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See the World with NHM Experts!

Travel with NHM scientists to exciting destinations around the world.
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Los Angeles is for Hikers

Get out and explore any of the 82 great hiking trails located right here in L.A. This guide book features short and long day hikes while keeping you close to home. 
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Detailed Trip Information

Discover the world of Miocene fossils on this family weekend camping trip to beautiful Red Rock Canyon State Park.  Whether you're a seasoned paleontologist or just curious about the past, this trip will be an experience to remember.

What will we do?

We'll spend the weekend exploring the Dove Spring Formation in the western Mojave Desert of California prospecting for fossils of extinct mammals and discovering specimens to add to the Museum's collection. You'll learn the fundamentals of recognizing and finding fossils in the field. Also, we'll take nature hikes, explore the region’s geology, and roast marshmallows around the campfire with Museum scientists and staff. Trip leaders from our Vertebrate Paleontology Department include: Curator Dr. Xiaoming Wang, Curatorial Assistant Gary Takeuchi, and Curator Emeritus Dr. David Whistler, who has done pioneering work in the Red Rock Canyon area for many years.

What will we find?

Past trips have uncovered everything from tiny microfossils to the large bones of giraffe-like camels and extinct elephants.

Federal and state laws require that all vertebrate fossils collected be deposited into the collections of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. You will be credited with the discovery of all specimens you collect and your finds will be a valuable asset to the Museum for research, display, and education.

Let's go!

Trips are offered once a year, in the fall.

Our next trip is:
Friday, October 26 to Sunday, October 28, 2012

Registration begins:
Monday, August 13, 2012 at 9:00 am on a first come, first served basis.

Cost

Trip fees include breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday, as well as campground fees, and the right to prospect for fossils under the Natural History Museum's permits on state and federally owned lands. All meals catered by Camping Pros. Participants provide their own transportation to and from Red Rock Canyon State Park and camping gear. Meet any time after noon on Friday, October 26, 2012 at Red Rock Canyon State Park Ricardo Campground.

  Adult Child
Museum Members $235 $195
General Admission $255 $215

 

For more information please call (213) 763-ED4U (3348) or e-mail educate@nhm.org.