Welcome Center
Facility · Texas ·
Managed by the National Park Service
- 440 ft
- Elevation
Guided tours of the Dig Shelter begin here. Tours are conducted every 30 minutes, no reservation needed. Tours last from 45 minutes to one hour.
Tour guides will lead you from the Welcome Center, down a 300 yard paved path to the Dig Shelter where mammoth fossils are in situ (still in their original position within the bone bed).
Getting there
From I-35 North, take exit 339 and head west on Lake Shore Drive. Turn right on Steinbeck Bend Drive and travel 1.5 miles to the Monument.
From I-35 South, take exit 335C and head northwest on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Continue straight onto Steinbeck Bend Drive and travel 1.5 miles to the Monument.
The Monument is easily accessible via personal vehicle, bus, or motor home.
31.60674, -97.17598 · 31°36'24.3"N 97°10'33.5"W
Typical weather
Typically 95°F in Aug, down to 59°F in Jan.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 59 | 62 | 68 | 76 | 83 | 91 | 95 | 95 | 89 | 80 | 68 | 60 |
| Low °F | 36 | 40 | 48 | 54 | 64 | 72 | 75 | 75 | 68 | 57 | 46 | 39 |
| Precip in | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 2.4 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
Member photos
Common questions about Welcome Center
- Can you reserve a site at Welcome Center?
- No. Welcome Center is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.
Camping near Welcome Center
- Airport Beach Shelter 3.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Airport Park 3.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Speegleville Park 5.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Reynolds Creek 5.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Midway 6.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Twin Bridges Group Shelter 6.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Lofers Bend Day Use (TX) 21.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Lofers Bend East 22.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Lofers Bend West 22.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
- McCown Valley 26.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Cedron Creek 28.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Winkler Park 30.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
Contact
- Phone (254) 750-7946
- Email waco_info@nps.gov
- Info Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
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