Hiking Around Las Vegas; Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
 The trail runs past life-sided sculptures of the various animals |
Megafauna Trail 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 excavation sites. The Megafauna Trail is a short (0.35 miles) loop that functions much like a traditional nature trail where visitors walk from numbered post to numbered post with a brochure containing text tied to each number. Here, however, there are no numbers or brochures, but there are life-sized sculptures of the creatures who lived here and signs with texts, photos, and things to touch. This trail starts and ends at the front of the visitor center. Hikers start by walking through the representation of an excavated trench (notice the fossils and things in the walls), passing the front door to the visitor center, and continuing out the other end of the trench. The trail passes eight displays and loops around, returning to the trailhead between the visitor center and the restroom building. Hikers can, of course, walk in either direction. Link to Trail Map or State Park Map. |
 Trail starts in front of the visitor center and enters the "excavation trench" |
 The trail passes the front doors of the visitor center (view NE) |
 The trail continues out the other end of the "trench" (view N) |
 Notice "fossils" and things in the walls of the "trench" |
 The trail exits the "trench" onto the desert landscape (view N) |
 Hikers starting out onto the desert landscape (view N) |
 First display: Dire Wolves (view NE) |
 Dire Wolves |
 Dire Wolves |
 Dire Wolf |
 Dire Wolves display sign |
 Dire Wolves: touch the skull |
 The trail continues past the Dire Wolves (view E) |
 The trail winds around (view NE) |
 Second display: Scott's Horse (view NE) |
 Scott's Horse display (view NE) |
 Scott's Horse |
 Scott's Horse display sign |
 Scott's Horse: touch the hoof and leg bones |
 Third display, Shasta Ground Sloth (view E) |
 Shasta Ground Sloth (view NW) |
 Shasta Ground Sloth |
 Shasta Ground Sloth display sign (view NW) |
 Shasta Ground Sloth: touch the claw and finger bones |
 Fourth display: American Lion (view E) |
 American Lion display (view NE) |
 American Lion |
 Cat lover scratching the big kitty behind its ear (view NE) |
 American Lion display sign (view NE) |
 American Lion: touch the footprint |
 Fifth display: Yesterdays Camel or Western Camel (view E) |
 Yesterdays Camel or Western Camel display (view SE) |
 Yesterdays Camel or Western Camel |
 Yesterdays Camel or Western Camel display sign |
 Yesterdays Camel or Western Camel: touch the neck bones |
 Trail continues past a shade structure -- when it's hot, use shade |
Sixth display: Columbian Mammoth (view E) |
 Columbian Mammoth (view SE) |
 Columbian Mammoth display (view NW) |
 Columbian Mammoth display sign (view NW) |
 Columbian Mammoth: touch the teeth |
 Trail loops around the Columbian Mammoth (view W) |
 Looking back at the Columbian Mammoth (view NE) |
 Seventh display: Ancient Bison (view E) |
 Ancient Bison display sign |
 Ancient Bison: touch the horn |
 Hiker continuing past the Ancient Bison (view SE) |
 Eighth display: Saber-toothed Cat (view SE) |
 Saber-toothed Cat display (view NE) |
 Saber-toothed Cat |
 Saber-toothed Cat display sign |
 Saber-toothed Cat: touch the skull and tooth |
 Trail arrives at a second shade structure and trail junction (view SW) |
 At shade structure, trail turns right towards visitor center (view W) |
 Approaching the shaded picnic tables (view W) |
 Trail passes the shaded picnic tables (view W) |
 Trail returns towards the visitor center (view W) |
 Trail returns between the restroom and visitor center (view W) |
 Megafauna Trail ends at the parking lot (view W) |
 More to come ... |
Happy hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 250307
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