Images of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument – Southern Nevada, taken in May 2018.

After mammoth remains were found here in the early 1930’s, scientific interest in this area has led to several major expeditions to unearth the fossilized remains of large prehistoric animals. In 1962 the “Big Dig” created mile long trenches in the south unit and in 2004 almost 10,000 fossils were removed from the same general area making this one of the richest sites in the US. This is also the place where radiocarbon dating was first applied.

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument was established in December of 2014 and is totally undeveloped. There are no documented trails and it is up to the individual to explore the area on their own, making their way through the trenches and over the piles of excavated clay laced with rocks and small fossils. At the Durango Road site fossilized plant or corral remains were everywhere, exposed protruding from the clay and scattered on the ground, thick in several areas. I found no mammoths but as this area is still largely unexplored, I’m sure they are there.