaur animals dating back 280 million years, said Mara Weisenberger, monument manager for the Bureau of Land Management.
The tracks made by a Dimetrodon, a carnivore that grew up to 13 feet long with five digits on each foot. Prints almost the size of an adult human hand and an indentation of the body were preserved in between the right and left sets of footprints.
“You may see fossilized plants, petrified wood and the fossilized tracks,” she said.
Among the most scientifically significant Permian track sites in the world, Weisenberger said, the monument contains major deposits of footprints from amphibians, reptiles, insects, crustaceans and even plants.
Although the area now is considered Chihuahuan Desert, at the time the tracks were made, it was a lush, tropical forest.
That made the area ripe for the rich variety of fossils that remain at many sites throughout the monument.
The area is significant because of the sheer numbers of fossils, the large number of species represented, and their high quality and excellent preservation. Up to 50 consecutive prints from individual animals are seen, and tracks from multiple species are found together.
“The Robledo Mountains track sites are the most scientifically significant Early Permian track sites known,” according to the Paleozoic Trackways Scientific Study Report of 1994. “The diversity, abundance and quality of the tracks in the Robledo Mountains is far greater than at any other known tracksites or aggregation of tracksites. Because of this, the Robledo tracks allow a wide range of scientific problems regarding late Paleozoic tracks to be solved that could not be solved before.”
In normal times, a staff paleontologist does free, monthly guided hikes that have become quite popular, Weisenberger said, but those have been put on hold until the COVID-19 crisis has been contained.
“He would take as many as 40 at a time,” she said. “I get many folks from all over the U.S. who will send me email complimenting the prehistoric trackways tour. He’s a great speaker and can explain complex resource issues so the rest of us can understand it.”
Although that is not an option right now, getting out and exploring the area is a worthwhile venture, Weisenberger said.
The main set of trackways is set on a three-mile, round-trip trail that should soon be part of a loop system, she said.
Additionally, there are a number of other trails scattered across different terrain throughout the monument.
“We have rolling hills to steep hills and canyons,” Weisenberger said. “It just depends on where you are. When you come, you are driving into a canyon and there are trails, leading up to the ridges.”
One of the main activities in the monument besides scientific exploration is using off-road vehicles to climb a series of steep cliffs that the bureau worked in conjunction a local off-road club to develop and rate.
And numerous hikes offer a place to find space, while mountain bikers also have a series of trails to challenge and beguile riders.
“Some people like to get out for the solitude or the peace of mind,” Weisenberger said. “Others like the adventure. It all depends on folks are interested in terms of recreation.”