At this stop, you’ll find rocks that hold the clues to what the area looked like millions of years ago. They help tell the story of the time when dinosaurs began to dominate the planet. Find the outcrop and start your rock exploration!
Location
42.60916, -72.55637
Near Avenue A and 2nd Street, Turners Falls, Massachusetts
Directions
How to Get There
Park in the public lot at Avenue A and 2nd Street in Turners Falls, right near the Great Falls Discovery Center. You’ll see rocky outcrops along 2nd Street, on both sides of the street. Take a look at these rocks; they provide clues that can tell us about the ancient world of dinosaurs. If you look carefully at the rocks on the north side of the street, you may be able to find some three-toed tracks.
Marshall: Hello Dino track explorers! I’m Marshall.
Lindsay: And I’m Lindsay. Thanks for joining us on our Dino Map Adventure!
M: We’re the hosts of Tumble Science Podcast for Kids and we’re on a mission to share the incredible dinosaur history right here in the Pioneer Valley. There is so much that scientists have discovered here - and so much left for YOU to discover along with us!
L: This stop is going to transport us back in time, when dinosaurs were just beginning their rise to dominate the planet — and we’ll discover how Earth broke apart.
M: Wait, it broke apart? I thought I’m still on it!?
L: (Laughs)
M: Anyway, before we get there, if you haven’t already, pause this audio to listen to our how-to track. It will help you be prepared for what you’re about to experience! All right Lindsay, where are we heading now, and what are we gonna find there?
L: We’re going to Turners Falls, Montague in Massachusetts, to a rocky outcrop just outside the Great Falls Discovery Center on Avenue A. Park in the lot for the Discovery Center. Along the sidewalk on 2nd Street you’ll find a shady little hilly, rocky area. Look closely along the sidewalk, and you’ll see rocks sticking out from the ground. This is called a rock exposure, or outcrop. You can see tilted layers of rock sticking out on both sides of the street. These rocks — and the others around it — hold the clues to what the area looked like when these rocks were formed, millions of years ago. They help tell the story of what this place used to look like when dinosaurs roamed.
M: Well, so what did this dinosaur roaming ground look like?
L: Okay. Imagine yourself transported 220 million years back in time. The supercontinent Pangea is breaking apart, and you’re in the middle of the action. The edge of a great rift valley is just a few miles away from here. Plate tectonics are causing the land to stretch and break along a series of faults. The center is sinking down into the Earth. The Pioneer Valley is just beginning to take shape.
Now, let’s fast forward millions of years, from the late Triassic into the Early Jurassic. The valley has filled in with sediment, and a lake has formed. You’re now standing on its shore, and you can see it’s full of life. Fish are darting through the water. There are a bunch of small dinosaurs on the shore, fishing. It will take a little while for dinosaurs to rise to truly dominate the Earth.
M: Alright! That is an amazing picture, but how do we know there was a lake here, and dinosaurs, and all that stuff?
L: Great question. You can find the evidence right here in the rocks if you know where to look! When you get to the spot, your first step is to find the exposed rock on the sidewalks. Walk up and down the length of the outcrop, and look closely at the layers to find their differences.
M: So what kind of differences are we looking for here?
L: Look for differences in color and consistency. The differences in color show changes in the types of mud and sand that were being laid down, in different wet, watery environments. Lake rock tends to be the color dark grey, or even black.
M: And what do you mean by consistency?
L: That means how hard the rock is. Yes, different rocks are different hardnesses.
M: I guess I knew that. Some you can break with your fingers and some you need a hammer. Which ones are lake rocks? Are they the hard ones or the crumbly ones?
L: The actual lake layers are pretty crumbly. And they'll be sandwiched in between layers of lakeshore rocks - the lakeshore rocks were made from the muds and sands that were on the edges of the lakes. The rocks in the lakeshore layers are harder than the softer and crumbly muds of the lake layers.
M: So it’s like, if you picture the shoreline of a lake, that’s what the rocks are made out of.
L: Yes! The lakeshore rocks will be purple or red. It kind of depends on how you see them.
M: Ohh! And are there other, like, not lake rocks running around here?
L: Not running, but there were rivers that cycled through the climate at different times, too. The river layers are thicker and harder than the lake layers and come in all sorts of colors, like purple, red, and white.
M: A rainbow of river rocks! So but it seems like the overall point is this was a place with lots of wet stuff.
L: Yes! That’s what makes it great for finding dinosaur footprints! Once you get a feel for the layers, see if you can find any tracks on your own!
M: I actually found something that looks like it might be a three-toed footprint!
L: Yes! That’s so exciting and we can’t wait for you to see what you can find!
M: For directions and activities, check out nepm.org/dinomap. Feel free to share your adventure with the hashtag #tumbledinomap!
L: Meet you at your next stop, dino track explorers!
Download the Dino Map Adventure and the Dino Adventure Journal.