Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

Would you have guessed that Nevada is home to the country’s only national monument solely dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of Ice Age fossils? It’s a bone-a fide fact. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is a natural history wonderland spanning 22,650 acres just 20 miles north of the Las Vegas Strip.

Situated in North Las Vegas, the Upper Las Vegas Wash was inhabited by an impressive array of prehistoric creatures during the Ice Age. While the valley has a dry climate today, it was once a lush, abundant wetland that attracted all kinds of wildlife. As temperatures warmed, the flora and fauna got trapped in mud pits, perished, and over the course of millions of years, all fossilized in one concentrated area.

Discover Ice Age Fossils

Any sort of fossil action is fascinating, but what makes Tule Springs so special is the number of fossils and the variety of species uncovered in the wash. Scientists consider this one of the largest discoveries of Ice Age fossils ever found.

What’s been discovered here? Herds of Columbian mammoths—with tusks spanning over six feet in length and molars the size of human heads—dating back to the Pleistocene Epoch. American lions weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Giant ground sloths the size of a car. Camelops—larger versions of the camels we know today—plus extinct horses, dire wolves, ancient bison, and teratorn raptors have called this extraordinary area home.

The valley was also home to some of the earliest American Indian tribes. The first inhabitants, more than a thousand years ago, are ancestors of today’s Paiute residents.

During the early 1960s, a major excavation known as the “Big Dig” initially uncovered an unimaginable amount of large animal fossils. The entire area came under National Park Service protection in the 2000s before being designated as a national monument in 2014. Now, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument protects and preserves these fascinating remnants of time. 

Visiting Tule Springs Fossil Beds

When visiting Tule Springs, visitors can stroll two temporary, self-guided trails and enjoy a number of ranger-led programs and events. The site of the “Big Dig” is explorable, and you might be lucky enough to spot a tusk or bone fragment. If you do find a fossil at Tule Springs, it’s important to leave it where you found it (photos are OK!) and let park staff know about your discovery. Disturbing or taking fossils from any National Park Service site is against federal regulations, and valuable paleontological information will be lost forever.

Wildlife still abounds at Tule Springs, too. Look for coyotes, jackrabbits, and even aquatic snails, along with desert flora like the rare Arctomecon, commonly known as bear or bear-paw poppies that used to densely cover the western part of the Mojave Desert.