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πŸ¦•
Long-neck giants
🦴
Fossil hall
🦎
Living relatives
πŸŒ‹
Ancient earth
🌲
Outdoor trail

Riverbend Fossil Dig Park

Three Forks, MT 59752

πŸ₯Ύ Weekend AdventureπŸ¦– Dino FavoriteπŸŽ“ Educational
When
Open daily
Hours
Open today Β· 9:00 – 5:00
Distance
9.2 mi
Price
Free
Ages
5+
Rating
4.7
Source
Dino Watch Β· Curated
Setting
Outdoor

Always verify with the official source. Hours, prices, ages, and dates can change without notice. Dino Watch curates listings but isn't responsible for third-party content.

Tickets & entry

Free

Free admission
For parents

Free admission. Recommended for ages 5+. Strollers welcome where the path allows.

  • No ticket required
  • Children under 2 always free
  • Verify on the official site before travel

Before you continue to Riverbend Fossil Dig Park visit planner

You're heading to Riverbend Fossil Dig Park's official planning page. Hours, parking, accessibility, and gate policies are managed by the venue and can change without notice.

Prices may change. Travel prices change throughout the day. The amount you see here is a snapshot from the partner β€” the final price at checkout (including taxes, resort fees, and add-ons) may be different.

Verify details with the official provider. Before you pay, confirm dates, total price, age policies, cancellation rules, and accessibility directly with the hotel, venue, or park. Dinoflex curates listings but does not control the partner's checkout.

United States

Affiliate relationships are disclosed under FTC 16 CFR Part 255. Travel purchases are between you and the partner β€” Dinoflex is not the seller of record.

Plan a visit and Official website both open without Dino Watch referral tags. Dinoflex does not control checkout, venue pricing, refund rules, or availability updates.

Family trip lists

Manage lists β†’

Save this for a future trip β€” pick one or more lists.

Learn

Educational companion

Junior Paleo hub β†’

Did you know?

🌿
Cycad survivors
Cycads in many parks are 'living fossils' from the age of dinosaurs.
Jurassic
πŸ‘£
Trackways
Some state parks preserve actual dinosaur footprints in stone riverbeds.
Mesozoic

What you'll learn

  • How geology preserves ancient ecosystems
  • What back plates were really for (display vs. cooling)
  • How sauropods supported their massive bodies

Featured species modules

🦎
Stegosaurus
Late Jurassic Β· Herbivore Β· 9m

Stegosaurus had a brain the size of a walnut β€” about 80 g.

πŸ¦’
Brachiosaurus
Late Jurassic Β· Herbivore Β· 26m

Its heart had to pump blood up a 30-ft neck β€” a engineering marvel.

Dinosaur timeline

Triassic
β˜… Jurassic
Cretaceous
252–201 mya
201–145 mya
145–66 mya

β˜… marks eras represented at this destination.

Scavenger hunt Β· 0/5

Open journal
Explorer journal β€” quick entry

Safe family travel guidance

Quick reminders to plan a safe, fun trip when you book outside Dinoflex.

  • Verify before you pay

    Open the official hotel or venue site in a second tab and confirm dates, total price (including taxes and resort fees), and the family cancellation policy.

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    Send the booking confirmation, hotel address, and emergency contact to another adult before you travel. Keep a printed copy in case of dead batteries.

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    Parks publish minimum heights and age restrictions on the official site. A kid-friendly hotel isn't automatically a kid-friendly attraction.

  • Be careful on hotel Wi-Fi

    Avoid logging into payment apps on public hotel networks. Use the hotel front desk to confirm any unexpected charge instead of clicking emailed links.

  • Bring backup payment + ID

    Carry a second card and a copy of family ID. Some hotels require a card on file for incidentals, even when the booking is fully prepaid.

For parents: how travel booking works

Plain-language explainers covering affiliate links, verifying a hotel, and what happens when you leave the app.

How affiliate links work

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Most surprises at check-in (resort fees, no-crib policies, construction) are documented on the hotel's own site. Cross-check three things:

  • Total price β€” including taxes, resort fees, and parking.
  • Family policy β€” crib availability, kids-stay-free age cap, connecting rooms.
  • Cancellation policy β€” note the exact local time the free window ends.

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Reporting a bad partner experience

If a partner advertised something different than what they delivered (price, age policy, accessibility), use the report link on the listing. We use these reports to drop or warn-label partners.

Dino tags

🦴 Fossils🌿 Nature

Parent info

Parent-only
  • Age guidance: 5+. Family-friendly programming on weekends.
  • Setting: Outdoor β€” sun, terrain, and weather considerations apply.

πŸ¦• Kid preview

Hey explorer! A super fun place to learn cool dino stuff and explore with your grown-up.

  • Hands-on
  • Bring water
  • Shaded picnic

Fun fact: a T-Rex tooth could be longer than a banana 🍌

πŸ¦– What kids will experience

A peek at what your little explorer can see, touch and try on this visit.

  • Try a real dig pit and brush sand off cast bones.
  • Walk a trail and look for tracks and clues outside.
  • Earn a Junior Paleontologist sticker on the way out.

Featured dinosaurs

Likely stars of this visit
  • πŸ¦–

    Cretaceous

    Tyrannosaurus rex

    Could bite with the force of three grand pianos.

  • πŸ¦•

    Jurassic

    Brachiosaurus

    Held its head higher than a four-story building.

  • 🐾

    Cretaceous

    Velociraptor

    Roughly turkey-sized β€” and probably feathered.

  • πŸ¦…

    Cretaceous

    Pteranodon

    Wingspan as wide as a small plane.

Exhibit highlights

  • 🦴

    Fossil prep lab

    Watch real paleontologists clean fossils through a viewing window.

  • 🌲

    Outdoor trail walk

    Self-guided path with life-sized models tucked into the landscape.

  • 🎟️

    Family activity station

    Hands-on cart with cast fossils, teeth and dig brushes.

Educational highlights

Learning themes families can explore together β€” bring them up before, during, or in the car ride home.

  • πŸͺ¨

    Earth & deep time

    How rock layers and fossils record the past.

  • 🌿

    Ecosystems & habitats

    Connecting dinosaur worlds to living ecosystems today.

  • πŸ“

    Scale & comparison

    Comparing dino sizes to school buses, houses and grown-ups.

Parent planning info

Practical details for the grown-up logistics β€” verify with the official source before traveling.

  • Plan to spend

    Half-day to full-day

  • Food on-site

    Limited β€” pack snacks & water

  • Restrooms

    Family restrooms near the entrance and main gallery

  • Strollers

    Stroller-friendly paths; rentals at front desk

  • What to bring

    Sun protection, bug spray, refillable water

  • Photo policy

    No-flash photography typically allowed in galleries

Today's weather pick

🌀️Mostly sunny · 71°F
  • Bring sun hats, sunscreen and refillable water β€” shade is limited on the trails.
  • Check the official site for trail closures and weather alerts the morning of your visit.

Weather is illustrative β€” always confirm a real forecast before you go.

Map preview

Riverbend Fossil Dig Park

Three Forks, MT 59752

9.2 mi from your search centerOpen full map β†’

Seasonal events here

Programs that return year after year
  • ❄️

    Winter Β· Dec – Feb

    Ice Age Add-On

    Pop-up Ice Age gallery with mammoths and a frozen-fossil dig.

  • πŸ”¦

    Fall Β· Sep – Nov

    After-Hours Dino Lab

    Family flashlight tours through the fossil hall, two Friday nights a month.

  • πŸ₯š

    Spring Β· Mar – May

    Spring Hatching Days

    Daily hatching demos and a baby-dino discovery cart in the main hall.

  • ⛏️

    Summer Β· Jun – Aug

    Junior Paleo Camp

    Week-long day camps for ages 6–10 with real fossil prep stations.

State park family guidance

  • Bring water, sunscreen, and snacks β€” service can be limited on trails.
  • Closed-toe shoes and a layer for changing weather.
  • Stay on marked paths β€” fossils, plants and wildlife are protected.
  • Tell someone your route and expected return time.
  • Check the official park alerts page for closures, fire bans, and entry fees before you go.
  • Cell service may be spotty β€” download offline maps in advance.

Adventure responsibly β€” kids should always be supervised on trails and near water.

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Nearby dino activities

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