The Ice Age meets the modern age at this unique landscape on the northern edge of Las Vegas. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument contains over 22,000 acres of protected land to explore. As the name suggests, this area is home to an abundance of Pleistocene-era fossils that shed light on the way the region has changed over time.
Tens of thousands of years ago, this arid desertscape was a wet, marshy land where mammoths, saber-toothed cats, camels, and giant ground sloths roamed. Scientists have been studying the fossils and human artifacts found here for over 100 years. Today, the area is protected but undeveloped. There are no facilities and no services yet, but it is a great place to explore on horseback.
This is a relatively easy location to ride, with no technical terrain. This is flat and wide open desert riding among creosote and sporadic Joshua trees. What makes it unique are the badland features – large tan sediment mounds exposed by time and rich with fossils. The trails weave around these mounds and across the desert.
The National Park Service is still finalizing the equestrian plan for this national monument so for now they are asking trail riders to stick to established trails and roads. To protect the delicate fossils here, please do not ride cross-country or on any of the badland features. Because of those restrictions, there aren’t a lot of route options for equestrians, but you can still rack up some miles on the existing tracks.
There is no water on the trail. Due to summer temps, it’s best to ride this area in the fall, winter, and spring. Dogs must be on a leash here so leave them at home. The trails are also open to hikers, runners, and bicyclists, but are not too busy. The mammoths and giant sloths may be gone, but keep an eye open for surviving wildlife like coyotes, desert tortoises, and lizards.
A unique feature of this park unit is that they have a mounted horse patrol. This small group of volunteers regularly rides to map trails and monitor park usage. They will also be instrumental in making recommendations for permanent equestrian access. If that is something you are interested in, you should reach out to learn more about volunteering.
Getting Here
Where to Park: There is a lot of new home construction happening in the neighborhoods bordering the national monument so things will change. For now, there is a wide, dirt space around the park boundary with room for many rigs. At the intersection of Durango/Moccasin is an interpretive panel and a trash can. There is a horse gate to walk over to enter the park, approximately 400 meters to the west, by Homestead Road, which you can park by.
Trail Maps
