Most People Don’t Know Ice Age Fossils Are Hiding At White Sands National Park In New Mexico

There are plenty of reasons New Mexico has earned its nickname as the Land of Enchantment. It is home to beautiful views, incredible trails, mouthwatering food, and exceptionally rich history. If you're looking for an especially stunning national park to visit in New Mexico with fascinating fossils, you can't go wrong at White Sands National Park.

When hiking through White Sands National Park, you might expect to find footprints of people and animals trailing through the glistening white sand from earlier in the day.

But did you know some footprints found at the park are much, much older?

Most people don't realize that White Sands National Park is home to incredible fossils, some dating back to the Ice Age.

Fossilized footprints are scattered around the park, some from giant sloths (like the one pictured above), dire wolves, and even our ancestors.

Thousands of years ago, the now arid park was a massive lake surrounded by lush greenery.

Dark spots found around the former lakebed were dug up and determined to be the footprints of human hunters tracking down giant sloths and mammoths, as well as the ancient footprints of these massive creatures. In some instances, you can even see the faint outline of toes.

Scientists dated these footprints to more than 10,000 years ago.

Other relics found in the area include seeds (determined to be over 18,000 years old), stone flakes from tools, and fossilized bones of ancient animals.

What other incredible finds have you stumbled across when visiting White Sands?

White Sands National Park is located in southern New Mexico, just 52 miles northeast of Las Cruces via Route 70.

For more details about this national park to visit in New Mexico, visit the National Park Service website or the park's Facebook page.

Do you want to visit even more impressive fossils in New Mexico? Read all about this fossil park In New Mexico.