Picture herds of rhinos, horses and camels roaming the prairies, gathered at a watering hole and grazing on the abundant grass – in Nebraska. Yes, Nebraska.
At Ashfall Fossil Beds Historic Park, the fossil beds continue to reveal the species that once called the North American continent home. It also spells out the story of their devastation millions of years ago. Opened to the public in 1991, Ashfall Fossil Beds offers visitors a glimpse into the work of paleontologists from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
“The Ashfall Site is large for a fossil site,” explained park superintendent Rick Otto. The area is at least as large as a football field.
According to the Park’s website, nearly 12 million years ago, volcanic ash engulfed this ancient watering hole, entombing animals who had succumbed to respiratory failure, many with their full skeletons intact. Referred to as the Pompeii of prehistoric animals by National Geographic, the 360-acres encompassing the park was acquired in 1987 and is a joint project of the Game and Parks Commission and the University of Nebraska State Museum.
“Several thousand square feet of fossil bed was excavated in the late 1970s,” Otto said. “The skeletons from that area were removed and are now on display, or in storage at the University of Nebraska State Museum located in Lincoln.
“Since the site was designated a State Park, the fossils are left in-place after they are exposed,” Otto continued. “There are 10 to 12 seasons of excavation remaining in the Hubbard Rhino Barn, the building constructed over the fossil bed. The fossil bed does extend beyond the perimeter of the Rhino Barn. The full size of the fossil bed is not known, as it extends back into the hillside.”
Ashfall is unique from the standpoint that it is not focused on the habitat of today’s prairie, but on how species thrived and died millennia-ago. That history is laid out in front of visitors who visit the Rhino Barn.
“Visitors will see an actual fossil site with dozens of fully intact skeletons of barrel-bodied rhinos, three-toed horses and llama-sized camels,” Otto said. “The fact that the skeletons are three-dimensional, makes the fossil bed especially eye-catching. The fossil site is protected from the elements by a building called the Rhino Barn. There is always a knowledgeable interpreter stationed in the Rhino Barn to talk with visitors.”
Visitors in June, July and August view excavations as they happen. Student paleontologists work on site. Visitors stand within a few feet of the excavation and are welcome to ask the paleontologists or the staff on hand about the work.
Visitors stand within feet and witness the work of delicately uncovering the fossil skeletons at the Ashfall Fossil Beds [Photo/University of Nebraska State Museum]
The park was designated a National Landmark Site by the National Park Service in 2006. The reason is that the extraordinary finds at Ashfall are quite unique. “This is the only fossil site on earth where dozens of fully intact skeletons of rhinos, horses and camels have been found,” Otto told The Buzz. “The skeletons are buried in pure volcanic ash. The volcanic ash has been traced to a ‘super volcanic’ eruption of the Yellowstone hotspot.
“This massive eruption produced enough ash to blanket Nebraska by a foot or more. The resultant volcanic ash storm devastated the local wildlife. It is very rare to find fossils in volcanic ash; however, preservation is exceptional when it does happen,” Otto explained.
The fossil bed was discovered in 1971 when a paleontologist stumbled across the jaw of a baby rhino, exposed after a period of heavy rainfall. This was the first known skeleton found in the ash. Prior to its establishment as a public park and the discovery of the fossil beds, this stretch of Nebraska countryside was used as grazing land and for agriculture uses, such as growing corn.
More than 40 species of plants and animals unearthed at Ashfall depict a land much different than most people know today. According to a video tour of Ashfall found on Youtube, prehistoric Nebraska had a sub-tropical climate with grasses and a jungle of shrub-like trees, comparable to today’s East African savannah.
“This area is very rugged with steep hills,” Otto explained. “Over the millennia, erosion has carved steep hillsides, ravines, embankments and canyons into the landscape. This site is on land that was pasture (prairie grassland). There is crop land nearby on the flatter laying land. At the time of discovery, there was a small cornfield near the steep hillside where the fossil site is located.”
The site has been dated at 11.8 million years, similar to the other fossil finds throughout the Great Plains. Radioactive dating was used to determine the age of the fossil beds.
Used as a grazing land for modern-day livestock, the species of animals that grazed there in prehistoric times were native to this continent, Otto went on to explain.
“Rhinos, camels and horses have a long, long history in North America,” he said. “The earliest fossil evidence of these kinds of animal indicates they originated here. The history of rhinos and horses goes back over 50 million years in North America. It is unquestionable that the camels originated here over 40 million years ago.
“The rhinos went extinct in North America about 5 million years ago when the climate began to cool and dry. Horses and camels survived in North America until the end of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago,” he pointed out.
In addition to the Rhino Barn, visitors to the site also have the Visitor’s Center. It features interpretive displays and the working fossil preparation laboratory. Questions to the paleontologists in the lab are encouraged. Educational programs are presented on regular basis.
The Visitor Center is open May 1 up to Memorial Day weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday; and after Labor Day through the second weekend in October Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and closed on Monday. Otto suggests checking the website to confirm opening dates and times as the site operates on a seasonal schedule.
Food and beverages are not allowed in the buildings. A picnic area is provided. Pets are allowed on a short leash and are allowed in the Rhino Barn or carried in the Visitor Center.
A mile-long hiking trail is provided on site. Additional recreation activities are available at Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area, including camping and fishing.
Admission is $7 for anyone three years of age or older. Visitors are also required to have a Nebraska Park Entry Permit. The cost for these permits is $8 for out of state vehicles and $6 for Nebraska vehicles.
$7 per person for age 3 and older – PLUS a Nebraska Park Entry Permit is also required. Daily permit is $8 for out of state vehicles; $6 for Nebraska vehicles.
A turn around area in the driveway to the site allows easy access for RVs.
There is no campground on-site, but the Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area allows primitive camping with no hookups. Additional options include Mobile RVing Preferred Property, Broken Arrow Wilderness, located about an hour’s drive to the south of the Ashfall Fossil Beds site.
About a couple hours away is Camp A Way in Lincoln, Nebraska. If you are ready to embark on a day of adventure, visit any of the museums, zoos, fine dining, antique shops or other area attractions in Lincoln, Omaha or Council Bluffs while staying at Camp A Way campground. It’s a perfect stopover between Denver, Cheyenne, Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis or St. Louis for those driving to or from.
Next is Grand Island KOA located not too far to the West in Doniphan, Nebraska. This quiet, shady country park surrounded by Nebraska farm fields, yet convenient to I-80, has something for everyone. Long, level full hook-up 50 amp pull-thru sites provide ample space for even the biggest rigs. Pull-thru water/electric sites for smaller units. Studio Lodges and 2-room “Kottages” are available with bathrooms, showers and kitchenettes. The rustic cabins have small fridges and all have air conditioning.
Ashfall is in Antelope County, in the Northeast corner of Nebraska. US Route 20 traverses the area and Sioux City Iowa is about an hour and 15 minutes to the east.
Camping, Destinations, History, Museum, Nebraska, State Parks, Wildlife