Most people don’t think of dinosaurs when they think of Pennsylvania — especially not Gettysburg. But tucked into the stonework of a quiet bridge on South Confederate Avenue are real dinosaur footprints, preserved right in the rock.
These tracks are more than 200 million years old, long before the Civil War, long before people, long before the landscape looked anything like it does today.
On the bridge that crosses Plum Run, you can find:
One large three‑toed footprint from Anchisauripus sillimani — a lion‑sized, two‑legged meat‑eater
Two smaller prints from Atreipus milfordensis — a plant‑eating dinosaur that walked on three narrow toes
The stones used to build the bridge came from a local quarry, and the dinosaur tracks were already in the rock when the blocks were cut. Instead of being removed, they were simply built into the bridge — a prehistoric surprise hiding in plain sight.
If you ever visit Gettysburg, take a moment to look closely at the stone bridge on South Confederate Avenue. You might just find yourself standing where a dinosaur once walked.
For more information, read the full article on the PA Researchers website: Dinosaur Prints at Gettysburg PA –
