In the summer of 1978, two locals went searching for arrowheads along the banks of the Bosque River. Instead, they found a bone sticking out of the dirt — too large to be a deer or a cow. They had found the bone of a Columbian Mammoth.
"Without that discovery, we wouldn’t be where we are today," explains Theresa Moore, site manager for the Waco Mammoth National Monument.
That discovery sparked decades of excavation and preservation, supported by the City of Waco and Baylor University. In 2009, the site opened to the public as a city park.
Ten years ago, it got long-fought national recognition — officially becoming part of the National Parks System.
Moore says that designation reflects Waco’s dedication.
"They understood the importance of it," she said. "To say, we want the world to know what’s right here in our backyard."
Since then, the park has welcomed an average of 84,000 visitors each year. Some travel thousands of miles to see the only known Columbian Mammoth nursery herd in the country.
"They have been uncovered, but they lie where we found them," Moore said.
The site is still an active dig. Moore said that means the full story isn’t written yet.
"You get to come here and learn, just like we’re learning," she said. "There’s a larger story, and you won’t understand it until you put all the pieces back together again."
The monument sits within 100 acres of woodlands, with a dig shelter, welcome center, and five nature trails.
It’s operated as a partnership by the National Parks System, the City of Waco, and Baylor University.
"Your community had the foresight to say, we want this to be a forever site," Moore said. "You are now in the forever game."
But staying in the forever game isn’t guaranteed.
This year, the National Park Service faces one of its tightest budgets in a decade.
President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget would cut $900 million from the agency — a move park advocates say could affect hundreds of sites.
"We assess that to reach that, the Park Service would have to eliminate the budget for over 350 park units, which is 75% of the park system," said Cary Dupuy, Texas Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association.
She said smaller sites — like Waco Mammoth — could be first to feel the cuts.
"The administration emphasized prioritizing the 63 park sites that are thought of in the traditional sense," she said.
That could leave out national monuments, historic sites, seashores, and preserves. Of the 18 sites in Texas and Oklahoma Dupuy oversees, only two would fall into that 'traditional' category.
"In the proposed budget, there was a discussion that some of these sites may be better managed by the states or local governments," Dupuy said.
But running a park is expensive, and losing federal support could put both local resources and economies under pressure.
"People came to see the site, but they also saw other things. They had a meal in Waco," she explained. "That spending resulted in an $8.8 million economic impact — about a $15 return on investment."
The House of Representatives will continue debating the budget through September. Until then, the future of federal support for sites like Waco Mammoth remains uncertain.
In the meantime, site manager Theresa Moore said the focus stays on what the park offers.
"These areas where you can experience nature on the trail or learn something in the dig shelters are amazing and unique," she said. "Continued visitation helps them survive."
And even as questions about its future loom, the Waco Mammoth National Monument continues to welcome visitors, researchers — and anyone curious enough to follow a fossil trail into the past.
