Travel Information
The Dinosaur Project is located on a private cattle ranch in eastern Wyoming. The closest town is Newcastle, Wyoming.
The Dinosaur Project is located on a private cattle ranch in eastern Wyoming. The closest town is Newcastle, Wyoming.
Generally, most students will travel in a university vehicle leaving the Southwestern Adventist University campus and after about 21 hours of driving, arrive at the project site.
Students and others who wish to "caravan" with the university transportation are welcome to do so.
In all cases where a private vehicle is driven to the Project site, the expectations are:
Non-Credit Participants
Must notify one of the Project Directors before driving the vehicle away from the campsite.
Credit Earning Participants
Must request permission from one of the Project Directors in order to drive the vehicle away from the campsite.
Detailed driving directions are available to those participants who are arriving by car. Access requires a username and password which are available by contacting the project directors once an application form has been submitted.
It is important that the location of the Project Site remains confidential. This is to protect both the actual site and remains from vandalism or theft and to protect this working cattle ranch from unauthorized visitors. The information is given to you for your personal use. Please do not duplicate and/or give to anyone else without authorization from the Earth History Research Center or the Hanson Research Station.
In all cases where a private vehicle is driven to the Project site, the expectations are:
Non-Credit Participants
Must notify one of the Project Directors before driving the vehicle away from the campsite.
Credit Earning Participants
Must request permission from one of the Project Directors in order to drive the vehicle away from the campsite.
The closest major airport is in Rapid City, SD. If you notify one of the Project Directors with date, time, and flight information, then arrangements can be made to pick you up at the Rapid City airport, which is about 2.5 hours (or 120 miles) from Camp Cretaceous.
Arrangements can also be made to take you to this airport.
Keep in mind that a trip to the airport and return involves about 5 hours for the driver. We are happy to do this, but it would be helpful if airport runs can be combined for efficiency.
In addition:
We would prefer not to make an airport trip on Saturday (Sabbath).
Departures before 9:00 am Rapid City time (MDT) may be difficult to set up—a 9:00 am departure means leaving Camp Cretaceous by 6:00 am (CDT) to get you to the airport 1.5 hours before departure.
Departures on the last day, Tuesday, should be scheduled in the mid to late afternoon.
persons who have earned college or university credit in the past
anyone with a college or university degree
As you plan your air trip, please check the current schedule and/or contact the Project Directors. They would know if someone else is flying in or out near the time you are planning. It may not be possible to adjust your arrival and departure times and dates (without a significant increase in cost), but it would be appreciated if a simple change could allow two or more participants to make the same trip to or from the airport.
The nearest useable airport to the Dinosaur Project Site is located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Rapid City Regional Airport is located about 6 miles southeast of Rapid City. The project site is about 22 miles almost due south of Newcastle, Wyoming. Highway US-16 is the most straightforward route from Rapid City to Newcastle, WY.
Leaving the airport, drive about 5.5 miles northwest on SD-44 toward Rapid City (right turn when leaving the airport entry road).
Turn left to take US-16 W/SD-79 S ramp toward Hot Springs for about 0.5 miles.
Merge onto US-16 BYP W and drive about 36 miles to Custer, SD (passing through Hill City, SD and past the Crazy Horse Mountain sculpture).
Turn right onto Mt. Rushmore Rd/US-16/US-385 and continue to follow US-16 for about 36 miles to Newcastle, WY.
Fill your vehicle with fuel in Newcastle!!!
Turn south (left if coming from Custer, right if coming from Newcastle) onto US-85 on the eastern outskirts of Newcastle.
Follow the detailed directions!
It will probably take around 1.5 hours to drive from the airport to Newcastle and another hour to Camp Cretaceous.