12 million years ago rhinos, horses, camels, deer, turtles, and birds all shared a waterhole in what is now northeastern Nebraska. A volcanic eruption to the west sent up a dense cloud of ash which settled over the waterhole and caused the animals to die of lung failure from inhaling volcanic ash. As the ash drifted into low spots the animal bones were covered and preserved. A slow moving river then deposited sand over the ash until the bones were buried under many feet of accumulated ash, sand and dirt. In 1971 a paleontologist spotted a skull eroding out of a gully and by 1979 students from the University of Nebraska had unearthed hundreds of fossils.
The site has a small visitor center, a building with interactive displays for kids, paved trails, and the Rhino Barn.
The main fossil bed is covered by the Rhino Barn, an18,000-square-foot building, that protects the uncovered fossils and the grid of ash that has not yet been excavated. During the summer visitors can watch students at work and get answers to questions. Drawing of the animals and interpretive panels line the walls. Video screens display overhead views of the bones.
Like other Nebraska State Parks, Ashfall has an entrance fee and an additional fee to visit the buildings which makes it pretty expensive but this is such a unique site that it's well worth the fees.
The visitor center is accessible. Follow the signs on the paved trail for the accessible route which leads to the upper level of the Rhino Barn. Continue on the trail as it switchbacks to the lower level. Retrace your path back to the visitor center and the building with displays for kids. The nature trails are not accessible.
The parking lot has two spaces for RVs.
Park 42.42169, -98.15569
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