News Release
NPS Photo | L.Parry
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NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev.— Construction has begun on the first permanent, accessible trails at Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, which are expected to be unveiled to the public in 2027.
Once completed, visitors will be able to explore the southern portion of the park via 3.3 miles of the new “Tufa Trail,” which will feature bilingual wayside exhibits, tactile models, and wayfinding maps.
“This important milestone removes accessibility and language barriers for outdoor recreation while also enhancing the visitor experience,” said Amanda Rowland, Tule Springs Fossil Beds Superintendent. “The project will help the National Park Service conserve sensitive resources, and the trails will direct visitors to a well-marked, accessible trail with engaging exhibits that promote stewardship and prevent sensitive resources from becoming trampled or disturbed.”
The new trailheads will act as a gateway between the developed city and the natural Mojave Desert landscape. The trail area will conserve natural washes and waterways that provide habitat for sensitive plants and wildlife, including the Las Vegas bear poppy, a rare yellow-flowered poppy native plant, Las Vegas buckwheat, and Mojave Desert tortoise.
Visitors will have a chance to see the only Ice Age braided rivers “frozen in time” in North America. These stream formations, protected by the National Park Service, were once plentiful across the valley but have largely been lost to urban development.
To ensure visitor safety, the following areas in North Las Vegas will be closed during construction:
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South of Grand Teton Drive, between Tule Springs Parkway and North 5th Street
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North of Grand Teton Drive, east of the Aliante Loop Trail.
The closure will not impact existing trailheads such as the Durango and Aliante Loops.
Design and construction of the trail is funded entirely in-kind by home builder D.R. Horton as part of a 2018 land exchange agreement between the National Park Service and the City of North Las Vegas. The homebuilder is in the process of completing a new master-planned community that surrounds the park’s southeastern boundary, the Villages at Tule Springs.
The Protectors of Tule Springs, the park’s official philanthropic partner, sought and was awarded over $70,000 in funding from the Federal Highway Administration's Recreational Trails Program to support the new trail.
The new trails, including the Tufa Trail, were featured in the park’s General Management Plan that was completed by the National Park Service in May 2024.
For up-to-date park Alerts & Conditions, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/tusk/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Last updated: August 22, 2025