{"id":"nps-waco","slug":"waco-mammoth-national-monument","name":"Waco Mammoth National Monument","designation":"National Monument","category":"national-monument","categoryLabel":"National Monument","agency":{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov"},"managedBy":[{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov","unitCode":"WACO","designation":"National Monument","sourceId":"nps-waco"}],"states":["TX"],"stateNames":["Texas"],"location":{"lat":31.60465887,"lon":-97.17606143},"bbox":[-97.1807,31.6005,-97.1717,31.608],"acres":{"value":87,"kind":"gis-estimate","source":"Computed from the simplified boundary","note":"Approximate. The managing agency publishes official acreage."},"firstProtected":null,"established":null,"administrations":[],"designationHistory":[],"summary":"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.","summarySource":"National Park Service","guide":{},"trConnection":null,"trConnections":[],"trTypes":[],"links":{"official":"https://www.nps.gov/waco/index.htm","social":{},"recreationGov":null,"alltrails":null,"alltrailsExplore":"https://www.alltrails.com/explore?b_tl_lat=31.608&b_tl_lng=-97.1807&b_br_lat=31.6005&b_br_lng=-97.1717","recreationGovSearch":"https://www.recreation.gov/search?q=Waco%20Mammoth%20National%20Monument","directions":"http://www.nps.gov/waco/planyourvisit/directions.htm"},"images":[{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/CD694A69-06E4-E967-C0DD0582F2455F95.jpg","title":"Interior of Dig Shelter","alt":"Visitors view fossils from walkway","caption":"Visitors view fossils from above using the elevated walkway.","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/D15CE801-C4C5-872D-2C8507E698C1DABF.png","title":"Entrance Sign to Waco Mammoth","alt":"Entrance sign to Waco Mammoth.","caption":"Waco Mammoth National Monument became part of the National Park Service on July 10, 2015.","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7F4210-1DD8-B71B-0B58C9D6A07E6250.jpg","title":"Waco Mammoth Executive Order","alt":"President Obama signs order viewed by members of National Park Service","caption":"On July 10, 2015, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation making the Waco Mammoth Site a new unit of the National Park System.","credit":"Official White House photo by Amanda Lucidon","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7F43D0-1DD8-B71B-0BBA582C846975FE.jpg","title":"Mammoth Herd Mural","alt":"Painting of Mammoth nursery herd","caption":"This paleontological site represents the nation’s only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths.","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7F4897-1DD8-B71B-0B2380CB31380537.jpg","title":"Mammoth Tusks","alt":"Mammoth Tusks in situ","caption":"Mammoth fossils are in situ (still in their original position within the bone bed).","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"}],"activities":["Guided Tours","Hands-On"],"topics":["Fossils and Paleontology"],"fees":[],"passes":[],"hours":[{"name":"Waco Mammoth National Monument","description":"Operating hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. \n\nThe park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. \n\nA Dig Shelter access fee does apply. ","standardHours":{"wednesday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM","monday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM","thursday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM","sunday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM","tuesday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM","friday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM","saturday":"9:00AM - 5:00PM"},"exceptions":[{"name":"Thanksgiving Day","start":"2026-11-26","end":"2026-11-26","hours":{"wednesday":"Closed","monday":"Closed","thursday":"Closed","sunday":"Closed","tuesday":"Closed","friday":"Closed","saturday":"Closed"}},{"name":"Christmas Day","start":"2026-12-25","end":"2026-12-25","hours":{"wednesday":"Closed","monday":"Closed","thursday":"Closed","sunday":"Closed","tuesday":"Closed","friday":"Closed","saturday":"Closed"}},{"name":"New Year's Day","start":"2027-01-01","end":"2027-01-01","hours":{"wednesday":"Closed","monday":"Closed","thursday":"Closed","sunday":"Closed","tuesday":"Closed","friday":"Closed","saturday":"Closed"}}]}],"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.","weatherInfo":"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.","contacts":{"phone":"(254) 750-7946","email":"WACO_info@nps.gov"},"visitorCenters":[{"name":"Welcome Center","description":"Guided tours of the Dig Shelter begin here. Tours are conducted every 30 minutes, no reservation needed. Tours last from 45 minutes to one hour. Tour guides will lead you from the Welcome Center, down a 300 yard paved path to the Dig Shelter where mammoth fossils are in situ (still in their original position within the bone bed).","url":"","lat":31.6067370778,"lon":-97.1759782992}],"campgrounds":[],"thingsToDo":[],"nearby":[{"slug":"balcones-canyonlands-national-wildlife-refuge","km":141},{"slug":"el-camino-real-de-los-tejas-national-historic-trail","km":169},{"slug":"neches-river-national-wildlife-refuge","km":169},{"slug":"lyndon-b-johnson-national-grassland","km":199},{"slug":"davy-crockett-national-forest","km":200},{"slug":"lyndon-b-johnson-national-historical-park","km":203}],"hasBoundary":true,"boundarySource":{"name":"NPS Land Resources Division","url":"https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2224545"},"sources":[{"name":"NPS Data API","url":"https://developer.nps.gov/api/v1/parks?parkCode=waco"},{"name":"NPS Land Resources Division boundaries","url":"https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/arcgis/rest/services/NPS_Land_Resources_Division_Boundary_and_Tract_Data_Service/FeatureServer/2"}],"editorialStatus":"draft","synced":"2026-11-09T02:12:45.625Z","alerts":[],"url":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/sites/waco-mammoth-national-monument/","boundaryUrl":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/boundaries/waco-mammoth-national-monument.geojson"}