Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

As of 2018, there is no visitor center or parking area at Tule Springs. There are, however, almost 23,000 acres of Nevada desert to explore in hopes of finding some of the Ice Age (Pleistocene) fossils. (All collecting is prohibited.) This group of springs on the northern edge of Las Vegas is one of the newest additions to the National Park system.

Enjoy a 20-mile-long stretch of off-trail hiking. Most of the barren land is gravelly flats and low mud hills dotted with Mojave yucca. The national monument extends along the valley, centered on the typically dry Upper Las Vegas Wash that runs down the middle. However, this land was once a lush wetland that drew prehistoric creatures seeking food and water.

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument was established in December 2014. The goal is to protect fossils unearthed on this land that range in age from 250,000 to 7,000 years. The most visible of these are mammoth tusks. However, bones of bison, lions, horses, camels, and sloths have also been found. Home to perhaps the largest concentration of fossils in the United States, Tule Springs also boasts an impressive number of species buried in the wash.

Spring is a nice, cool time to visit and do some walking and fossil hunting. You'll spot some wildflowers and the occasional wildlife, including mule deer, bighorn sheep, snakes, and lizards. The monument is found 20 miles north of the Las Vegas Strip. Check out the site of the 1960's "Big Dig" excavation, and keep your eyes peeled for fossil fragments that could be over 200,000 years old.

Explore camping on public campgrounds along the way or on private land through Hipcamp.