Nature

Visitors walking on the Eagle Scout trail during the park's Owl Prowl program

City of Waco

Waco Mammoth National Monument is a new park, but its environment dates back thousands of years before the 1978 discovery of the Columbian Mammoth nursery herd. Within the park’s 108 acres, visitors can catch a glimpse of a Texas Ice Age that was not very cold, a habitat for numerous species such as roadrunners and raccoons, and a river that was used by Columbian mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and camels for thousands of years. The natural resources that exist in the park today are only a glimpse of a world that flourished with life during the Ice Age.

 

Ranger explaining trees to visitors

COW/ Cassie Dexter

Once visitors step onto the park’s hiking paths, each step takes them back in time. These easy paths will lead visitors past honey locust plants that were here during the ice age, a Texas Live Oak tree that is as old as America’s constitution, and few rambunctious roadrunners or elusive deer. If you want to enjoy nature, join a nature walk with one of our rangers or become a citizen scientist by creating an online inventory with the park’s iNaturalist application, Mammoth Trackers, and a nature journal. Remember that central Texas can get very hot! Bring plenty of water, a good sun hat, and sunscreen.

 

The Spirit of Citizen Science
Help us identify the plants and animals that call this park home by using the iNaturalist Mammoth Trackers application! Your contributions to the Mammoth Trackers project on iNaturalist are appreciated and will provide valuable assistance in learning about the biodiversity of our park. We look forward to your observations!

What is iNaturalist?
INaturalist engages nature enthusiasts by reporting observations of wild plants and animals. You can download the phone app or upload observations to their website.

How Do I Join Mammoth Trackers
You can submit photo observations through a iNaturalist smartphone app or your computer. Follow our step by step guide to join and provide your observations to Mammoth Trackers using the iNaturalist app.