Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is a national monument run by the National Park Service in Clark County, Nevada. There is no entrance fee. It is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round.
Current notices posted by the managing agency. Checked Sept. 30, 2026.
- Closure: South Unit temporarily closed south of Grand Teton Drive; Trailheads remain open. The South Unit of Tule Springs Fossil Beds is temporarily closed to visitor access south of Grand Teton Drive, between Tule Springs Parkway and North Fifth Street in North Las Vegas for visitor safety during construction activities.
Check current closures and fire restrictions for Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument on the managing agency's own page.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument map
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Closures
- The park is closed to motor vehicles except on Alamo Road, Corn Creek Road, and North Decatur Boulevard; Alamo Road closes 1 hour after sunset (as of September 27, 2026).
Fire restrictions
No fire restriction recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders below before you go.
Nevada Fire Info, BLM Nevada's interagency fire site, keeps the Nevada fire restrictions map and signed orders for every fire zone, and a Nevada fire map of active fires.
Common questions
- Yes. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument has no entrance fee.
- Yes. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round.
- No. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument has no developed campground. Camping outside campgrounds is not allowed.
- Pets are allowed in Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument on a leash no longer than 6 feet. They are allowed on trails.
- No. Launching, landing or operating a drone is not allowed in Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.
Fees, passes, and hours
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument has no entrance fee.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round.
Sources: nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/fees, checked 2026-09-27; nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/basicinfo, checked 2026-09-27.
Entrances and visitor centers
- Corn Creek Visitor Center, Desert National Wildlife RefugeOutside the park boundary.Visitor center, year-round (Thu-Mon): 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.16001 Corn Creek Rd, Las Vegas, NVNational park passport stamp available.
- Ice Age Fossils State Park Visitor CenterOutside the park boundary.Visitor center, year-round (Wed-Sun): 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.National park passport stamp available.
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visitor CenterOutside the park boundary.Visitor center, year-round: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.10 Lakeshore Road, Boulder City, NV 89005National park passport stamp available.
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area HeadquartersOutside the park boundary.601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NVNational park passport stamp available.
Source: nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/basicinfo, checked 2026-09-27.
Camping in Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument has no developed campground. Camping outside campgrounds is not allowed.
Campfires: Fires only with fuels made for warmth or cooking, such as charcoal briquettes or natural firewood; lighter fluid, garbage, fireworks prohibited.
Source: nps.gov/tusk/learn/management/laws-policies, checked 2026-09-27.
Pets
Pets are allowed in Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument on a leash no longer than 6 feet. They are allowed on trails.
Source: nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/trails, checked 2026-09-27.
Trails
- Durango Loop Trail (Short Loop)Ice Age badlands; views of the Las Vegas and Sheep ranges and Spring Mountains
- Durango Loop Trail (Long Loop)Self-guided tour with four stops; 87 ft elevation change
- Aliante Loop TrailSelf-guided audio tour "The Park is My Lab" on the NPS App; spring and summer wildflowers
Source: nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/trails, checked 2026-09-27.
What to see
- Fossil siteTule Springs fossil bedsLargest open-air Pleistocene fossil site in the Mojave Desert; collecting rocks, fossils, plants, or artifacts is prohibited
- Fossil siteTule Springs Local FaunaNamed Ice Age vertebrate fauna: Columbian mammoth, ancient camel, horse and bison, ground sloth, dire wolf, American lion
- CanyonUpper Las Vegas WashWash walls of Ice Age wetland sediment laid down over thousands of years, seen from the Durango Loop
- HighlightDurango Loop badlandsIce Age badlands with severely undercut wash walls; stay on the trail, away from the edge
- OverlookDurango/Moccasin KioskTrailhead at N. Durango Dr. and W. Moccasin Rd.; views of the Sheep, Las Vegas, and Spring Mountain ranges
- HighlightAliante Parkway KioskTrailhead at N. Aliante Pkwy and W. Moonlight Falls Ave.; no water, shade, or restrooms on site
- HighlightDurango Short Loop Citizen Science StationChronolog photo station (TSF-102) documenting slumping and erosion of the wash walls
Source: nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/basicinfo, checked 2026-09-27.
Fishing and water
Floyd Lamb Park Pond fishing (0.6 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
Public lands next to Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
- National wildlife refugeTule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument borders Desert National Wildlife Refuge.
- State parkTule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument borders Ice Age Fossils State Park.
- BLM unitRed Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is 0.3 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Photos
- https://www.nps.gov/state/nv/index.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/fees.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/hours.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/learn/management/laws-policies.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/learn/management/superintendent-s-compendium.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/trails.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/pets.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/things2do.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/durango-loop-self-guided-tour.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/aliante-loop-self-guided-tour.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/learn/paleontology.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/learn/about-fossils.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/places/durango-moccasin-kiosk.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/places/aliante-parkway-kiosk.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/places/corn-creek-visitor-center-us-fish-wildlife-service.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/exhibits.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/places/ice-age-fossils-state-park-visitor-center.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm (accessed 2026-09-27)
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tule_Springs_Fossil_Beds_National_Monument (accessed 2026-09-27)