Parking
Use the Fossil Discovery Exhibit parking area on Persimmon Gap Entrance Road (U.S. 385), eight miles north of Panther Junction. The lot is not recommended for RVs or trailers.
Overview
About Fossil Discovery Exhibit Trail
Why go
- Paved path and a broad geology viewpoint in a short visit
- Outdoor exhibit, picnic area and vault toilet share the trailhead
Heads up
- Stone steps on the final rise
- No water at the site
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Big Bend map
Full mapElevation2,776–2,789 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Big Bend alerts
- ClosureWeather-related road closuresDo not use these closed roads; NPS lists the closures as in effect until further notice.Official details
- InfoBoquillas Crossing schedule changeBoquillas Crossing is open Friday through Monday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; NPS says it will not change to winter hours at this time. Check current park conditions before planning a crossing.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Big Bend Tour Guide
Your drive to Fossil Discovery Exhibit Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Big Bend National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Big Bend audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Fossil Discovery Exhibit0:00 / 0:38
“The Fossil Discovery Exhibit is coming up, a compact open-air museum that makes a good short break from driving.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Big Bend Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bite Marks in Dinosaur Bones
- Water from Dry Seeds
- Give the Night Sky Some Time
- A Thin Coat of Desert Varnish
- 110 audio storiesacross Big Bend’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Collared Peccary, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 45 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Fossil Discovery Exhibit Trail
A short walk to the ridgeThe Fossil Discovery Exhibit Trail is a paved out-and-back from the exhibit to a rocky ridge…
The Fossil Discovery Exhibit Trail is a paved out-and-back from the exhibit to a rocky ridge and panoramic geology view. The mapped path runs about 0.2 mi each way, or 0.4 mi round trip, so allow roughly 30 minutes to walk it and stop at the overlook. Follow the concrete walkway past the outdoor pavilions, then climb the short slope and stone steps to the ridge before retracing your route. This is an easy add-on to the exhibit, not a backcountry hike.
Read the rockThe trail’s outlook takes in nearby geologic points and the sediments that protect Big Bend’s…
The trail’s outlook takes in nearby geologic points and the sediments that protect Big Bend’s fossils. The exhibit beside the trail traces changes in plants and animals across 130 million years, using fossils and artwork to make that story tangible. Pause at the waysides and look back across the layered ground the exhibit explains.
Start at the exhibitPark at Fossil Discovery Exhibit, eight miles north of Panther Junction on Persimmon Gap…
Park at Fossil Discovery Exhibit, eight miles north of Panther Junction on Persimmon Gap Entrance Road (U.S. 385). The parking area is not recommended for RVs or trailers. An accessible vault toilet and shaded picnic area are nearby, but there is no water at the site. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Big Bend
377 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
329 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
500 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
985 sightingsRoadrunnerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
228 sightingsRavenMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
264 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Big Bend. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
