Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument The national monument is 22,650 acres and stretches along US Highway 95 north of Aliante to Creech Air Force Base.

Because it’s a new park, there is no visitor center, facilities or parking areas. Right now to access the park, people can park on nearby public roads in the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, and they can enter the monument on foot. PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

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We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization. We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Similarly, we do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity. Details about an ongoing investigation or legal or administrative proceeding that could prejudice the processes or could interfere with an individual's rights will be deleted from this page. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. Also, the appearance of external links on this site does not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, the U.S. National Park Service or the U.S. Department of the Interior.

09/16/2026

Nananananananana bat cam! 🦇📹

Sometimes, we use special tools to detect what the human body can't see or hear. Mapping heat and tracking bat echolocation can help us learn more about these helpful desert dwellers and their behavior. Bat roosts are their homes, where they sleep, rest, and raise their pups.

NPS Video | R. Emery
Video Description: A woman with dark hair and a field shirt holds a monocular tube in her hand. It is just after sunset, and the evening light is dim. Field scientists hold various tools up to the air, lit by a gold sunset to measure the wind, heat, and track bat movements. The bats light up on thermal imagery as red and orange "hot spots" against a cooler blue and green background. Fuzzy and small bats fly about in the sunset sky amongst desert badlands.

09/11/2026

Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, the United States was forever changed. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks, including the 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93, whose courageous actions thwarted a planned attack on our nation’s capital.

Today, places across the National Park System help preserve the stories, memories, and history of that day and its aftermath. Along with Flight 93 National Memorial, other national parks, memorials, and historic sites preserve stories of those who responded, served, mourned, and helped communities come together in the days and years that followed.

On this 25th anniversary, take time to remember, reflect, and serve. Visit a national park, learn a story, or volunteer in your community in honor of those who were lost and those who answered the call to serve.

NPS Photo

An event, thousands of years in the making 🐪🦴🧊Join us for our National Fossil Day Celebration! Our annual Pleistocene Pa...
09/09/2026

An event, thousands of years in the making 🐪🦴🧊

Join us for our National Fossil Day Celebration! Our annual Pleistocene Palooza is fun for fossil enthusiasts of all ages.

Saturday, October 17th, 2026 from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Tule Springs Fossil Beds Durango Loop Trailhead
Durango Drive & Moccasin Road, Las Vegas

Together with our community partners, we celebrate the science behind what we know about the past and present. Our fossils are our history-what will you discover?

The Pleistocene (Ply-sto-seen) is a name for a time, not long ago, when Earth experienced glacial and interglacial periods. Pleistocene fossils at Tule Springs Fossil Beds are between 100,000-12,500 years old.

👩‍🔬Meet real scientists!
⛏️Junior Paleontologist Program
🦴Get up close with fossils
🦙Live animals
🎉Fun for all ages
🐶Dog friendly
🆓Free!



NPS Images

09/04/2026

Why hello there little fella!!! 🕷️👀
Meet one of the Mojave Desert’s tiny predators, the jumping spider (AKA Phidippus sp.)!
Where can you find them?

These little hunters can be found throughout the Southwest, often hanging out on plants like sagebrush and four wing saltbush. Unlike many spiders, they don’t rely on webs to catch their meals, they actively hunt!

What makes them so fuzzy?
That adorable fuzz isn’t just for looks! Their bodies are covered in tiny hairs called setae (see-tay) that help them sense their surroundings, including vibrations and movement. Their hairy bodies also help with things like camouflage and managing the harsh desert environment.

Look at those eyes!
Jumping spiders have incredible vision compared with many other spiders. Their large forward-facing eyes help them judge distance and spot prey.

What’s on the menu?
Flies, ants, aphids, other tiny insects, and even other spiders! During especially dry periods, they may also supplement their diet with nectar and pollen.

Dating and mating life?
Male jumping spiders have to put on a SHOW for the ladies! They use movements, body displays, and sometimes vibrations to impress potential mates. Courtship can be surprisingly quick, 30-60 seconds! Talk about a speed date!

Are they dangerous?
Nope! Their venom is meant for tiny prey and isn’t considered medically significant to humans. They rarely bite, and bites are generally mild and localized.
SO, IF YOU SEE ONE… DON’T SQUISH IT! There tiny desert explorers are just out here doing their part as nature’s pest control.

Have you ever spotted a jumping spider in the Mojave Desert? If so, send us one so we can put it on our story!

NPS Video | T. Roberts
Video Description: A small spider with fuzzy gray legs and big black eyes moves his front legs in a bouncy pattern. The vivid blue-green of his mouthparts and the orange stripes on his abdomen are visible as he turns to the side. Video has no sound.

08/30/2026

What does it take to care for a national monument? Well, let’s meet Ranger Lauren and see what she does both out in the field and behind the scenes for Tule Springs! 🦣🦴

NPS Video



Video description: A park ranger in green shorts smiles and waves. She hikes across desert trails, pointing out new trail construction to other staff. At her desk, decorated with a colorful corkboard, she is designing a trail map on the screen. Images alternate of Ranger Lauren working with yellow flowers, a visitor with binoculars, and groups of community volunteers out at the monument. The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument emblem, featuring yellow bear poppy flowers, a fossilized mammoth skull, and a desert landscape.

08/28/2026

Freedom isn’t just something we remember, it’s something we get to experience every day. So, take a moment to explore, learn, and help keep our story alive! 🦣🦴❤️🤍💙

NPS Video | R. Emery



Video description: Panning to wide desert landscapes with sandy and rocky terrain, sparse desert vegetation and distant mountains. There are multiple people wearing outdoor hiking gear, walking downhill on a trail with their dogs. A woman rides her horse down a desert trail. There are two women investigating a mammoth’s tooth fossil they found. A desert snake slithers across a rocky desert terrain at night. A coyote trots across the desert with a mountain landscape. Volunteers load trash and litter into wheelbarrows. A close up of a mammoth rib bone sticking out of a rock. A park ranger walks around a museum, looking up close at a life-sized mammoth skeleton. The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument emblem, featuring yellow bear poppy flowers, a fossilized mammoth skull, and a desert landscape.

08/28/2026

We are grateful for our Volunteers who help keep Tule Springs clean. By removing windblown trash and litter, Protectors of Tule Springs keeps our wildlife and native habitats healthy and happy. 🐢💛



NPS Video: S. Butler
Video description: A woman with a sun hat and sunglasses orients us to where the desert landscape meets urban neighborhoods. She is seen picking up plastic bags and litter with trash grabbers, using her phone to take a GPS point, and assists a man in a sun hat and orange sun shirt load full trash bags into the back of a pickup truck. Scenes alternate between a desert tortoise, a bat hiding in a rock crevice, and yellow poppy flowers. A volunteer crew hikes through a desert wash to clear litter into trash bags. The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument emblem, featuring yellow bear poppy flowers, a fossilized mammoth skull, and a desert landscape.

08/26/2026

Did you know that western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are one of the bird species that call Tule Springs home? These cute and curious critters were captured on one of our wildlife cameras (say that 10 times, fast). 🦉

Burrowing owls inhabit abandoned burrows built by other desert animals, such as tortoises, badgers, coyotes, and kit foxes. They can often be found in areas with short, sparse vegetation where it is easier to watch for predators, making the badlands at Tule Springs an ideal burrowing owl habitat!

Always remember to watch wildlife from a safe distance and respect their space🤎

NPS Video

Video description: A curious owl bobs her head to inspect the camera with her large golden eyes. She is backlit by the orange and blue hues of twilight. The video has no sound.

08/23/2026

Here are a few things Ranger Colton likes to keep in his hiking bag. What’s one thing you never hit the trail without? 🥾🎒



NPS Video | R. Emery

Video description: A wide desert landscape with a mountain in the distance, sparse vegetation, rocky terrain and a sign for Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. A Ranger with a grey long sleeve shirt and wide brim sun hat holds a backpack and waves hello. He pulls out several safety items like a water bladder pouch, red first aid kit bag, an adjustable hiking pole, and umbrella with a reflective coating. The next item he pulls out of his bag is a small silver rectangular pack ”toilet-to-go". He also pulls out a pocket utility tool, a bag of pretzel sticks, and puts on sunglasses. Ranger Colton reapplies his sunscreen on his arm. When he’s ready for the trail, we see a close up of his brown hiking shoes walking in the gravel terrain. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument emblem, featuring yellow bear poppy flowers, a fossilized mammoth skull, and a desert landscape.

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Las Vegas, NV

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702-293-TULE (8853)

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