Mammoth Site

Mammoth Site

“The Mammoth Site is not just a window into the Past—it’s as close to being a true time machine as you’ll find, with some of the best ice-age fossils on the planet on permanent display.”

Dr. Ross MacPhee
American Museum of Natural History

Welcome to South Dakota's Mammoth Site at Hot Springs, an active museum and paleontological excavation site highly popular for its research work and educational opportunities.

Here you will find mammoth remains preserved in an old sinkhole, this area holding 'the largest concentration of mammoths in the world'. There are over 1,200 fossils here in the sinkhole total, including fragments and bones not fully excavated.

Historically speaking, this site was found completely by accident in 1974. The remains, however, can be traced back much further, like 140,000 years further, into the Ice Age. Your group will learn all about this during any guided tour, Enhanced Educational Experience, or Summer Education Program you participate in. The Education Department also provides curricular activities booklets for K-5 and 6-12, all focusing on various levels and aspects of osteology, or the study of bones.