Take a Day Expedition to the Jurassic!
What is a Day Expedition?
Day Expeditions allow you to join our field expeditions for 1 or 2-day visits. It’s perfect for people who aren’t sure if they are quite ready for a full week expedition, explorers just passing through the area for a short time, or families with younger kids.
Of course, you won't just be "visitors" - you'll be doing hands-on work, contributing to decades-long research projects by helping our field teams find and excavate the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life! You’ll join the rest of our staff and our seasons, weekly participants in excavating dinosaurs!
Please note: We will limit Daily Visitor groups to 1 per day, up to 5 people. If you need to bring more than 5 people, contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
To learn more about our expeditions, please be sure to read all of the information provided on our Public Expeditions and Frequently Asked Questions pages. Please review all of the information on this page before booking your expedition.
What will you be excavating?
It’s always great when we know ahead of time exactly what we’ll be working on. That’s the case for the 2023 Field Expedition, and that’s because all of the previous field seasons have been so productive.
The Morrison Formation is world famous for holding the remains of many of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth, as well as many of the most iconic dinosaurs! Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, Diplodocus . . . these, and many others, are the dinosaurs we’re uncovering every day in the field. Last season we continued excavations in multiple quarries and bone beds, but completed operations in only one of them! The rest of those skeletons are waiting for our return and will keep us busy for the next few years! Each of these specimens are preserved in continental rocks from the Jurassic Period (~150 million years ago). They’re preserved with the remains of many other lifeforms - all important pieces of the larger puzzle that we’re trying to assemble. Comparatively little is known about the Morrison or its fossil treasures this far north, though, and that’s where we come in!
Do I have to have experience or know a lot about paleontology?
Nope! You don’t have to have any prior experience to learn and contribute to the Expedition. Through fully hands-on field work, we will teach you everything you need to know to find, identify, and excavate dinosaur and other fossil remains. With our paleontologists’ guidance, you’ll develop an eye for fossils, and you’ll begin to see dinosaur bones everywhere! This ancient ecosystem was home to dozens of dinosaurs whose names you may recognize like - Allosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus. But it was also home to many others you likely haven’t heard of, like Suuwassea, Galeomopus, and Hesperosaurus, and Hesperornithoides. We’re hunting each of these dinosaurs, along with other clues to their ecosystem, including crocodiles, turtles, fish, amphibians, and plants.
2024 Daily Expedition Availability
UPDATED: April 4, 2024
The availability information presented below will be updated frequently. However, it may not be 100% accurate, as new registrations occur all the time. Please contact us if you would like to confirm availability.
DATES NUMBER OF DAILY EXPEDITION GROUPS AVAILABLE
June 27 1 of 1 (up to 5 people)
July 3 FULL
July 4 FULL
July 5 FULL
July 10 FULL
July 18 FULL
July 24 FULL
July 25 FULL
July 26 FULL
July 30 FULL
July 31 FULL
August 1 FULL
August 2 FULL
What are the requirements?
You are required to drive your own vehicle to our field sites. 4-wheel drive vehicles are not usually required to access our field locations, but higher clearance vehicles such as SUVs are highly recommended. We also recommend that you carry at least one can of Fix-A-Flat or similar product.
You are required to bring your own water and lunch. You are free to eat lunch whenever you prefer.
Must be at least 8 years of age.
Appropriate, closed-toe footwear. Stepping on a cactus in crocs is not enjoyable.
Bring plenty of sunblock and a hat.
What is the Daily Itinerary?
8 am: We will meet you at a pre-arranged location in Red Lodge, Montana on the morning(s) of your visit. We will leave for the field absolutely no later than 8:10am - NO EXCEPTIONS.
Depending on the site we are visiting that day, the commute may be between 45 and 70 minutes each way.
We work until as late as 4pm, although the weather sometimes drives us out of the field earlier than that.
2024 Day Visitor Fees
Regular Expedition Visitors: $200/person/day
Nonprofit: $50/person/day Available to:
Student groups, including courses
Individual or groups of teachers
Museums and nonprofit groups dedicated to nature, science, and education
must be affiliated with a registered nonprofit 501c3 organization
Nightly Stays at YBRA: $150/person/day
Very limited availability. Must be approved by Elevation Science Institute staff prior to purchase.
A stay at camp is not at all required - just offered to those who might want it.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Refunds and Cancellations:
Refunds are available until April 30, 2024, and will be for the purchase price minus credit card transaction fees plus a $100 administrative fee.
Refunds cannot be made after April 30, 2024, but the paid fees instead can be converted to a donation to the Elevation Science Institute.
To cancel, please email JSchein(at)ElevationScience.org or SWalker(at)ElevationScience.org
Ready to Sign Up?
QUESTIONS?
Have questions about the Daily Expedition Experience? Please contact us any time for these or any questions.
Accommodations
Transportation
Daily Expedition Visitors must arrange their own transportation. Each morning of your visit we will meet you in Red Lodge at a pre-arranged location and you will be able to follow us to our sites.
Weather
The health and safety of our crew is our first concern. Weather is the the primary factor determining when we leave the field sites in the afternoon, and also happens to be extremely difficult to predict in this region. Storms or even rain can be quite dangerous in these areas, and even hazardous for vehicle travel. We must evacuate if there is a significant chance of rain. Excessive heat also often limits the amount of time we can spend in the field.
Reimbursements of 50% will be provided only if weather forces us to evacuate the field before 12 noon.
Lodging
Depending in part on availability, lodging at our base camp at the Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association may be possible for a fee of $150/person/night. This fee includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cabin availability may not be known until May 2023. Please contact us for details.
What happens to the fossils we collect?
All of the fossils are delivered to the Cincinnati Museum Center, where our fossil prep staff and volunteers remove the fossil from the jackets, clean them, make any necessary repairs, and prepare them for study by our scientists. This process can be time consuming, especially when we commonly collect 2.5 TONS of material each summer or more! CMC is also our official repository, which means that all of the vertebrate and scientifically important plant and invertebrate fossils collected by Elevation Science Institute will be housed there permanently. We're extremely proud to be working with this internationally recognized and world-renowned institution!
Note: Visitors Must Adhere to Federal Law
There are very strict federal laws governing the collection of fossils from the public lands where we work. These rules MUST be adhered to – revocation of our collecting permits, or even prosecution, may result if these rules are violated. There will be many opportunities to collect non-vertebrate fossils for your personal collection. Since this is a research project first and foremost though, all materials collected for personal use must be approved by Elevation Science Institute Expedition staff.
Interested in the full week experience?
If all this sounds like something you’d want to do for more than a day or two, our full expedition is a week long experience that includes transportation, meals, room and board, evening lessons and unforgettable activities, and all the tools and training you could need!