About Hope Ranchcamping/training/expeditions

"Hope Ranch offers a full spectrum of archaeological programs, designed to provide the absolute beginner, or the graduate student, the opportunity to experience a real life adventure into the world of archaeology. "
Founder - Roberta Hope

Hope Ranch Main House and Bunk Houses in Trees

Set in the rolling green hills of Columbia, Missouri, Hope Ranch provides a balanced program, that includes every aspect of real archaeological training, in a fun and nurturing atmosphere. There are camp programs arranged to allow children ages 5 to 11, to experience the thrill of uncovering fossils and artifacts in a controlled setting, working with accredited counselors that teach campers everything they need to know on a real, working archaeological expedition. Hope Ranch also offers students ages 12 to 16 the opportunity to plot and dig real excavations, both inside the Hope Ranch property, and along the Hominy Creek, where many Civil War and Native American encampments have left behind traces of archaeological booty.

Hope Ranch campers are treated to all of the traditional pleasures of a summer camp, with the added experience of focused education in the field of archaeology, giving your child the opportunity to expand their interest in the fields of science, forensics and the study of life and culture from those that have passed this way before. Hope Ranch is more than a summer camp. It's a training ground for archaeology's future explorers to grow and excel. More »