News Release

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Volunteer Mounted Horse Patrol

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Volunteer Mounted Horse Patrol

National Park Service

News Release Date: July 7, 2021

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

TULE SPRINGS FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT News Release

For Immediate Release: July 7, 2021
No.: 2021-01
Contact: [e-mail]

Commencement of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Volunteer Mounted Horse Patrol program

LAS VEGAS – Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (TUSK) is happy to announce the commencement of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds Mounted Horse Patrol Volunteer Program. The program was established in 2021 with the help of their Friends Group, Protectors of Tule Springs (POTS), to complement and expand park services to the front country trails. The program is run by National Park Service Rangers.  The volunteer mounted patrol will serve as the "eyes and ears" of the park rangers and provide valuable support with visitor safety. Currently a team of 11 dedicated local Volunteers in Parks (VIP’s) manage every aspect of care and training of their personal patrol horses, under the leadership of Tule Springs Fossil Beds Integrated Resources Program Manager. These special horses serve as park ambassadors, giving a friendly hello to all visitors they see on the trails at TUSK. 

While on horse patrol, the uniformed volunteers provide valuable extended ranger services by watching for public safety concerns, for instance hazardous trail conditions and visitors needing emergency assistance, and reporting issues back to park rangers. The efforts of the volunteers also play a critical role in the preservation of park resources and visitor education, as they chat to visitors about sharing multi-use trails safely and the importance of staying out of sensitive and closed habitats. The Mounted Horse Patrol is also trained on identifying important natural and cultural resources to include fossils, artifacts, and threatened and endangered plants and animals so that they can help inform the park staff of issues or new discoveries.  Patrol volunteers are always happy to provide additional park and trail information to visitors, the park’s natural and cultural resources, and to talk about their horse ambassadors.