Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

Open during daylight only year-round. Alamo Road and other limited vehicle routes follow separate closure rules; do not remain after dark.

There are two principal entries: Durango Drive at Moccasin Road and Aliante Parkway at Moonlight Falls Avenue. These are modest trailhead areas rather than a staffed national-park entrance station.

Use the exact Durango/Moccasin or Aliante/Moonlight Falls cross streets. The NPS mailing address in Boulder City is not a visitor destination and will send navigation to the wrong place.

There are no visitor-center buildings, restrooms, shade structures or water-refill stations inside the monument. Use facilities before arrival and carry all needed water.

National monument access and signed trails are free. The adjacent Nevada Ice Age Fossils State Park visitor center charges its own $3 day-use admission and does not accept federal passes.

The Aliante and Durango loops use compacted desert soil and loose gravel with relatively gentle average grades but steeper short sections. There is not yet a fully developed federal visitor complex.

Leashed dogs up to six feet are allowed on designated trails. Pack out waste and protect pets from heat, sharp rock and wildlife.

The NPS audio tours and Junior Ranger material add essential context because exposed fossils are hard to identify. Children should never dig, collect or climb fragile badland formations.

Urban roads approach both trailheads, but heat and limited facilities make a private vehicle the safer default. Confirm the exact endpoint rather than searching only the monument name.

This is a minimally developed desert monument with no water, shade or toilets. Fossils, rocks, plants and artifacts may not be collected; visit the adjacent state museum if seeing prepared fossil exhibits is the main goal.

Check current Southern Nevada weather and operator alerts. Extreme heat, UV, flash flooding, lightning, high wind, wildfire smoke and fire restrictions can close trails, roads, water access or outdoor facilities independently.