T-Rex

  • Difficulty: Hard three yellow stars
  • Distance: 1.94 miles
  • Restrooms: No (Trail); Yes (Visitors Center)
  • Stroller Friendly: No
  • Wheelchair Friendly: No
  • Playground: No
  • Dog Friendly: Yes
  • Location: Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area (Valley View Trail)
    • black and white illustration of a tyrannosaurus rex with an erupting volcano in the background

    Clues for Your Hike

    1. Park in the parking area for Valley View Trail off of T987/Laurel Drive.
    2. Find the trail going uphill with white blazes; the trail should be straight ahead when facing away from the road.
    3. Continue to follow the trail as it winds uphill, following signs for Valley View Trail and white blazes.
    4. At a double white-blazed tree, take a sharp right to continue the trail uphill, and follow more white blazes as they zigzag sharply up the hill.
    5. At the top of the hill, follow the trail to the right, looking for the white blazes ahead.
    6. You will pass a double bench area on your right, overlooking the valley below. Continue along the trail uphill to find the post.
    7. To return to your vehicle, continue following the trail ahead, following more white blazes. When you reach trail signs for Horse-Shoe Trail and Valley View Trail, turn right and follow the white blazes for Valley View Trail.
    8. Continue downhill on the trail as it zigzags as it goes.
    9. Closer to the bottom of the hill, you’ll pass a double white-blazed tree on the right and then a large, uprooted tree further down the hill; pass this tree on your left and continue following the white blazes ahead.
    10. As you approach the road, look for a blue blaze to your right and turn toward it (at this point, you will be exiting the Valley View Trail and turning onto the Explorer Trail; if you reach the road, you have gone too far.)
    11. Continue parallel to the road, following blue blazes until you reach a set of trail signs.
    12. When you reach trail signs for Valley View Trail and Explorer Trail, turn left and go downhill (following the white blazes) to the parking area ahead.

    Did You Know?

    • While still small, the T-Rex's arms were over three feet long and may have been capable of bench pressing 400 pounds each.
    • Female T-Rex's outweighed the male by a few thousand pounds, maybe because they had to lay T-Rex sized eggs.
    • The T-Rex had a powerful bite, about 1,500 to 3,000 pounds per square inch, comparable to that of a modern alligator.
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