BISBEE WALKING TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Walk the Tracks of Thunder Beasts: A Day among Brontosaurs, Movie Sets and Museum Collections in Bisbee Country
A nine-hour guided walking and motorized tour from historic Bisbee that visits well-preserved brontosaur footprints, the Gammons Gulch film set, and a hands-on fossil collection at the Southern Arizona Museum of Science and Technology.
Walk the Tracks of Thunder Beasts: A Day among Brontosaurs, Movie Sets and Museum Collections in Bisbee Country.
From the red-washed washes of Cochise County to a carefully reconstructed Old West town and a museum table piled with fossils, The Land Before Time Tour stitches paleontology, local history and accessible fieldwork into a single day-long outing out of Bisbee.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Brontosaur Footprints at Cascabel
About 80 miles north of Bisbee, the route reaches a rock ledge bearing very well-preserved footprints from a herd of brontosaurs — thunder-beast mammals from roughly 33.9 million years ago — reached after about three miles up a sandy wash; the prints offer direct, photogenic contact with deep time and let children and adults literally walk in giant footprints.
Gammons Gulch: Ten Acres of Movie History
The tour pauses at Gammons Gulch, a meticulously constructed 10-acre Old West movie set made up of 17 relocated historic buildings that has hosted more than 65 film productions, giving a vivid look at cinematic and regional history amid the landscape.
Hands-on Paleontology at the Southern Arizona Museum of Science and Technology
The tour’s final stop is the museum in Sierra Vista where the curator — a practicing paleontologist — leads a hands-on tour of fossil specimens assembled from Cochise County, tying the field visits to curated context and interpretation.
What the day feels like
What the Day Feels Like
The Land Before Time Tour unfolds as a balance of motorized transit and short but purposeful field walks: interpretive stops point out fossil-bearing localities across Cochise County, a rugged walk up a wash brings you to fossilized hoofprints, an atmospheric pause at a film set punctuates the route, and the day closes with a curator-led, hands-on session at the Southern Arizona Museum of Science and Technology.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this tour works for.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The full program runs about nine hours.
Departures begin at The Grassy Park in old town Bisbee.
Hiking shoes and long pants are required. Sunscreen and gloves are recommended.
The tour stops in Benson at R & R Pizza for its daily salad/pizza buffet; lunch is on your own and not included in the tour price.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the tour?
The tour is nine hours in duration.
Where do we meet the guide?
Meeting is at The Grassy Park in old town Bisbee.
Are meals included?
Lunch is on your own; the tour stops at R & R Pizza in Benson for a buffet but the meal is not included.
What should I wear or bring?
Hiking shoes and long pants are required; sunscreen and gloves are recommended.
Is this suitable for children?
Yes — the tour is described as suitable for all ages and includes child-friendly experiences like walking in preserved brontosaur footprints and a hands-on museum visit.
Where are the brontosaur footprints located and what is involved getting there?
The footprint site is roughly 80 miles north near Cascabel; the route proceeds about three miles up a sandy wash to a rock ledge where the prints are exposed.