Park Hours (Today)
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Welcome Center: 9:00PM - 5:00PM
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About the Park
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths.
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What to See & Do
Camel Trail
A 200 yard dirt and gravel trail that allows you to enjoy nature at Waco Mammoth National Monument.
Honey Locust Trail
A 1/4 mile dirt and gravel trail that branches off the Eagle Trail.
Eagle Trail
A 1/2 mile trail takes you through the Texas landscape.
Mammoth Trail
A short, paved trail takes you from the Welcome Center to the Dig Shelter where you can see the fossilized remains of Ice Age animals.
All About Hiking at Waco Mammoth National Monument
Enjoy 21st century plants and animals in addition to viewing ice age fossils.
Visit the Dig Shelter
Mammoths, and camels, and saber-toothed cats! Oh my! The Dig Shelter at Waco Mammoth National Monument houses the fossilized remains of ice age animals, most notable the only nursery herd of Columbian mammoths to be discovered in the United States. Tour the Dig Shelter and imagine what life in Central Texas was like 65,000 years ago. You can even see how you size up to a life-size mammoth painting.
Visitor Centers
Welcome Center
Guided tours of the Dig Shelter begin here. Tours are conducted every 30 minutes, no reservation needed. Tours last from 45 minutes to one hour. Tour guides will lead you from the Welcome Center, down a 300 yard paved path to the Dig Shelter where mammoth fossils are in situ (still in their original position within the bone bed).
Getting Here & Transit
How to Get Here
From I-35 North, take exit 339 and head west on Lake Shore Drive. Turn right on Steinbeck Bend Drive and travel 1.5 miles to the Monument. From I-35 South, take exit 335C and head northwest on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Continue straight onto Steinbeck Bend Drive and travel 1.5 miles to the Monument. The Monument is easily accessible via personal vehicle, bus, or motor home.
Park Amenities
Operating Hours
Waco Mammoth National Monument
Operating hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. The park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. A Dig Shelter access fee does apply.
- Monday9:00AM - 5:00PM
- Tuesday9:00AM - 5:00PM
- Wednesday9:00AM - 5:00PM
- Thursday9:00AM - 5:00PM
- Friday9:00AM - 5:00PM
- Saturday9:00AM - 5:00PM
- Sunday9:00AM - 5:00PM
Photos
Entrance sign to Waco Mammoth.
President Obama signs order viewed by members of National Park Service
Painting of Mammoth nursery herd
Mammoth Tusks in situ
When to Go
Crowd CalendarPlan your trip around peak seasons to avoid crowds or embrace the energy of the busy months. Our crowd predictions are based on historical NPS Visitor Use Statistics.
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Best Time
May-September
Trip Length
1 day
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Planning Waco Mammoth National Monument
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