July 8th and August 5th
Meet at: Dinosaur Journey Museum, Fruita at 8:00 AM
Minimum Age: 7 years old. Guests ages 16 or under must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Description:
Spend a day in the sub alpine forest of Douglas Pass exploring and splitting soft shales from the Eocene Epoch, some 50 million years ago. We will be discovering fossil leaves and insects from an ancient lake that once stretched across western Colorado. Participants will be allowed to keep up to five plant or invertebrate specimens from this expedition as souvenirs.
Difficulty: Moderate. No hiking is involved in this expedition. Participants should expect to be outside at 8,000 feet elevation without existing trails or shade cover. Wear sturdy shoes, a wide brimmed hat & sunscreen. The last opportunity for restroom facilities will be at Dinosaur Journey museum at orientation.
What to Bring: Expeditioners should dress for working outdoors in summer: bring a wide-brimmed hat, sturdy closed-toed shoes or hiking boots, sunscreen, a camera, one or two water bottles (32 oz recommended), and bug spray. Long pants are recommended, but not required.
Itinerary:
8:00 am – meet at Dinosaur Journey in Fruita, CO
8:15 am – Depart DJ for Douglas Pass
9:15 am – Stop 1 – Green River Stromatolites
9:45 am – Stop 2 – Green River Shale excavations
12:00 pm – picnic lunch at site
12:30 pm – More excavations
2:00 pm – Depart for Dinosaur Journey
3:00 pm – Paleo Lab Tour
For a smooth registration experience, we recommend registering for one event at a time (e.g., don't add a Dino Dig and a guided hike to your cart at the same time).
We also recommend ensuring your information is correct before moving forward. Once you proceed to the next page, if you need to adjust anything you will need to start over.
Refund Policy
Participant Cancellations
- 14+ days before: full refund or free reschedule
- 7–14 days before: 50% refund or free reschedule
- Under 7 days / no-shows: no refund (staff, vehicles, and permits are already committed)
For safety reasons (severe weather, air quality, site hazards, staff emergency, land access restrictions), the Museum may cancel or modify a dig/trip/tour. If the Museum cancels: full refund or free reschedule within 12 months. If the dig is cut short on-site: 50% refund if under half the dig was completed; no refund if over half was completed.
Dig/trip/tour require 6 paid participants. If unmet 72+ hours out, the Museum reserves the right to cancel with full refund or reschedule.
Medical/Emergency Exceptions
Reviewed on a case by case basis with documentation, full refund or reschedule regardless of timing.
Refunds will be issued to the original method of payment whenever possible.