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Do It Yourself (DIY) Field Trip Registration

These are not ARARA trips. They are areas of interest that you may choose to visit on your own. You do not need to sign up if you just wish to do it by yourself. However, if you would like to go with a group of ARARA members we will collect information and then forward it to all of you to organize yourselves. 

You can cancel your registration yourself. Come back to this page, and then you will see an "Already registered" link below the "Register" button for your trip.  Click on this link and you will have a cancel option.

Registration closes on June 9. There will not be onsite field trip registration for field trips at the conference.

If you need help please contact Troy Scotter at 801-362-1206 or email.


Weather: Average daytime temperatures in Great Falls during June are about 70 degrees with high temperatures in the mid 80s.

DIY Field Trips

  • DIY 1: Bear Gulch

    • 21 Jun 2026
    • 30 Jun 2026
    Register

    This is not an ARARA field trip. We will gather names and contact info for those interested in this trip and then send it to the registrants for you to organize yourselves as you choose. 

    Description: Bear Gulch is on private land and will require a reservation to visit. Visitors to Bear Gulch will get to see some of the most unique shield-bearing warriors on the northern Plains. Named the Bear Gulch style, these warriors are often organized in groups of four to ten men, each one holding a weapon, and posed as a war party ready to head off to do battle. Typical accoutrements include face paint, standard hair styles, medicine bundles or bustles attached to shields, and a war party scout wearing a wolf hat headdress. In addition to shield figures, a few animals and other humans are also pictured. One of the most notable features of the Bear Gulch imagery is the small size of many of the drawings, with some shields being smaller in diameter than a quarter. Pictographs and petroglyphs are found in about even numbers at the site.
    Difficulty: The length of the walk depends on the site tour. In some cases the tour begins at the top of the ridge across the creek from the site, and this will involve a steep walk down and up the road to the site. Total walk to and from the site from this starting point is about 1.5 miles with an elevation change of 80 feet both going and coming. From the creek bottom parking lot, it is about a 20 foot elevation climb to the trail along the base of the panel, and walking on the tour is a total of about a mile along a trail that has many ups and downs.
    Vehicle Distance (One Way): 125 miles
    Vehicle: Any. Paved and gravel roads.
    Arrangements: There is a $20/person fee with a discount for booking online. https://beargulch.net  Typical tours start at 10:00 am and last 2-4 hours. Alternate arrangements might be possible for groups who contact the owner in advance. 


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  • DIY 2: First People's Buffalo Jump

    • 21 Jun 2026
    • 30 Jun 2026
    Register

    This is not an ARARA field trip. We will gather names and contact info for those interested in this trip and then send it to the registrants for you to organize yourselves as you choose. 

    Description: This archeological site may be the largest and longest used buffalo jump site in North America. 
    Difficulty: Stairs will descend about 50 feet down to the bottom of the cliff and and then along the cliff face.
    Vehicle Distance (One Way): 15 miles
    Vehicle: Any
    Arrangements: There is a park fee of $8. For more information: https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/first-peoples-buffalo-jump 

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  • DIY 3: Lewis & Clark Center and the CM Russell Boulder

    • 21 Jun 2026
    • 30 Jun 2026
    Register

    This is not an ARARA field trip. We will gather names and contact info for those interested in this trip and then send it to the registrants for you to organize yourselves as you choose. 

    Description: These sites are museums in Great Falls. The Lewis & Clark Center is a national park facility (fees apply) and the Charlie M Russell Museum is dedicated to this famous western artist. It also has a rock art boulder in the yard. Fee: $20/Senior Discount: $17. 
    Arrangements: Lewis and Clark Museum  C.M. Russell Museum

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  • DIY 4: Gates of the Mountains

    • 21 Jun 2026
    • 30 Jun 2026
    Register

    This is not an ARARA field trip. We will gather names and contact info for those interested in this trip and then send it to the registrants for you to organize yourselves as you choose. 

    Description: This is a commercial boat ride to the Gates of the Mountains with no walking required. There is a fee of $20/adult; $15/senior. The boat tour points out a panel of pictographs with an example of Foothills Abstract tradition images superimposed by Eastern Columbia Plateau images. A solid red smear produced an AMS date of 1280±50 BP or about AD 680-900 (Scott et al. 2005). At the Meriwether campground, where the boat stops for about 15 minutes, there is a pillar with penciled names of early historic visitors. Walking at the Meriwether campground is optional and is level.
    Vehicle Distance (One Way): 20 miles
    Vehicle: Any
    Arrangements: https://gatesofthemountains.com/

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