Paleontology in the Parks

NPCA is dedicated to ensuring that all NPS resources are adequately protected and that includes the paleontological and geological heritage represented in nearly 300 units across the United States — they complement the living landscapes in which they reside.

©NPCA/Gabriel Piacsek

Press Release Park Paleontologist, Coastal National Park Leader Celebrated with National Conservation Awards Nov 2024 The Stephen T. Mather Award, first presented in 1984, is named after the first director of the National Park Service (NPS) and is given to individuals in the National Park Service who have shown steadfast leadership and persistent dedication to our national parks.

The Dinosaurs in the National Parks

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Learn more about paleontological resources in the NPS with a focus on dinosaur fossils, how visitors can experience them, and the rules and regulations involved.

The Paleo resources in our National Parks are part of every American’s natural and cultural heritage. They remind us that the story of nature is bigger than our own lifetimes. These snapshots of history should inspire us to embrace a future of conservation and respect for the natural resources, past or present, our country has to offer.

Gabriel Piacsek, NPCA’s 1st Paleo Fellow, Summer 2023

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Photo from Christa Cherava’s 2011 pre-TUSK designation visit.

Photo from Christa Cherava’s visit in 2016 after TUSK became an official NPS unit. Comparison photos are of the same location containing remains of a juvenile Columbian Mammoth at an undisclosed wash within Tule Springs Fossil Bends National Monument in Las Vegas, NV. Both images demonstrate how the fossils that are identifiable and those deemed valuable, are oftentimes stolen. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act was enacted to prevent this from happening.

For more information on NPCA’s paleontology work, contact Christa Cherava at ccherava@npca.org.

Learn more about fossils and paleontology at nps.gov.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 is National Fossil Day

This day is intentionally located in the middle of Earth Science Week and is celebrated by nearly 400 academic and research institutions, non-profits, partners, agencies, etc. Read More.

My countdown

Badlands National Park, shown at the top of this page, contains some of the most fossiliferous geologic material in the NPS with prehistoric remains ranging from 26.8-74.7 million years of age. Photo by AndrewKPepper, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.