The Mammoth Site

The Black Hills constantly challenge visitors to decide whether an attraction sounds like a tourist trap or a worthy stop. While a privately owned fossil dig may make you suspicious, don't be. The Mammoth Site is well worth a visit. The story behind this museum is almost as fascinating as the findings. In 1974, a home builder was digging up ground when he came across some bones. He had them checked out, and it turns out the man had stumbled upon a prehistoric sinkhole holding the skeletal remains of 58 young male mammoths who had fallen in 26,000 years ago and been preserved intact. Today, a huge pavilion encloses the site, and an attached museum tells the history of the dig and how the mammoths got into the sinkhole. Four excavations take place each year where visitors can watch bones be extracted from the site or even volunteer to get involved. This will continue for quite some time--the sinkhole is 65 feet deep; so far the site has uncovered 22 feet.