See Fossils in National Natural Landmarks

Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, Utah.

NPS Photo by M.Reed.

Introduction

The National Natural Landmarks (NNLs) Program is a program of the National Park Service to recognize and encourage conservation of sites that contain outstanding natural resources, including biological, geological, and paleontological sites. NNLs are not national parks, but are owned by either public or private entities, and may or may not be open to public visitation. The National Park Service works collaboratively with the landowners and managers of NNLs.

At least 58 NNLs have been designated wholly or in part for their paleontological resources. Many of these sites offer wonderful opportunities for the public to see fossils in situ.

A few of the highlights of the NNLs that are open for public visitation include:

Ashfall Fossil Beds, Nebraska

Learn More

• NLL—Ashfall Fossil Beds

• Park Paleontology News—Paleontology of Ashfall Fossil Beds National Natural Landmark

• UNSM—Ashfall Fossil Beds

Chazy Fossil Reef NNL, Vermont

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• NNL—Chazy Fossil Reef

• Lake Champlain Land Trust—Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve

Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry NNL, Utah

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• NNL—Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry

• BLM—Jurassic National Monument

Dinosaur Trackway NNL, Connecticut

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• NNL—Dinosaur Trackway

• Park Paleontology News—Paleontology of Dinosaur Trackway National Natural Landmark

Dinosaur Valley NNL, Texas

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• NNL—Dinosaur Valley

• TPW—Dinosaur Valley State Park

Garden Park Fossil Area NNL, Colorado

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• NNL—Garden Park Fossil Area

• BLM—Garden Park Fossil Area

Ginkgo Petrified Forest, Washington

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• NNL—Ginkgo Petrified Forest

• Washington State Parks—Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Hanging Rock and Wabash Reef, Indiana

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• NNL—Hanging Rock and Wabash Reef

• Acres Land Trust—Hanging Rock

Ichthyosaur Site, Nevada

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• NNL—Ichthyosaur Site

• Nevada State Parks—Berlin-Ichthyosaur

John Boyd Thacher State Park, New York

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• NNL—John Boyd Thacher State Park

• New York State Park—Thacher State Park

Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota

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• NNL—Mammoth Site Of Hot Springs

• The Mammoth Site

Mississippi Petrified Forest, Mississippi

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• NNL—Mississippi Petrified Forest

• Mississippi Petrified Forest

Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas, Colorado

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• NNL—Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas

• Dinosaur Ridge—America’s National Natural Landmarks Program Keeps Going, Growing and Succeeding

Ohio Coral Reef (Falls of the Ohio), Indiana

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• NNL—Ohio Coral Reef (Falls of the Ohio)

• Indiana DNR—Falls of the Ohio State Park

Rancho La Brea, California

Learn More

• NNL—Rancho La Brea

• Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County—La Brea Tar Pits

• Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County—La Brea Tar Pits Selected as One of First 100 Geological Heritage Sites

Related Links

• NNL—Fossils

• Park Paleontology News—Preserving Fossils: How the National Natural Landmarks Program Advances Resource Management

• Park Paleontology News—Dinos Large and Small, NNLs Got 'Em All

Must See Fossil Sites