Story by Bruce E. Fox

In 1928, Idaho rancher Elmer Cook released a small herd of cattle onto his rangelands above the sheer cliffs west of Hagerman. The cattle wandered near the cliffs and risked falling into the Snake River some 600 feet below. Cook worked to bring them back to a pasture near his ranch. As he moved the cows along the trail, he stumbled over a large bone protruding from the soil. It appeared to be the remains of a horse. He knelt down for a closer look only to discover another bone, and another, and another. Bones of all shapes and sizes. An ancient graveyard, Cook thought. He just didn't know how old and how important his find was.

The bones eventually ended up in the hands of scientists at the U.S. National Museum (now the Smithsonian), and an expedition traveled to the site in 1929. Scientists estimated the site to be 3 to 3-1/2 million years old. Later expeditions produced a dazzling array of fossilized skeletons; saber tooth cat, giant mastodons, ground sloth, llama, antelope, deer, camel, turtle, giant marmot, fish, waterfowl, and reptiles. The most remarkable find was the Hagerman horse, Equus simplicidens.

The Hagerman horse was probably more closely related to zebras, and was about the size of today's African Grevy's zebra. It is one of the earliest known links to the equines we see today, representing an important stage in their evolution. After it disappeared, horses did not exist on the American continents until the Spanish conquistadors reintroduced them in the 16th century.

This trio of Hagerman horses represents almost perfect fossilized skeletons excavated from the Hagerman quarry and restored by the U.S. National Museum (now the Smithsonian) in Washington, D.C. in the 1930s. They are still on display there.

The Hagerman horse quarry is considered one of the most
important fossil sites in the world.

The Hagerman horse quarry is considered one of the most important fossil sites in the world, because of the types and completeness of the fossils there, as well as intricately preserved evidence of an ancient ecosystem. The quarry indicates that the ecosystem evolved over four million years from a warm and humid region to a high desert plateau. At one time most of the area was covered by a large body of fresh water, known as Lake Idaho, a well-established watering hole where animals congregated for food and water.

Hagerman Monument

Today the quarry is officially part of the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and is administered by the National Parks Service.

The monument is very different from most other national parks. It is not a scenic wonder filled with things to see and do; rather, it is a learning resource, a center for continuing paleontological research and education. Today's collection of recovered and restored fossils contains more than 40,000 specimens. Most are in controlled storage facilities, and many are loaned to museums and for special archaeological exhibits.

Almost two-thirds of the monument is closed to the public because the land is subject to landslides. The landslides continue to expose new fossils, so the monument staff has its hands full working to dig and protect new finds. They uncover thousands of fossils every year.

Visitors have access only to the visitors center and some remote trails and viewpoints. The monument still hosts about 25,000 people a year. Some just drop by; others come for courses and college credit, programs for local schools and service clubs, or guided tours into the safe areas of the quarry.

A Visitor's View

One evening I accompanied Park Ranger Stephanie Martin into the quarry with a small group. It is about a 20-minute drive from the visitors center to the quarry parking lot, then another 15-minute hike to the edge of the quarry. Along the trail the endless desert wind whistled in our ears and tossed our hair. We gazed out over the vast Snake River valley and tried to imagine the scope of the lake that once covered the area. A pair of American kestrels soared above us, setting their wings into the strong wind. Their ancestors have hunted here for thousands of years.

On the trail we saw small lizards, a furry badger-like critter scurrying into the brush, and buzzing insects. Ranger Martin warned of the possibility of encountering scorpions and rattlesnakes. We saw neither that evening. Martin provided a colorful commentary about the area's geology, ancient and recent history, botany, pests and problems, vandalism and conservation, and, of course, the Hagerman horse.

At the quarry, fossils of ancient horses peeked through cement-like sandstone. The ranger explained the process of separating fossils from the sandstone and how the quarry is slowly eroding away at the hands of Mother Nature.

We slowly retraced our steps up the grade to the parking lot. We returned to the visitors center to review the displays and literature, which helped put everything we had seen into perspective.

Visitors Center

The headquarters of Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument is a modern visitors center on State Street in downtown Hagerman. Visitors can watch an informative video and let the young ones play and dig for fossils in sand beds. There are several displays to peruse, which showcase the variety of species found in the quarry. A complete Hagerman horse skeleton, circa the Pliocene epoch, is the most prominent exhibit.

Valley Drive

Discover Hagerman Valley by hiking, horseback riding, or mountain biking, or opt for the self-guided auto tour. A 10-1/2-mile drive through the valley, which is actually a canyon, reveals much of the history and geology of the region. Pick up a brochure and map at the Hagerman Fossil Beds Visitors Center, then drive south through town on Hwy 30.

Amid the farm and ranchland, you pass through an ancient ecosystem, a flood plain that eventually drained through Hells Canyon. You see wetlands and wildlife, Thousand Springs, the Smithsonian expedition's 1920 bridge, Upper Salmon Falls and Dam, and evidence of the Oregon and Emigrant trails

Northwest Travel Magazine September/October 2007