The tracks were made by a large predator walking on two legs and a long-necked herbivore walking on four.
The footprint site is preserved on a vertical cliff face because the original horizontal sedimentary layers were tilted by tectonic activity.
The site includes remnants of the former quarry operations that were active in the early 20th century.
The prints were preserved because the lagoon mud dried and hardened before being covered by subsequent sediment layers.
Geopark TERRA.vita manages the site as part of a larger geological corridor spanning the Wiehengebirge hills.
Saurierfährten Barkhausen features original, in-situ fossilized dinosaur tracks embedded in a steep limestone quarry wall. These footprints date back approximately 150 million years to the Late Jurassic period. Two distinct species of dinosaur, a large theropod and a smaller sauropod, left these impressions in the soft mud of a lagoon shore. The site is a primary station of the TERRA.vita UNESCO Global Geopark. Visitors observe the footprints from an elevated wooden walkway that allows a close-up perspective of the geological strata. The tracks were discovered during quarrying operations in the 1920s. The site is located on the northern slopes of the Wiehengebirge range. It serves as an open-air natural history exhibit accessible year-round.
The mid-point of the elevated wooden viewing platform provides the best angle for capturing both the wall and the footprint clusters.
Bring binoculars to see the details of the higher tracks on the quarry wall.
Wear sturdy, non-slip footwear as the path leading to the viewing platform can be uneven or damp.
Download the site's digital informational materials before arrival, as mobile reception can be limited in the forest.
Do not wander into the adjacent restricted forest areas or off-trail sections of the former quarry.
Open year-round, but access may be restricted during periods of extreme winter weather or ice accumulation.
Stay on the designated walkways and do not attempt to touch or climb the fossilized quarry wall.
