
Protecting, preserving, supporting and promoting responsible stewardship of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and Ice Age Fossils State Park.
Unbridled Passion for our Park: Meet the Horse Patrol!
Do you like horses, yay or neigh? Well the Protectors sure do! Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (TUSK) recently launched the Tule Springs Fossil Beds Mounted Horse Patrol Volunteer Program to complement and expand park services to the front country trails....
read moreOur Dogs Are BARKing!
As part of a National Park Service program, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument had a swearing in ceremony in February for a very special pack of volunteers – our B.A.R.K. Rangers! The B.A.R.K. Rangers’ commitment includes: Bag your pet’s waste Always leash...
read moreWelcome to our New TUSK Superintendent!
We were thrilled to see this news release about the new TUSK superintendent issued by the National Park Service on May 6. Welcome Superintendent Carter! The National Park Service has selected Derek Carter to serve as the superintendent of Tule Springs Fossil Beds...
read more
In the early 2000s, those areas were proposed as a disposal area for the further development of the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, and unincorporated Clark County. During a meeting held to finalize the proposed disposal of these lands, a small group of citizens became aware of the unique paleontological and biological resources that would be forever lost to more roads, housing and commercial development should the proposed disposal boundary be approved.
This small group of North Las Vegas residents began an 8-year effort to forever protect what was nearly lost.
Protectors of Tule Springs became a formal non-profit corporation and recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 2012.

Southern Nevada will soon have an iconic, life-sized Columbian Mammoth sculpture, inspired by the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument! The Monumental Mammoth will be permanently installed at Ice Age Fossils State Park, slated to open later this year. But we need your help to make this happen!
Learn how you can be part of this amazing public art project.Four local government entities – the Clark County Commission, the Las Vegas Mayor and Council, the North Las Vegas Mayor and Council, and the Tribal Council of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe – voted on and unanimously passed a resolution in November 2009 asking Congress to make Tule Springs a part of the National Park System.
Following the unprecedented passage of the resolutions, county and city officials and staff members worked closely with an active coalition of National Monument supporters to define boundaries and evaluate acreage, with considerable foresight and enthusiasm to help map a park management plan that will well serve an urban population.
In December 2014, the efforts of Protectors of Tule Springs and our coalition partners culminated in the designation of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, and nearly 23,000 acres of Nevada was forever preserved!
The creation of this National Monument demonstrated a model of cooperation between Clark County, the City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the National Park Service, the State of Nevada, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Air Force, Clark County Schools and other educational institutions, tourism-generating initiatives, and citizen groups.
Protectors has a strong member base and continues to welcome new members to help us with the important work of developing Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and Ice Age Fossils State Park for future generations.
- Community Events
- Get Outdoors NV
- Las Vegas Science Festival
- Mammoth Penny Push
- National Fossil Day/Contest
- Group/Class Presentation




For the past two years, Protectors has partnered with the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and CCSD’s outreach office, to hold an annual art contest in celebration of National Fossil Day. In this program, students learn about the Pleistocene and submit artwork depicting the Ice Age mammals that once roamed Las Vegas. Winning students and their teachers receive money and other prizes for their efforts.

Support Protectors and the Tule Springs Fossil Beds