Dinosaur Discovery Days

Join the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge for a series of outdoor summer programs called Dinosaur Discovery Days!

*For Boy and Girl Scouts, check out the Scout Days.

What is a Dinosaur Discovery Day?
Dinosaur Discovery Days are free outdoor events open to the general public. They are held monthly (May through October) at Dinosaur Ridge on either the first or second Saturday of the month (click here for our calendar). Occasionally the Ridge will host a Discovery Day in April. Guides are stationed along the Dinosaur Ridge Trail at the most significant interpretive sites. Visitors hike at their own pace or take the Shuttle Bus (one way) at $3 per person (three and under ride free).

At the Visitor Center, Hands-on Dinos for kids includes the Backyard Bones Dinosaur Dig, the Cretaceous Crossroads Dinosaur Tracking Area, Track Painting (paint a fossil and take it home), puppet shows performed by the Deep Time Players, gold panning, fossil sifting, and other activities depending on the theme for the day. The indoor exhibit, Trek Through Time, has free admission all day.

The shuttle buses operate continuously between the East Gate and the Dinosaur Bone Site (see map of locations) during the event. The Shuttle Bus Tour resumes its normal schedule between the Visitor Center and the Dinosaur Bone Site after 3:00 PM.

When are the Dinosaur Discovery Days?
Discovery Days are on the 2nd Saturday from May through October. The May day is Boy Scout Day, the October day is Girl Scout Day. From 10:00AM until 2:30PM, tour guides will be stationed on the Dinosaur Ridge Trail.

Special Guests at Dinosaur Discovery Days
The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge appreciates the many volunteers who make the Dinosaur Discovery Days possible. More than one hundred volunteers, many from outside the Friends organization, help with the Scout Days at the May and October events.

BREAKING NEWS!

The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge have signed Mr. Bones to perform at all 6 Dinosaur Discovery Days in 2012. To the delight of kids and adults the popular puppeteer climbs into his amazing anatomically correct dinosaur skeletons and strolls through the crowd. Meet him in person! Beginning with May 12 and continuing on the second Saturday of June through October each event will have a different theme including National Get Outdoors Day, Earth Science Week, and Reptile Day.

We thank the following organizations whose participation in recent Dinosaur Discovery Days has enhanced the experiences of thousands of visitors:

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
Morrison Natural History Museum
Lookout Mountain Nature Center
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory
National Speleological Society
Solsource Energy
Pioneer Natural Resources
Association for Women Geoscientists
Colorado Groundwater Assoc.
Jefferson County Public Library
Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council
Dave McCullough on Earthcaching
Geological Society of America
Geocaching Colorado
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (Student Chapter at Colorado School of Mines)
Women in Mining
Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum
Western Interior Paleontological Society (WIPS)
Wild Birds Unlimited (Yale & Wadsworth)
Legendary Ladies Inc
Colorado Scientific Society
Mr. Bones
Phantom Dragon Ranch
Boy Scouts of America
Denver Botanic Gardens
American Hiking Society
Astronomical League
U.S. Forest Service
FirstBank
Brighton Astronomy Group
Fred Olson Meteorites
Vince Mathews & Matt Morgan
Astronomy Magazine
Red & Green Minerals
Healing Wheels Bicycle Tour
Evergreen Nature Center
Gold-N-Detectors
Denver Zoo
Wildlife Experience
Wild Wings
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Planetary Society
National Park Service
American Institute of Professional Geologists
Celestron Telescopes
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
Canyon Critters
Kaufman Agency
RDS Environmental
Colorado Geological Survey
West Metro Fire
Bear Creek Lake Park
Butterfly Pavilion
Women in Science(CSM)
Girl Scouts of Colorado
Federal Emergency Management Administration

Thanks to the Sponsors of Dinosaur Discovery Days
May – Association for Women Geoscientists, Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, Boy Scouts of America
Jun –Bandimere Speedway
Aug – Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council
Sep – Excel Energy
Oct – Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and the Girl Scouts of Colorado