• All About Jill
  • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Ripped Jeans & Bifocals

Adoption, motherhood and midlife

  • Home
  • Christmas
  • Travel
    • Montana Travel
    • Texas
    • East Coast
    • West Coast
    • Midwest
    • Southwest
    • Way Out West
    • Everything Else
    • Disney
    • Cruises
    • Travel Tips
  • Lifestyle
    • Mom Life
    • Adoption
    • Entertainment
    • Cars
    • Recipes
    • Blogging
  • Mom Life & Adoption
    • Mom Life
    • Adoption
    • Listen To Your Mother

Exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana

May 22, 2020 by Jill 5 Comments

I’m not sure what it is about dinosaurs that is so fascinating, particularly for younger kids, but my two boys are all-in when it comes to all things dinosaur. Giant, roaring lizards with sharp teeth and horns…I mean, what’s not to like about that? My kids have dinosaur everything: from tee shirts to bed sheets to cups and plates but we recently got the opportunity to really learn something about these great beasts who walked the earth so many years ago through exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana. From Glendive Montana to Jordan Montana and all kinds of places in between, we’ve come away from our time in Montana knowing a whole bunch more about dinosaurs than we did when we got there. Our experience on the Montana Dinosaur Trail has left us wanting more, which is a good thing since we only hit four out of the 14 stops. Only 10 more to go. It’s a good start, don’t you think?

Table of Contents

  • Exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana
    • What is the Montana Dinosaur Trail, exactly?
    • Exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana and Central Montana
      • Upper Musselshell Museum in Harlowtown Montana
      • Garfield County Museum in Jordan Montana
      • Makoshika State Park
      • Frontier Gateway Museum
    • Other dinosaur related fun in the area
      • Baisch’s Dinosaur Digs
      • Hell Creek Music
      • Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum
  • You might also like:

Exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana

My family was hosted by Southeast Montana and their partners. All opinions are mine.

What is the Montana Dinosaur Trail, exactly?

The Montana Dinosaur Trail is a trail that runs across Montana and consists of 14 locations. Each location offers a glimpse at the historic dinosaur discoveries in the state and provides visitors with a better understanding of the giants that once inhabited the planet. Each stop on the dinosaur trail offers something to see, do, learn (or maybe all three) in the form of exhibits, programs and field digs. 

You can memorialize your visits to each of the stops by using the Montana Dinosaur Trail passport, which is a little booklet you can get stamped when you visit each location. If you complete the trail within five years, you get an exclusive tee shirt. The book costs $5 and can be ordered online or purchased at any of the Montana Dinosaur Trail locations. You’ll pay a processing fee if you order online but if you really want to make sure you have them in hand before you set off to explore, the option is there. 

Exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana and Central Montana

We did a seven day loop of Southeast Montana and Central Montana and hit four stops on the Montana Dinosaur trail. If you wanted to extend your trip out a little further than we did on our most recent trip you can hit one that we didn’t make it to but probably could have squeezed in (Fort Peck Interpretive Center). We did other activities in Montana besides exploring the Montana Dinosaur Trail but you could easily adjust your itinerary (copy ours here) and checked five stops off the list. Our loop of Southeast Montana and Central Montana started an ended in Billings.  

Montana dinosaur trail southeast montana zoo montana billings

Billings Montana is a great place to catch the Montana Dinosaur Trail. It’s a great base camp and there are lots of things to do in city, like ZooMontana

The Montana Dinosaur Trail’s website is really well done and I recommend spending some time there before you make your plans. In addition to giving you information on each museum, it will also tell you which museum to visit next, giving you options on which direction you’re heading. It will also give you other information on things to do in the area in case you want to do something not related to dinosaurs. I also recommend checking out the Southeast Montana and Central Montana websites for suggestions on places to see, eat and stay in this beautifully rugged area of the country. 

In general, the stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail are open Memorial Day through Labor Day (although there is some variation so make sure you’re checking the individual websites or calling) which is a great time to visit Montana. If you go outside those times you’re going to be dealing with snow and will probably want to plan different sorts of activities.

The Montana Dinosaur Trail will take you through some of the most majestic parts of Montana (AKA the Judith Mountains in Central Montana)

Upper Musselshell Museum in Harlowtown Montana

The Upper Musselshell Museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hours are 10:00-5:00 Monday through Saturday. 

The big draw here is the full-size cast of the Avaceratops, which is a small ceratopsian dinosaur discovered in 1981. I’d never heard of the Ava before so that was a really neat, educational moment. The Avaceratops was named after the wife of the man who discovered her bones. I think it would be pretty cool to have a dinosaur named after you, right?

My kids had fun hiding their plastic dinosaurs in this dig pit. The dinosaur cast in front of Zack is the Avaceratops, so you can see she is quite small in comparison to Triceratops.

In addition to dinosaur exhibits, there are exhibits that teach you about the how the area was settled. It’s really nicely laid out and very well organized. There’s also hands-on activities for children, such as a mini-dig site and a coloring table. As you’ll find with most people you’ll meet in Southeast Montana, the museum staff are very friendly and helpful and more than happy to give information about the things you see in the museum or the surrounding area. 

You can get through the Museum in an hour and see pretty much everything. You can spend more or less time there if you wish but allow for at least an hour. If you want to grab breakfast, lunch, or coffee while you’re in town, Sun Dog Coffee is right up the street. 

Don’t forget to buy your Montana Dinosaur Trail Passport and if you already have it, don’t leave without getting it stamped. 

Garfield County Museum in Jordan Montana

If you really know your dinosaur history, you know that this is where T-Rex was initially discovered. You can check out the Garfield County Museum to see memorabilia relating to the discovery of the T-Rex as well as a Triceratops cast. There’s also some real Triceratops fossils that you can touch. Most of the bones you’ll see in museums along the Montana Dinosaur Trail are either casts (replicas) that are off limits for touching or in a display case. The Garfield County Museum has a real dinosaur bone you can touch and everyone knows kids like to touch all the things.

You can’t really pass up this photo opportunity outside the Garfield County Museum, right?

This museum also gives a lot of information on the history and settlement of the area. One of the great things about the Garfield County Museum? It’s totally free. Unless you want to read all the newspaper articles up on the walls – there are quite a few that talk about the discover of the T-Rex – I’d recommend 30-45 minutes here. 

The Garfield Country Museum is open June 1st through August 31st. 

Also to note, Jordan Montana is pretty remote. No matter which way you’re traveling, you’ve got a ways to go before you find services. Make sure you get gas and get something to eat before you head onward. If you want to continue Northeast about 95 miles, you can catch Fort Peck Interpretive Center on this trip. 

Makoshika State Park

Makoshika State Park is near Glendive Montana. Makoshika is a Lakota phrase that means “bad land” or “bad spirit.” If you want to walk the same trails as T-Rex and Triceratops, walk along the hiking trails and try to image what the land looked like millions of years ago, this is your place. The Visitor’s Center has a great interpretive exhibits that your kids will love. When we visited, there was a paleontology intern from Montana State University at Bozeman (don’t make the rookie mistake of referring to it as the University of Montana because they’ll potentially ask you to leave the state…only kidding a little bit) on site and he was full of answers…because, of course, my kids were full of questions.

My kids and “Ranger Rudy” in Makoshika State Park.

There’s a nominal fee to enter Makoshika State Park and additional fees apply if you’d like to camp there. It’s a fantastic place to explore and if you ever thought the badlands were a desolate and ugly place, it’s anything but.

Makoshika State Park is open year round but there are summer and winter hours for the visitor’s center, so make sure you check out their website. If you want to breeze through the exhibits in the visitor’s center, you can get through it in 30 minutes or less but there’s so much outdoor beauty that you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t explore the rest of the park.

Aside from being a part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail, Makoshika State Park is a great place to play and explore.

Frontier Gateway Museum

 Frontier Gateway Museum in Glendive Montana is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9:00-5:00 and on Sunday from 1:00-5:00. Admission is free.

You’ll also find dinosaur and fossil exhibits here but you’ll also find exhibits about the history of the area, to include some outdoor/open air exhibits in the back. 

The Frontier Gateway Museum is an official stop on the Montana Dinosaur Trail, so don’t forget to get your passport stamped!

Glendive is full of things to do and you could easily spend three days exploring. This was one of our favorite stops during our Southeast Montana vacation.

Don’t miss the exhibits out back.

Other dinosaur related fun in the area

What’s considered to be officially a part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail is listed on their website. However, there is dinosaur fun all around this area of Montana and there are things dinosaur lovers of all ages will enjoy that aren’t a part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail in Southeast Montana. This is a pretty remote area that requires some effort to get to so here are some additional things I recommend in the area:

Baisch’s Dinosaur Digs

Basich’s Dinosaur Digs is located in Glendive and I highly recommend you don’t leave the area without checking it out. It’s a 7,000 acre private ranch that offers half day and full day guided digs. You’ll need to book in advance and price-wise, the experience is a little bit of a splurge, but it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. You’ll start your day with a quick briefing on what fossils look like and then continue out to a private ranch in Montana’s badlands to see what kind of fossils you can find. 

My kids had a great time with Ms. Shanna. I highly recommend Baisch’s Dinosaur Digs.

This was one of our favorite parts of our trip. Not only did we uncover some fun finds, we got to play in the most amazing playground. The badlands are a super fun place to explore. 

Uncovering our find…very carefully.

Hell Creek Music

Also located in Glendive, Hell Creek Music is a music store on Merrill Avenue that has a 38 foot T-Rex cast inside. It’s definitely worth a stop because…38 foot T-Rex cast.

I mean…when you see a sign that says 38 foot T-Rex, you stop to investigate.

Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum

This is a very well done museum with two levels of exhibits, a movie theater and a gift shop. To know before you go: the somewhat unconventional philosophy of the museum. They strongly subscribe to the theory of a young earth and that humans and dinosaurs lived on earth together. There are many exhibits in the museum that suggest the reason dinosaurs became extinct is because Noah didn’t take them on the arc. It’s a little bit hard to get your head around but if you disagree with that theory, don’t let it deter you from visiting. My kids took it for what it was worth: a fun place to learn about more dino stuff.

The Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum is open April through August with specific hours for summertime. Admission price is $8 per person with reduced admission for kids and seniors.

You might also like:

7 pictures from our first two days in Southeast Montana

Places to visit in Montana that aren’t Yellowstone or Glacier

One week Southeast Montana Itinerary


5 Comments

« 8 bits of advice for new bloggers
When will Disney World Reopen? Your questions answered! »

Comments

  1. Maia Saurus, volunteer coordinator for the Montana Dinosaur Trail says

    September 19, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    Jill, Thanks for visiting and writing about the Montana Dinosaur Trail Facilities in Southeast Montana. We appreciate you sharing this info and letting others know what kind of experience they can have along the Trail.
    We’d like to point out just a couple of small errors in your piece:
    Opening paragraph, you stopped 4 or the 10 facilities. There are 14 facilities that make up the Montana Dinosaur Trail.
    Under your info about Makoshika State Park…..the paleo intern is from Montana State University in Bozeman…..not University of Montana…..that is almost a punishable error, but we’ll let it slide this time (major rivalry between our two U’s)
    If you ever need more info about the Trail, just let me know at mia@mtdinotrail.org or visit our website: https://mtdinotrail.org or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MontanaDinoTrail/

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 19, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      Thank you for setting me straight. I just spent a week + in Montana and kept telling everyone I met we’d done 4 out of 14 stops so it was obviously a case of my fingers doing something different than my brain.

      My husband is from Michigan…I mess up the Michigan State/University of Michigan all the time. I just refer to them as “the blue one” and “the green one” and it keeps me out of trouble.

      Reply
  2. madhu sharma says

    May 23, 2020 at 12:54 am

    My son is crazy about Dinos n he will surely love this place..thanks for sharing,keeping it for my next visit

    Reply
  3. Terence says

    June 14, 2020 at 8:39 am

    It feels like a really cool place to visit with your kids.
    Keep on posting interesting places. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 16, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      Thank you! We love Montana!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

All About Jill

I'm a digital content creator and essayist who copes with parenting and most other situations with humor and snark. Just so you know, if this weren't the internet, I'd be smiling awkwardly and answering simple questions like "How are you today" with gems like "I like pockets."

I really do love pockets, though.

I spent 26 years in the USAF, which went by really, really fast. I'm very proud of my service but I'm loving my second act even more. Writing gives me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and that's what makes me happy. Welcome.

Read More…

Recent Snaps

rippedjeansandbifocals

Freelance Writer & Travel Expert
Producer, Listen to Your Mother SA
💜 Mom via birth & #adoption
🐈 Human to @remusthebengalcat
🇺🇸 USAF veteran
📍#texas

Jill Robbins
Here’s something you’ve probably never seen be Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before: my bottom teeth.
.
I always hide my crooked bottom teeth in pictures and I’m super self-conscious when I talk. So I did something about it.
.
I wore braces as a kid and my top teeth are straight but my bottom teeth are shifting and one tooth is traveling into the back of my mouth and I have some crowding. My orthodontist said it’s very unusual to put braces on just half your mouth but my bite is still aligned so they didn’t have to put them on my top teeth - my wallet is thankful.
.
Questions I’ve already been asked:
.
1️⃣ At your age? Yes, at my age. I still care about my smile. 
.
3️⃣ How long do you have to wear them?
.
6-9 months.
.
3️⃣ Do they hurt? 
.
My teeth are sore and my mouth is tender but not to the Tylenol level so I guess the answer is “Not too much.”
.
Other questions? Advice?
.
#braceface #adultbraces
Little things can really be big - do you agree? M Little things can really be big - do you agree?

My husband gets up with our kids twice a week and does their breakfast and morning routine and takes them to school so I can sleep in. I don't laze away the morning in bed - it usually amounts to about an extra hour of sleep for me and a little more peace and quiet as I start my day. 

This probably seems like a little thing but this is huge for me. The mental benefits of not having to set my alarm on a schoolday is truly my love language. I would rather have sleep than flowers or presents. 

On those morning where my husband takes my kids to school, I will inevitably find the kitchen not "just so." There will be spills on the table or something that didn't get put away. I resist the urge to be sarcastic or to ask "Um, is there a reason we have four boxes of cereal just sitting on the counter?" or point out that it would take less than 30 seconds to wipe a tabletop or put a box back on the shelf. I resist saying stuff like "I guess if I want it done a certain way, I have to do it myself." I don't even say that to myself. 

My husband isn't "doing me a favor" by taking care of our kids. When I talked about being stressed and tired during an argument last year, he offered to take some things off my plate and giving me two mornings where I don't have to set an alarm was one of his ideas. It's part of the give and take of marriage and even though it makes me clench a little when I see spilled milk or stuff that hasn't put away, I appreciate having a partner who shares the load with me. 

My marriage definitely is not perfect and I'm in no position to give relationship advice. But for us, this one little thing is a really big deal. 

And, as I've recently discovered, a cereal box can sit on the counter for several days and the world doesn't explode. Who knew.

#thisisus #thisismarriage #loveandmarriage #happywifehappylife #marriedlife #mancrusheveryday #texas #texasstyle #rippedjeansandbifocals #marriagegoals #relationshipgoals #coparenting #parenting #momlifebelike #momlifeisthebestlife #ocd #ocdmomproblems #ocdmommy
Anyone else having massive “This time last year” moments?
.
2020 started out so fine. We extended our kids’ winter break to take them on a Disney Cruise- no better reason than that, amiright- and I was excited about all the Disney Cruise blog posts I was going to write. Disney Cruises are (errr...were?) one of the most searched terms on my website and how a lot of people found me.
.
Early 2020 was such a time of hope and light that pretty much everyone took for granted.
.
While it’s become glaringly obvious the change in the calendar isn’t a magic potion, I still have hope for this year and still believe there magic yet to happen.
.
You know...the good stuff.
.
#believe #disneycruise #disneycruiseline #disneycruiselife #disneywonder #disneymagic #disneycreators #disneycreatordays #mondayxmhe #disneymagicmoments #nowmorethanever
We got our first Raddish Kids box right before the We got our first Raddish Kids box right before the holidays and finally dug into it this weekend. Our box had a cold-weather theme which was perfect for this cold weather we're having (flurries in San Antonio can you believe it?!)

Each box contains three recipe cards, a culinary tool, an iron-on patch and Table Talk conversation starter cards. A shopping list is included and also emailed to you in advance in case you want to be ready to cook as soon as your box arrives. You buy all the groceries yourself. 

We made homemade chicken and dumplings this weekend and they turned out amazing. If you need modifications (i.e. gluten or dairy free) you can hop on to the @raddishkids website and go to the "Bonus Bites" section. You'll find modifications, food videos, extra recipes, parent info and more fun stuff. 

The price ranges from $20-$24 per box depending on what type of subscription you choose. Boxes are designed for kids 4-14+ with varying degrees of supervision needed depending on your child's skills and age. Kyle and i have done two meals from this box - we still have cookies left to make - and worked together about 50-50. It was a lot of fun. 

To order yours, here's my affiliate link https://raddish-kids-monthly-delivery.sjv.io/edoAr or read my full review (link in bio)

#raddishkids #raddishkidscook #raddishkidsrecipes #kidswhocook #kidchef
I think today would be better if I could hang out I think today would be better if I could hang out with donkeys all day. 

There's a reason animals are used in therapy - they are both comforting and fun. This picture was from our October outing to Wassermann's Wranch outside of Alpine (in West Texas.) I love my beautiful state and the landscape of West Texas fascinates me because it's so different than what I see every day here near San Antonio.

Wassermann's Wranch is located just a few miles outside the city. It's a private hobby farm that sees visitors by reservation. It's absolutely worth planning your day around and you can check out more in my blog post linked in my bio.

I didn't realize I liked donkeys until I got to know these guys. The owner, Heidi, told me "I think you might be a donkey chick."

I think I'm OK with that. 

#texas #texastodo #alpinetexas #alpinetexas #westtexas #westtexastravel #texastravel #fridayxvibez #familytravel #visitaplinetexas #donkeysofinstagram #donkeys #donkeyselfie
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 Ripped Jeans and Bifocals by Krizzy Designs

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.