Last Updated on 23 July, 2026 by Robyn Dockendorf

1978 marked a year of discovery in Waco, Texas. Two men looking for fossils and arrowheads made the discovery of a lifetime, finding the enormous femur bone of a Columbian Mammoth. Plans were quickly put in motion to preserve the dig site. What they didn’t expect was to find an entire nursery herd!

The Waco Mammoths are a nursery herd of Columbian Mammoths that appear to have all perished in a single flooding event during the Pleistocene Epoch (the Ice Age). A total of 23 mammoth remains were discovered over the course of a 19-year excavation conducted by volunteers and scientists at Waco Mammoth National Monument.

In this article, I’ll cover how to view the bones of these massive creatures at Waco Mammoth National Monument. I’ll also go over a little about the park, its history, and what else you can do while visiting this newly-established member of the National Park Service!

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Discovering The Waco Mammoths

Image walking near a river, wiling away the day looking for fossils and arrowheads, only to discover a bone over 4 feet long and weighing 50 pounds! This was a reality for Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin as they walked along the Bosque River in the spring of 1978.

They spotted the bone eroding out of the riverbank and knew they had discovered something special. Thankfully, the two men took the bone to the Strecker Museum (now the Mayborn Museum Complex) at Baylor University.

University personnel identified the bone as a femur from a Columbian Mammoth, a now-extinct species that once inhabited North America from Southern Canada down to Costa Rica during the Ice Age.

A Big Ol Pile Of Bones

The National Park Service tells us that between the years of 1978 and 1990, 16 Columbian mammoths were discovered near the location of the original femur bone. These mammoths were identified as a nursery herd of all females and juveniles. 

In 1990, the remains were wrapped in a protective jacket of plaster and burlap and moved to protective storage. But the discoveries weren’t over!

In 1991, five more mammoths were discovered, including a bull mammoth with a juvenile on its tusks. By 1996, a total of 23 Columbian mammoths had been found.

Dating The Waco Mammoths

Finding the world’s only example of a Columbian Mammoth nursery herd is astonishing enough, but scientists also wanted to know just how old the bones were. To figure out how long the bones were buried, scientists used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to determine when the dirt surrounding the bones was last exposed to sunlight.

From careful study of the dirt and strata surrounding the dig site, it’s estimated that the original nursery herd is around 65,000 to 72,000 years old. The bull, juvenile, and female that were later discovered were in a higher stratum of the dirt, indicating they died at a later time, perhaps around 51,000 years ago.

What Happened To The Waco Mammoths?

While it’s impossible to say with 100% certainty how the nursery herd perished, scientists have a few theories based on the data found around the dig site.

The silt, clay, sand, and gravel that surrounded the bones suggest that the mammoths were covered by water. Pairing this information with the fact that many streams and rivers ran through the Waco area when the mammoths walked the earth, scientists believe the herd was at a watering hole when a flash flood struck, trapping the animals in mud.

As for the bull, female, and juvenile that lived thousands of years after the nursery herd, scientists believe they met the same fate during a similar flooding event.

Saving America’s Treasures

The 16 Columbian mammoths at the Strecker Museum were preserved, but the remaining bones needed shelter from the harsh Texas weather. Thus, fundraising was started to construct a shelter around the Waco Mammoths.

In 2008, the Waco Mammoth Foundation reached its goal of raising $3 million. Construction began the same year for the dig shelter, and in 2009, it officially opened to the public. At this time, the Waco Mammoth site was not officially part of the National Park Service yet. That happened a year later.

On July 10, 2015, the 100-acre site next to the Bosque River was designated a National Monument and officially became part of the National Park Service (NPS).

Looking back, it’s nothing short of a miracle that this incredible archaeological discovery was preserved and protected all the way from its discovery in 1978 to its induction into the NPS in 2015.

Columbian Mammoth vs Woolly Mammoth

If you’ve never heard of Columbian mammoths, you’re not alone. Woolly mammoths are probably the most famous mammoth from the Ice Age, but 10 different recognized species of mammoths lived between the late Miocene epoch (6.2 million years ago) and the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago.

Some of the major differences between Columbian and Woolly mammoths include:

• Height: Believe it or not, Columbian mammoths are bigger than woolly mammoths! While the average height of a Woolly is 10 feet, Columbians stand an average of 14 feet tall at the shoulders.
• Weight: With a taller build comes a heavier weight. Columbian mammoths weighed an average of 10 tons while Woolly mammoths weighed around 6 tons.
• Hair: As the name suggests, Woolly mammoths had a lot more hair than Columbian mammoths. This is because Woolly mammoths lived in cold steppe climates, while Columbians lived in warmer climates and more closely resembled Asian elephants.

Despite these differences, Columbian and Woolly mammoths interbred and clearly crossed paths from time to time.

How To See The Waco Mammoths

To see the impressive Columbian mammoth bones, you’ll have to pay a small dig shelter access fee.

• Adults (18-61): $6
• Seniors (62 and older), military, and youths (4-17): $5
• Groups of 20 people or more: $4 each
• Toddlers and infants (3 and younger): Free

To obtain a dig shelter access pass, head to the Welcome Center or to the tables set up near the Welcome Center. Tours are offered every 30 minutes and last for around 45 minutes to an hour.

Dig Site Tour

Once you obtain your dig site ticket, simply wait around for the next tour to begin! A friendly ranger will announce when the next tour is starting, and your group will gather right near the Welcome Center.

Once the tour begins, your guide will walk you down a paved path to the dig shelter, offering facts about the dig site, the bones, the Ice Age, and the Waco mammoths along the way.

Once inside the dig site shelter, your guide will continue offering information about the discovery of the Waco mammoths, but now with a visual aid – the bones! The fossilized remains of the Columbian mammoths are laid out below the observation area in their original positions within the bone bed.

Let me tell you…it’s a sight to see!

Among the mammoth bones are scattered other fossilized critters: a tooth from a saber-toothed cat, a western camel, a giant tortoise, an American Alligator, and a dwarf antelope.

In the dig shelter, you’ll also see the tools used to uncover fossils, such as brushes, scrapers, trowels, and buckets. You can leave the tour at any time through the exit in the back of the dig site, but to get the most out of the experience, stay to learn all you can about these magnificent creatures!

Other Things To Do At Waco Mammoth National Monument

Seeing the fossilized mammoth bones is definitely the number one attraction at Waco Mammoth National Monument. If you have the time, there are a few other things to do at this outstanding park.

Take A Short Hike

There are only a few hiking trails at Waco Mammoth NM. Even when combined, the total hiking length is less than one mile. Hiking is a fantastic opportunity to stretch your legs or take your pup for a walk. Yep, that’s right! Hiking trails at Waco Mammoth are dog-friendly!

Check out our day hiking gear list to make sure you have everything you need to conquer the trails at Waco Mammoth NM!

• Eagle Trail: This 0.5-mile loop starts and ends at the Waco Mammoth Welcome Center. The trail can be a little overgrown, and keep an eye out for honey locust plants with sharp spines.
• Deer Loop: A 0.1-mile loop spur trail that starts and ends on the Eagle Trail’s eastern side.
• Camel Trail: This 0.2-mile trail bisects the Eagle Trail, offering a shorter cut-off to the longer Eagle Trail loop.

While enjoying nature, keep an eye out for common critters like roadrunners and deer. It’s also a good idea to wear tick protection since some of the trails are overgrown. We love Murphy’s Natural tick repellent because it utilizes natural ingredients instead of harsh DEET.

Join a Ranger-Led Program

From owl prowls on the trails to presentations at the Waco Mammoth NM Amphitheater, ranger-led programs are an excellent way to learn about more than just bones! Check out the Waco Mammoth Calendar for a list of events and programs coming up. 

Check Out The Welcome Center

The Waco Mammoth Welcome Center offers more than just souvenirs and trinkets to remember your adventures. It’s also a wealth of information about the park’s history, the mammoth bones, and other animals that called the area home tens of thousands of years ago.

Depending on the weather, the welcome center may have tables set up with other fossils that were found in the area, such as alligators, saber-tooth cats, and antelope.

Wrapping Up The Waco Mammoths

It’s challenging to wrap your head around bones that are tens of thousands of years old, just sitting in the dirt a few yards away. Seeing the Waco Mammoths is a profound experience that makes you think about what the natural world was like when these giants walked the earth.

A small fee is necessary to see the Waco Mammoths, but in our opinion, it’s well worth it. While you’re at the National Monument, consider taking a hike or joining a ranger-led program to get the full Waco NM experience!

Until next time, keep exploring this beautiful (and ancient!) world! For more travel destinations like this, check out our Dirtbags with Furbags travel blog!