In 1978, two amateur fossil hunters named Marion Brandvold and her son David found what appeared to be baby dinosaur bones near Choteau. They brought them to paleontologist Jack Horner, who was working at Princeton at the time.
What Horner eventually excavated near the tiny community of Bynum changed the entire scientific understanding of dinosaur behavior.
The site — called Egg Mountain — was the first location in the Western Hemisphere where dinosaur eggs, embryos, hatchlings, juveniles, and adults of the same species were found together.
It proved that at least some dinosaurs — Maiasaura, the “good mother lizard” — nested in colonies, cared for their young, and returned to the same nesting sites year after year.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center, in Bynum itself, is where this story is told in full. It’s one of the most scientifically significant small museums in the country.
TL;DR
- Bynum (~100 permanent residents) is a tiny Rocky Mountain Front community in Teton County on US-89, 12 miles north of Choteau.
- The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in Bynum is directly connected to Egg Mountain — the world’s most important dinosaur nesting site and the discovery that transformed how scientists understand dinosaur behavior.
- Jack Horner’s work here (the inspiration for Jurassic Park’s Dr. Alan Grant) is arguably the most significant paleontological research on the Rocky Mountain Front.
- Best for: serious paleontology enthusiasts, Rocky Mountain Front travelers, and anyone wanting to understand one of the most important dinosaur discoveries in history.
Bynum at a Glance
| Population (2020) | ~100 (unincorporated) |
|---|---|
| County | Teton County |
| Region | North-Central Montana (Rocky Mountain Front) |
| Elevation | 4,028 ft |
| Distance to Choteau | ~12 miles south (~15 min) |
| Distance to Fairfield | ~18 miles south (~20 min) |
| Distance to Great Falls | ~55 miles southeast (~1 hour) |
| Best for | Two Medicine Dinosaur Center, Egg Mountain paleontology, Rocky Mountain Front context |
What Makes Bynum Different
Bynum is one of the smallest communities on this list — about 100 permanent residents — but it sits next to one of the most paleontologically significant landscapes in the world.
The Two Medicine Formation, exposed in the hills and badlands around the Bynum area, preserves a remarkable record of Late Cretaceous dinosaur life from approximately 75 million years ago.
The Egg Mountain story deserves more space than most travel content gives it. Before 1978, scientists generally believed dinosaurs were like large reptiles — cold-blooded, indifferent to their young, solitary or at most loosely colonial breeders. What Jack Horner’s excavations at Egg Mountain proved was fundamentally different. He found:
- Multiple nest sites clustered together in a nesting ground
- Nests with dinosaur eggs, some containing embryos
- Hatched eggshell fragments suggesting young animals stayed in the nest after hatching
- Juvenile Maiasaura teeth that were worn, suggesting they were eating and being fed in the nest
- A progression from hatchlings through juveniles to adults at the same site
This evidence for colonial nesting, parental care, and site fidelity in dinosaurs was revolutionary. The name Maiasaura — “good mother lizard” — reflects the discovery. Jack Horner’s work at this site directly influenced Steven Spielberg’s depiction of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park; Horner was the film’s primary paleontological consultant.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in Bynum provides the most detailed public interpretation of this research anywhere. For anyone seriously interested in paleontology, it’s a more significant museum visit than most destinations three times its size.
For broader trip context, see my Montana cities and towns hub.
The Top 10 Things to Do In & Around Bynum
1. Two Medicine Dinosaur Center
The museum in Bynum covers the full Egg Mountain discovery and the paleontological significance of the Two Medicine Formation.
The center has actual fossils, casts of significant specimens, interpretive exhibits on the Maiasaura nesting behavior discovery, and programming on current research in the formation. Working lab visible from the visitor area. This is a genuine research museum, not just a public display.
SERP gap detail: The center also offers guided field trips to active dig sites in the Two Medicine Formation — visitors can participate in excavation under paleontologist supervision. This is rare and exceptional; most fossil sites don’t allow public participation.
2. Egg Mountain Field Trips (Seasonal)
Egg Mountain itself — the specific outcrop where the original Maiasaura nesting colony was discovered — is accessible via guided tours through the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center. Tours run seasonally (summer). This is the actual site, not a replica or visitor center version — standing where Jack Horner excavated the nests that changed paleontology is genuinely meaningful.
3. Rocky Mountain Front Views
Bynum’s position at the Front gives it some of the finest mountain-to-plains transition views in Montana. The drive north from Choteau on US-89 to Bynum follows the Front closely, and the limestone reefs and peaks rising immediately west are spectacular in morning and evening light.
4. Two Medicine River Fishing
The Two Medicine River flows near Bynum — a Rocky Mountain Front stream with cutthroat and brown trout. Accessible from public fishing sites; less famous than the Smith or Madison but productive.
5. Day Trip to Choteau (15 minutes south)
Choteau has the Choteau Museum, Old Trail Museum (additional paleontology), and is the larger service town for the surrounding area. See Choteau guide.
6. Day Trip to Fairfield & Freezout Lake (20 minutes south)
Freezout Lake snow goose migration (March), malting barley country. See Fairfield guide.
7. Day Trip to Augusta (30 miles south)
Bob Marshall Wilderness gateway, American Legion Rodeo. See Augusta guide.
8. Blackfeet Reservation Connections (Northwest)
US-89 north from Bynum leads to Browning and the Blackfeet Reservation. The same Two Medicine Formation that produced Egg Mountain runs through reservation lands — the Blackfeet people have their own cultural relationship with the fossils found in their ancestral territory.
9. Rocky Mountain Front Drives (US-89 Corridor)
The US-89 corridor between Choteau and Browning is one of Montana’s finest drives — the Front’s mountain wall on the left, the plains extending on the right, occasional ranch buildings and grain elevators marking the human scale against vast landscape.
10. Paleontological Context: Montana Dinosaur Trail
Bynum is one of the stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail — a network of museums and fossil sites across eastern and central Montana. Combining Bynum/Two Medicine with Choteau, Great Falls, Havre (below the streets excavation), and eventually Glendive or Jordan covers the full arc of Montana’s dinosaur heritage.
Where to Stay
Bynum has almost no visitor infrastructure. Choteau is the practical overnight base.
| Hotel | Vibe | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choteau area motels (15 min south) | Local, various | $90–160 | Most travelers |
| Stage Stop Inn (Choteau) | Community character | $100–160 | Best local option |
| Great Falls hotels (1 hour southeast) | Full selection | $130–250 | More variety |
| Dispersed camping (Lewis & Clark NF) | Free, primitive | Free | Self-sufficient |
Where to Eat
- Two Medicine Dinosaur Center café/snack (when open)
- Choteau (15 min south) — Elk Country Grill and local options; see Choteau guide
- Fairfield (20 min south) — local cafés
Getting There & Around
From Choteau: 12 miles north on US-89, about 15 minutes.
From Great Falls: ~55 miles northwest on US-89, about 1 hour.
From Browning: ~60 miles south on US-89, about 1.25 hours.
Note: Call the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center before visiting to confirm hours and current tour availability. The center has seasonal hours; field tours are scheduled in advance.
What Bynum Unlocks
Choteau (15 min south)
Full services, Old Trail Museum, additional paleontology context.
Fairfield & Freezout Lake (20 min south)
Snow goose migration, malting barley country.
Augusta & Bob Marshall (30 min south)
Premier Bob Marshall Wilderness gateway.
Great Falls (1 hour southeast)
C.M. Russell Museum, full city services.
Browning & Blackfeet Reservation (1.25 hours north)
Museum of the Plains Indian, Glacier East access.
When to Visit
Summer (June–August): Two Medicine Dinosaur Center at full hours; Egg Mountain field tours operating; best weather for Front exploration.
Spring (April–May): Freezout Lake migration combined with an Egg Mountain visit makes an extraordinary paired day.
Fall (September–October): Dig season winding down but center typically open; Rocky Mountain Front fall colors.
Winter: Call ahead — the center’s winter hours are limited.
Personal Tips
Book the Egg Mountain field tour in advance. This is the rare opportunity to visit an active, significant fossil site — not a display but the actual landscape where one of paleontology’s most important discoveries was made. Spots are limited; contact the center directly.
Combine with Choteau’s Old Trail Museum. The two museums together give the full context of Two Medicine Formation paleontology — Bynum for the Egg Mountain/Maiasaura story specifically, Choteau for the broader regional fossil record.
The science behind Maiasaura matters. Before visiting, reading even a brief account of what the Egg Mountain discovery proved about dinosaur behavior makes the museum visit dramatically richer. The transformation from “dinosaurs as solitary, cold-blooded reptiles” to “colonial nesters with parental care and site fidelity” happened at this specific location.
Drive the US-89 Front corridor. The 60 miles between Choteau and Browning is one of Montana’s most visually distinctive drives — make it a deliberate slow journey rather than a connecting route.
Bynum Quick Facts
| Population | ~100 (unincorporated) | | Named for | James Bynum, early settler | | Egg Mountain | World’s first discovered dinosaur nesting colony | | Maiasaura | “Good mother lizard”; Cretaceous; discovered by Jack Horner 1978–1988 | | Two Medicine Formation | ~75 million years old; Campanian-age Late Cretaceous | | Average summer high | 79°F | | Average winter low | 5°F |
Conclusion
Bynum has 100 residents and one of the most scientifically important museums in Montana. Egg Mountain changed the world’s understanding of dinosaur behavior in the 1980s; the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center tells that story with the depth it deserves. For anyone seriously interested in paleontology, Bynum is a pilgrimage destination.
Have a Bynum question? Drop it in the comments — I read every one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bynum Montana worth visiting?
Yes — for paleontology enthusiasts, Bynum is one of Montana’s most significant destinations. The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center is directly connected to Egg Mountain, where Jack Horner’s excavations proved that Maiasaura dinosaurs nested in colonies and cared for their young — one of the most important discoveries in dinosaur paleontology. Guided field tours to active dig sites are offered seasonally.
What is Egg Mountain near Bynum Montana?
Egg Mountain is an outcrop in the Two Medicine Formation near Bynum where paleontologist Jack Horner excavated the world’s first discovered dinosaur nesting colony in the late 1970s and 1980s. The site contained dinosaur eggs, embryos, hatchlings, juveniles, and adults of the species Maiasaura (named “good mother lizard” for the discovered nesting behavior) at the same location, proving colonial nesting and parental care in dinosaurs.
Who is Jack Horner and what did he discover near Bynum?
Jack Horner is a paleontologist who excavated the Egg Mountain site near Bynum beginning in the late 1970s. His discoveries — including the first evidence of colonial dinosaur nesting and parental care in North America — transformed the scientific understanding of dinosaur behavior. Horner’s work inspired the character of Dr. Alan Grant in Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, and Horner served as the primary paleontological consultant for Steven Spielberg’s film adaptations.
What is the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center?
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center is a paleontological museum in Bynum that covers the Egg Mountain discoveries and the broader paleontological significance of the Two Medicine Formation. The center has actual fossils, casts of significant specimens, a working lab visible to visitors, and offers guided field tours to active excavation sites.
How far is Bynum from Choteau Montana?
Bynum is approximately 12 miles north of Choteau on US-89 — about a 15-minute drive. Choteau provides lodging, dining, and additional museum context through the Old Trail Museum.
