5 National Parks for Your Inner Paleontologist

Located in Nebraska, Agate National Park is known for its extensive paleontological history and visitors can find world-class fossil exhibits. This national park preserves some of the most complete fossil record of mammals from the Miocene Epoch that occurred 5 to 23 million years ago. Fossils found here include the coyote-sized beardog Daphoenodon (Italian for “blood-reeking tooth”), the extinct two-horned North American rhinoceros Menoceras, and the terrifying-looking bison-sized pig-like Daeodon that had a 3-foot-long head complete with a massive jaw with massive bone-crushing teeth. Visitors can also hike along the Daemonelix and the Fossil Hills Trail to see ancient sand dunes, fossil grassland soils, and what the prairie looks like today.

When most people think about Grand Canyon National Park, what comes to mind is the deep chasm through northern Arizona created by the Colorado River over eons—a place for amazing photography opportunities and picturesque hikes around down to the valley floor. However, did you know that you can also find fossils in the colorful, striated rock formations. You won’t find dinosaur fossils, but with 32% of Earth’s geologic history found at this national park, it’s a great place to find other fossils that can be as old as 1,200 million years old! While hiking, keep an eye out for marine fossils like the segmented trilobites or the plant-like crinoids, terrestrial fossils of prehistoric ferns and 8-inch dragonflies, and more recent fossils of sloths and California condors.  Remember not to dig up or move any fossils, and to take only pictures of your discoveries.

This national monument in Idaho is named after the first true horse—the Hagerman Horse! This park is known for its world-class paleonotological resources; fossils of more 200 different species have been found at the park to date including the saber-toothed cat, mastodon, camel, giant marmot, and fossil research is still being done today. Though there’s no place in the park where you can see fossils in the ground or being excavated, you can still learn about paleontology, see fossils on display, and even visit the remains of the historic Oregon Trail.

When people think “fossils,” dinosaur bones and the tooth of a saber-toothed tiger comes to mind. However, fossils are any physical evidence—remains or impressions—of any type of organism, including trees! Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is named after logs that were washed into an ancient river system, buried, and converted into colorful, almost solid quartz. In addition to its namesake fossil, Petrified Forest has plant and animal fossils dating back to the Triassic Period. Fossils of a long-snouted Triassic fish, prehistoric sharks, small dinosaurs, and many other species have been found at the park. As you hike through the park, marvel at the petrified wood and keep an eye out for fossils and trace fossils.

Today at Badlands National Park, visitors can see a prairie expanse, riddled with bison, bighorn sheep, and black-footed ferrets. However, eons ago, ancient animals such as three-toed horses, camels, and land turtles would have been roaming these same lands.