X429 officially begins in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 19, 2018. Students can choose to transport themselves to Rapid City or may opt to drive from Bloomington, Indiana in a caravan of vehicles. Students who opt to depart from Bloomington should plan to arrive in Bloomington by Sunday, June 17th and attend the mandatory organizational meeting at 6pm that evening. The caravan departs from Bloomington at 7:00 a.m. Monday, June 18th. Students planning on joining the group in Rapid City will need to arrive there by 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19th.

Returning, the caravan leaves the Field Station on July 31^st, arrives back in Bloomington on August 2^nd, stopping in Bozeman and Rapid City to drop off students who choose to customize their return travel plans.