Hagerman Fossil Beds (Gooding County, Idaho)

Again, this stop had been planned for the trip to Yellowstone, but we caught it on the way home instead. The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument was dedicated primarily to preserve the rich fossil beds along the river bank in this area. The most complete and numerous examples of the America's Hagerman Horse were found in this area by paleontologists, along with fossils of many other ancient creatures. The small visitor's center has several replicas of the fossil's found here and the fossil beds themselves offer a terrific view.

Of note and also perhaps a reason for the protection of this area, the Oregon Trail pass through this park and wagon ruts can still be seen from that great migration.