waco-mammoth | TX | Find park

Visitors view fossils from above using the elevated walkway.

President Obama signs order viewed by members of National Park Service

On July 10, 2015, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation making the Waco Mammoth Site a new unit of the National Park System.

This paleontological site represents the nation’s only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths.

Entrance sign to Waco Mammoth with bluebonnets in foreground.

Waco Mammoth National Monument became part of the national Park Service on July 10, 2015.

Mammoth fossils are in situ (still in their original position within the bone bed).

Physical Address:

6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive

Waco, TX 76708

Mailing Address:

6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive

Waco, TX 76708

contact-details

Phone Number: (254) 750-7946 Voice

Email Address: WACO_info@nps.gov
Description:

Fees

Entrance Fees

Entrance Passes

Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths.

park designation:National Monument

Directions:

From I-35 North, take exit 339 and head west on Lake Shore Drive. Turn right on Steinbeck Bend Drive and travel 1.5 miles to the Monument. From I-35 South, take exit 335C and head northwest on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Continue straight onto Steinbeck Bend Drive and travel 1.5 miles to the Monument. The Monument is easily accessible via personal vehicle, bus, or motor home.

For detailed directions, please visit this link.

Directions

Operating Hours:

Waco Mammoth National Monument

Operating hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. The park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. A Dig Shelter access fee does apply.

Exceptions:

Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025 - November 27, 2025)

Christmas Day (December 25, 2025 - December 25, 2025)

New Year's Day (January 1, 2026 - January 1, 2026)

Weather Information:

The monument enjoys a sunny, mild climate during three seasons of the year. Spring: Temperatures range from 45 F to 85 F (7 C/29 C). Rain is common in April and May. Summer: Temperatures range from 70 F to 95 F (21 C/35 C). Temperatures can exceed 100 F (38 C) in July and August. Lightweight clothing and sunscreen are advisable. Be prepared with plenty of water. Fall: Temperatures range from 45 F to 85 F (7 C/29 C). Winter: Temperatures range from 35 F to 65 F (2 C/18 C) . Snow and ice are rare.