The Land Before Time Tour

Cochise County with its 48 UTEP-recognized Ice Age l sites has become one of the nation's most important sources of prehistoric information. In addition to these sites, there are many more known sites in Cochise County which have yet to be fully excavated.

Arizona, as a result of its geologic history extending over hundreds of millions of years, is now literally a hotbed of paleontological information with frequent new findings. Every wash, every new road cut, every new tunnel, every new housing development and every other incursion into our earth's crust has the potential for new finds.

The next site is approximately 80 miles to the North, near the small town of Cascabel. There, the tour proceeds three miles up a sandy wash to a rock ledge which bears the footprints of a herd of brontosaurs, rhino like creatures which existed 33.9 million years ago. These footprints are very well-preserved and, in addition to the educational value, provide great photo opportunities for young children to walk in the footsteps of a giant extinct beast. (Though old, these animals, also known as thunder beasts due to their large size, were mammals, not like dinosaurs which were reptiles)

Throughout the motorized portion of the tour, the tour guide will point out the many other places in which fossil specimens have been found in Cochise County and the history of each.

As an added bonus, the tour will stop at the movie set town of Gammons Gulch which has hosted over 65 film productions. Spanning 10 acres, this meticulously crafted Old West town offers a glimpse into the bygone era of cowboys, gunslingers, and saloons. The property features 17 historic buildings relocated from various ghost towns

As the tour passes through Benson on the way back, the tour will stop at R & R Pizza for its daily salad / pizza buffet. Lunch is on your own and not included in the tour.

The final stop is the Southern Arizona Museum of Science and Technology in Sierra Vista where the curator, a paleontologist, will give a hands-on tour of the various fossil specimens which he has accumulated.