Fossil Park Highlights

Badlands National Park's Paleontology Intern, Kathryn Pauls, explaining the proper procedures to take when visitors encounter fossils within park boundaries.

NPS Photo.

Many National Park units have made information about their fossils and paleontology programs available on the Internet. Follow these links to learn more about educational programs and fossil resources in the National Parks.

Search by Park Name:

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A

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO), Nebraska

• Mammal Fossils

• Fossil Freeway

• AGFO Park Homepage

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Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS), Texas

• Geology

• AMIS Park Homepage

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Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (ANIA), Alaska

• "New Frontiers, Old Fossils: Recent Dinosaur Discoveries in Alaska National Parks" Alaska Park Science

• "Alaska Dinosaur Discovery" Arctic Science Journeys—Radio Script

• A new fossil species of Hydrangea

• Fossils in Time (5-9th Grade curriculum unit)

• ANIA Park Homepage

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B

Badlands National Park (BADL), South Dakota

• Geology and Paleontology

• Fossil Exhibit Trail Worksheet

• Fossil Trading Cards

• Fossil Fun Word Search | Solution

• Fossil Find Word Search | Solution
• BADL Park Homepage

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Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA), Alaska

• Ice Age Wildlife Fun Facts

• Ice Age Mammals

• • Wooly Mammoth

  • Ice Age Steppe Bison

• Footprints into the Past and the Future (4th Grade curriculum unit)

• Museum Collections

• BELA Park Homepage

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Big Bend National Park (BIBE), Texas

• Fossils

• A paleontological paradise

• Big Bend's pterosaur | Lifeways | Extinction

• A Texas giant | The Alamosaurus | Dinosaur Airlift

• "Super-croc"

• BIBE Park Homepage

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Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (BICA), Montana & Wyoming

• Fossils

• Activity: Bighorn Canyon Fossils, Paleontologist for a Day (Grades 5-8)

• BICA Park Homepage

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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (BLCA), Colorado

• "Fascinating Fossils" 2nd Grade Activity | Pre/Post Visit Activities

• BLCA Park Homepage

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Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA), Massachusetts

• Paleoecology of Calf Island in Boston's Outer Harbor

• BOHA Park Homepage

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Bryce Canyon National Park (BRCA), Utah

• Geodetective activities

• BRCA Park Homepage

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Buffalo National River (BUFF), Arkansas

• Lesson Plan: A Day by the Buffalo (page 1-7)

• BUFF Park Homepage

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C

Cabrillo National Monument (CABR), California

• Paleontologic Research

• CABR Park Homepage

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Canyonlands National Park (CANY), Utah

• Jurassic Journey

• CANY Park Homepage

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Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR), Alaska

• Muskoxen: Shaggy Survivors of the Ice Age

• CAKR Park Homepage

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Capitol Reef National Park (CARE), Utah

• Megatracksite | Triassic Tracks | Stromatolite Fossils

• CARE Park Homepage

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Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE), New Mexico

• Geologic Formations

• Permian World brochure

• Middle School Activities - Surf Carlsbad: Activity 4 "Meet My Pet Fossil, Rocky"

• CAVE Park Homepage

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Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CHCU), New Mexico

• Fossil Photo Gallery

• CHCU Park Homepage

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Channel Islands National Park (CHIS), California

• The Pygmy Mammoth | Life and Times video

• Paleontological Resources

• Junior Ranger Booklets

• Paleontologic Research

• CHIS Park Homepage

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Chickasaw National Recreation Area (CHIC), Oklahoma

• Geologic Formations

• CHIC Park Homepage

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Coronado National Memorial (CORO), Arizona

• Cave / Karst Systems

• CORO Park Homepage

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Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (CRMO), Idaho

• Fossils

• CRMO Park Homepage

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Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA), Ohio

• Videos: How common are fossils? | What kinds of fossils are found?

• CUVA Park Homepage

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D

Death Valley National Park (DEVA), California & Nevada

• Geologic Formations | Park Geology

• Death Valley Paleontological Survey Report

• DEVA Park Homepage

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Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA), Alaska

• Painted Fossil Bison Skull

• Dinosaur Track Found in Denali

• Paleoecology of Denali's Dinosaurs

• Dinosaur Questions and Answers (Video)

• Park News: Dinosaur Discoveries in Denali

• Reconstructing Ecosystems of the Lower Cantwell: Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs

• DENA Park Homepage

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Dinosaur National Monument (DINO), Colorado & Utah

• Geology of Dinosaur National Monument - Includes "Dinosaur Quarry" activity

• Dinosaur! Virtual Museum Exhibit

• Virtual Tour of the Douglass Quarry

• Fossil Discovery Trail Guide

• "The Art of Dinosaur Reconstruction" video

• DINO Park Homepage

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E

Effigy Mounds National Monument (EFMO), Iowa

• Geology

• EFMO Park Homepage

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F

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (FLFO), Colorado

• Shale Splitting Parkcast

• Paleontology Program

• Online Museum

• Slideshows: Fossil Fish | Fossil Bird

• Fossil Excavation Program

• Paleontology Lesson Plans (K-12)

• FLFO Park Homepage

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Fossil Butte National Monument (FOBU), Wyoming

• Fossils

• Geologic Formations

• Fossil Photos

• Curriculum Materials

• Road to Fossilization Poster

• FOBU Park Homepage

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G

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (GAAR), Alaska

• Museum Collections

• GAAR Park Homepage

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Glacier National Park (GLAC), Montana

• Fossils

• GLAC Park Homepage

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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLCA), Arizona & Utah

• Therizinosaur: Mystery of the Sickle-Claw Dinosaur Exhibit

• Mesozoic Fossils

• GLCA Park Homepage

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Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GOGA), California

• Geology of the Golden Gate Headlands | Poster (6.5 MB PDF)

• Chert | Graywacke Sandstone | Limestone

• Poster: Franciscan Rocks of the Marin Headlands Terrane (9 MB PDF)

• Paleontological Resource Inventory and Monitoring for the San Francisco Bay Area Network

• GOGA Park Homepage

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Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA), Arizona

• Introduction to Grand Canyon Fossils

• The Grand Age of Rocks: The Numeric Ages for Rocks Exposed within Grand Canyon

• Lecture Series: Life in Stone, Fossils of the Colorado Plateau (Video)

• Lesson Plans: Make a Fossil (GEO-28) &Fossilization Game (GEO-30)

• GRCA Park Homepage

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Grand Teton National Park (GRTE), Wyoming

• Fossils

• GRTE Park Homepage

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GUMO), Texas

• Geologic Formations

• GUMO Park Homepage

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H

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (HAFO), Idaho

• Fossil Species

• HAFO Park Homepage

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J

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (JODA), Oregon

• Paleontology: Fossil Laboratory | Collections | Meet the Paleontologists

• Fossils: Vertebrates | Flora

• The Fossil Record - new discoveries!

• Virtual Tour

• Paleontology

• JODA Park Homepage

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K

Katmai National Park and Preserve (KATM), Alaska

• "New Frontiers, Old Fossils: Recent Dinosaur Discoveries in Alaska National Parks" Alaska Park Science

• KATM Park Homepage

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Kobuk Valley National Park (KOVA), Alaska

• Museum Collections

• KOVA Park Homepage

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L

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (LACL), Alaska

• Fossils

• LACL Park Homepage

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M

Mammoth Cave National Park (MACA), Kentucky

• Karst Geology

• Fossils

• MACA Park Homepage

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Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE), Colorado

• Geology of Mesa Verde

• MEVE Park Homepage

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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota

• Twin Cities Geology

• Lilydale Fossil Hunting Information Packet

• Classroom Activity: Make Your Own Fossil (Grades 4-6)

• Park Homepage

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Mojave National Preserve (MOJA), California

• USGS—Evidence of Ancient Life

• MOJA Park Homepage

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Montezuma Castle National Monument (MOCA), Arizona

• Natural Features &Ecosystems: Fossil Mammal Tracks

• Geology of the Verde Valley

• MOCA Park Homepage

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N

Natchez Trace Parkway (NATR), Alabama, Mississippi & Tennessee

• Natural Features & Ecosystems

• NATR Park Homepage

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National Capital Parks District of Columbia (NACE), Maryland, Virginia

• Urban Fossils: Stories in Stone (251 KB PDF)

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Natural Bridges National Monument (NABR), Utah

• Natural Bridges: Before the Bridges

• NABR Park Homepage

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New River Gorge National River (NERI), West Virginia

• Geologic Formations

• Geology of the New River Gorge

• Scoping Summary

• NERI Park Homepage

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Niobrara National Scenic River (NIOB), Nebraska

• Fossils

• NIOB Park Homepage

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O

Olympic National Park (OLYM), Washington

• Ancient Sea Star Discovered on Olympic Coast

• OLYM Park Homepage

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Oregon Caves National Monument (ORCA), Oregon

• Stromatolites

• ORCA Park Homepage

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P

Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO), Arizona

• Fossils of Petrified Forest

• Brochures: Triassic Life | Trees to Stone | A Student's Guide | A Trip Through Time (K-4)

• The Tourist, the Park Ranger, and the Petrified Forest

• Movies: Why do petrified logs look like someone cut them up for firewood? | Erosion reveals buried fossils

• Rockin' Through the Ages (4-8 curriculum based program)

• Junior Ranger Activity Booklet (12MB PDF)

• PEFO Park Homepage

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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PIRO), Michigan

• Geologic Formations

• PIRO Park Homepage

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Pinnacles National Monument (PINN), California

• Paleontological Resource Inventory and Monitoring for the San Francisco Bay Area Network

• PINN Park Homepage

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Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE), California

• Paleontological Resource Inventory and Monitoring for the San Francisco Bay Area Network

• PORE Park Homepage

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Prince William Forest Park (PRWI), Virginia

• Petrified Wood

• PRWI Park Homepage

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R

Russel Cave National Monument (RUCA), Alabama

• History & Culture: Geology of the Cave

• RUCA Park Homepage

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S

Saguaro National Park (SAGU), Arizona

• Geology of the Tucson Mountains

• SAGU Park Homepage

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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO), California

• Paleontological Research

• SAMO Park Homepage

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Scotts Bluff National Monument (SCBL), Nebraska

• Paleontology

• SCBL Park Homepage

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Springfield Armory National Historic Site (SPAR), Massachusetts

• Springfield Armory Dinosaur Site

• Park Homepage

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T

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (TAPR), Kansas

• Geology in the Flint Hills

• The Permian Period

• TAPR Park Homepage

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Theodore Roosevelt National Park (THRO), North Dakota

• Fossils

• THRO Park Homepage

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Timpanogos Cave National Monument (TICA), Utah

• Fossils

• TICA Park Homepage

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Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (TUSK), Nevada

• Prehistoric Life of Tule Springs

• TUSK Park Homepage

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Tuzigoot National Monument (TUZI), Arizona

• Geology of the Verde Valley

• TUZI Park Homepage

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V

Valley Forge National Historical Park (VAFO), Pennsylvania

• Fossils

• Geologic Formations

• VAFO Park Homepage

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Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK), Mississippi & Louisiana

• Nature & Science Overview

• Mollusks

• VICK Park Homepage

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W

War In The Pacific National Historical Park (WAPA), Guam

• Geologic Features within the Guam Seashore Study Area (1MB PDF)

• WAPA Park Homepage

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Wind Cave National Park (WICA), South Dakota

• Centennial Paleontology Site

• Cave Paleontology Bibliography

• Geologic Formations

• Ancient Rhinoceros Fossil Discovered

• Gastropod Gallery

• Invertebrate Fossils in the Madison Limestone

• WICA Park Homepage

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Wupatki National Monument (WUPA), Arizona

• Stories in Stone

• WUPA Park Homepage

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Y

Yellowstone National Park (YELL), Idaho, Montana & Wyoming

• Yellowstone Paleontological Survey

• Yellowstone Science Vol. 2 No. 4 "Eocene Fossil Find"

• Petrified Trees: Tower-Roosevelt Area Natural Highlights

• YELL Park Homepage

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Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (YUCH), Alaska

• Park Significance

• Geology Down the Yukon (1MB PDF)

• YUCH Park Homepage

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Z

Zion National Park (ZION), Utah

• Fossil Collections: Secrets of the Chinle Formation | Another Kind of Bigfoot | Mystery Tooth

• ZION Park Homepage

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