Northeast Nebraska
Visiting Ashfall Fossil Beds
What to know, what to do, and where to stay nearby.
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About 12 million years ago, a supervolcano in what is now Idaho sent a cloud of ash drifting across the Great Plains. At a watering hole in northeast Nebraska, rhinos, three-toed horses, camels and birds were gently preserved in that ash, and they are still lying right where they were found. Ashfall Fossil Beds holds more than 200 complete skeletons, and it is a 33 minute drive north of Ferncrest Elkhorn River.
What to Do
Everything Ashfall Fossil Beds has to offer
Start at the Visitor Center, where you can watch fossils being cleaned in a working prep lab, peek through microscopes and let the kids dig for real fossils in the hands-on dig pit. Plan on an hour and a half to two hours to see it all.
Pack a picnic before you head north. There is no cafe on site, so fill a cooler at camp or grab sandwiches from Neligh Deli on your way out of town. The picnic pavilion makes a lovely lunch spot after you have explored the barn.
The highlight is the Hubbard Rhino Barn, a covered building right over the dig site, where the fossils stay exactly where they were discovered. Walkways carry you above more than a hundred barrel-bodied rhinos, alongside three-toed horses, camels, birds and turtles, all resting side by side.
In summer, paleontologists and college students work the dig right in front of you, with years of discoveries still to come. Outside, a mile-long prairie trail winds past bronze rhino and tortoise sculptures by artist Gary Staab.
Good to know: Ashfall is open seasonally, May 1 through October 12, and closed Mondays. Admission is $10 per person for ages four and up, free for children under four, plus a Nebraska park entry permit for your vehicle.
Why It's Worth the Trip
More than a pin on the map.
Ashfall is a National Natural Landmark, and one of the most extraordinary fossil sites you can visit. These animals are preserved exactly as they were found, in the ash that covered them, with new discoveries happening every summer. Standing above them is a moment kids and grown-ups remember for years. For Ferncrest guests, it is an unforgettable morning, with plenty of time to be back by the river for the afternoon.
Seasonal Guide
Best time to visit Ashfall Fossil Beds
Spring
The park opens May 1, with fewer visitors and cool prairie mornings. Through May 24 it is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 to 4:30, with Sundays added from May 25.
Summer
The best time to visit. The dig is in full swing, hours are the longest of the year, and the Rhino Barn comes alive with paleontologists at work. Arrive when the doors open at 9:30 to enjoy the cooler part of the day.
Fall
Golden prairie grasses, cooler days and smaller crowds. From September 7 through October 12, the park is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 to 4:30, and Sunday afternoons from 1:30.
Winter
Ashfall rests for the season from mid-October through April. In the colder months, Neligh Mill is a great history stop just five minutes from Ferncrest, and Cottonwood Lake on the property opens up for ice fishing and skating.
Frequently asked questions
Where to Stay
Stay at Ferncrest Elkhorn River
28 miles from the property
Ashfall makes for a wonderful morning, and Ferncrest Elkhorn River is just 33 minutes south in Neligh. See the rhinos before lunch, be back by the river for the afternoon, and end the day in the barrel sauna and around your own fire pit under the cottonwoods.
