Join us on a journey through time and picture this: more than 12,000 dinosaur tracks spread across a towering limestone wall. These footprints tell the story of different dinosaur species mingling and going about their daily lives millions of years ago.

One of the site’s most remarkable discoveries is the longest dinosaur walk ever found: a continuous 347-meter-long trail belonging to a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, affectionately nicknamed “Johnny Walker.”

When you visit Cal Orcko, you’re stepping back into the late Cretaceous period, just before the asteroid struck and wiped out the dinosaurs. It’s a unique chance to experience the world as it was millions of years ago.

But why is it vertical? 

This is where it gets really fascinating. Cal Orcko isn’t just any fossil site. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed across muddy plains, leaving their footprints behind. Over time, layers of sediment covered these tracks, preserving them perfectly. Fast forward to the formation of the Andes mountains: powerful tectonic forces pushed the entire area upwards, transforming that flat, ancient ground into a towering vertical wall. What was once a muddy plain is now a 100-meter-high, 1.5-kilometer-long slab of rock, covered in dinosaur footprints.

Curious to learn more? Explore some amazing facts about Cal Orcko, a place that has captivated scientists and travelers alike:

• Dinosaur Dance Floor: Cal Orck’o is often referred to as the “dinosaur dance floor” due to the extensive collection of dinosaur footprints preserved in its limestone wall, showcasing interactions among various dinosaur species.
• Largest Collection of Tracks: The site contains over 12,092 individual dinosaur tracks across 465 distinct trackways, making it one of the largest collections of dinosaur footprints in the world. At least eight to nine different types of dinosaur tracks have been identified, including those of sauropods, ankylosaurs, ornithopods, titanosaurs, and even a juvenile T-rex nicknamed “Johnny Walker”. 
• Age of the Footprints: These tracks date back approximately 68 million years, placing them in the late Cretaceous period, just before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs.

• Geological Marvel: The fossil bed is situated on a nearly vertical limestone wall that stretches about 1.5 kilometers long and rises over 100 meters high, a result of tectonic forces that uplifted the region over millions of years.
• Tectonic Uplift: The area was a flat, muddy plain near a shallow lake or coastal region. During the formation of the Andes mountains, powerful tectonic forces pushed the once-horizontal surface upward to an almost vertical position, with the wall now standing at a steep 72-degree angle.
• Preservation Process: The footprints were preserved when layers of sediment covered the muddy plains where dinosaurs walked, protecting them from erosion and allowing for fossilization over time.
• Scientific Significance: The tracks provide valuable insights into dinosaur behavior, such as herding patterns among sauropods and solitary hunting by theropods, contributing to our understanding of prehistoric life.

Your Ticket to the Prehistoric Past:

So, would you like to see it for yourself?  Head to Parque Cretácico near Sucre. Located just about 5 kilometers northwest of Sucre, Cal Orck’o is easily accessible destination for visitors interested in dinosaurs and natural history. Parque Cretácico, established in 2006, offers visitors a museum, life-size dinosaur replicas to enhance the experience and of course, the star of the show: that amazing wall of dinosaur tracks. A visit can be easily included during a city tour in Sucre. And don’t miss Toro Toro National Park, another amazing place with dinosaur footprints in Bolivia.