Overview

Ice Age Fossils State Park was established in 2017 and opened to the public in 2024. This small (315 acre) state park is tucked up against the much larger (22,650 acres) Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. Together, they protect the paleontologically rich Upper Las Vegas Wash, but in particular, the State Park protects the major paleontological excavation sites.

The Connector Trail is a 0.4-mile (each way) trail segment that connects the Megafauna Trail with the Trench K Trailhead for the Big Dig Trail. As such, this is not a stand-alone trail, but an integral part of the Big Dig Trail for everyone except VIPs who can use a service road to drive to the Trench K Trailhead. It is not clear to me why the State Park considers this a separate trail. One shade structure provides shade at the beginning of the trail.

Link to Trail Map or State Park Map.

Watch Out

Other than the Standard Warnings about hiking in the desert, this trail is fairly safe, but there are stairs and other places where hikers could trip and fall, so alway watch your footing.

While visiting the area, please Respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this area is not remote, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

Ice Age Fossils State Park is located on the north edge of the Las Vegas urban area. From downtown, drive north on Highway 95 towards Reno. Towards the northwest edge of town, take Exit 91A onto Clark County 215 (Northern Beltway). Now driving east, continue 3 miles to Exit 41 (Decatur Blvd). Turn left onto Decatur and drive north about 3.2 miles to Ice Age Fossils State Park, on the right. There is no big entrance sign, but watch for the Monumental Mammoth. Turn right into the parking lot.

The Hike

From the parking lot, hikers start heading due east on the Megafauna Trail between the Visitor Center and the Restroom Building. Technically, this is the end of the Megafauna Trail.

Passing the Restroom Building, the Megafauna Trail heads east to a large shade structure that covers 23 picnic tables. Continuing past the picnic area, the Megafauna Trail runs east to a smaller shade structure and a trail junction (Wpt. 04). Here, hikers finishing the Megafauna Trail come in from the left, while the Connector Trail continues straight.

A small trail sign a few yards past the shade structure announces that the Trench K Trailhead and Big Dig Trail lie 0.5 miles ahead. The distance is actually only 0.37 miles.

Heading east over fairly flat terrain, the Connector Trail passes a large "Trail Rules" sign. Note, in particular, people are not allowed to dig up fossils, and hikers must stay on trails to avoid crushing microfossils on the surface of the ground. Oh, and don't leave little bags of dog poop along the trail.

The Connector Trail soon passes a nice wooden bench with a grand view to the north for those who choose to sit and relax. Perennial vegetation on these open flats is mostly stunted Creosote Bush and White Bursage, with a few Nevada Ephedra and Spiny Menodora mixed in.

The trail continues east over slightly rolling terrain and at about 0.48 miles from the parking lot, arrives at a T-intersection (Wpt. 05) marked with a trail sign. Here, the Big Dig Trail turns left to head north towards Trench K. This is the start of a loop, however, so hikers are welcome to walk the loop in either direction.

Returning to the Trailhead

Heading west from the Big Dig trail junction (Wpt. 05), the Connector Trail runs across rolling mudhills terrain, passes a nice wooden bench and a trail rules sign, to arrive at a trail junction (Wpt. 04) with the Megafauna Trail. The trailhead is about 0.11 miles due west, but hikers might consider turning right onto the Megafauna trail to visit the ghosts of megafauna past.