Good news, hikers: Permanent trail coming to Tule Springs

Nevadans will soon have yet another hiking option with the first permanent trail coming to Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument in North Las Vegas.

Officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the 3-mile Tufa Trail this month — a private-public partnership between developer D.R. Horton, the city of North Las Vegas, the Protectors of Tule Springs nonprofit and the National Park Service.

The trail will be open to the public in June 2027, officials said.

“It’s gratifying to see the vision we’ve had for this area coming to fruition,” said Sherri Grotheer, president of Protectors of Tule Springs, in a Monday statement. “Tufa is the remains of ancient streams which once flowed freely in the Las Vegas Wash. As the climate in this area changed over thousands of years, particulates in the stream that had collected around grasses and roots fossilized, leaving behind a record of their path.”

The 22,600-acre national monument was established in 2014 to protect archaeological discoveries such as the bones of extinct mammoths, camels, horses, bison, American lions and saber-toothed cats. Adjacent to the national monument is Ice Age Fossils State Park, which the state of Nevada opened in 2024.

D.R. Horton has committed $2.4 million to constructing the trailbed, and the Protectors of Tule Springs secured a more than $71,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to construct signage and exhibits, according to a news release.

Revenue from Protectors of Tule Springs’ million-dollar endowment also may contribute to the trail, the release said.

“This project demonstrates the power public-private partnerships can have in enhancing our quality of life,” said Scott Black, North Las Vegas mayor pro tempore, in a Monday statement. “We are proud to work alongside our partners at the National Park Service, D.R. Horton, and Protectors of Tule Springs to make these public lands more accessible for residents and visitors alike.”

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.