1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
NATURE OF OPERATIONS	Rare Element Resources Ltd. (collectively, “we,” “Rare Element” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, on June 3, 1999. We are focused on advancing the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Element (“REE”) Project located near the town of Sundance in northeast Wyoming. The Bear Lodge REE Project consists of several large, disseminated REE deposits and a proposed hydrometallurgical plant to be located near Upton, Wyoming. The Bear Lodge REE Project is one of the highest grade REE deposits identified in North America and one of the highest grade europium deposits in the world. In addition, the Bear Lodge REE Project has a favorable distribution of the remaining critical rare earth elements (“CREEs”), which the Company defines as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, europium, terbium and yttrium. At present, we are undertaking process confirmation, elemental separation test work, and technical studies while working toward obtaining the necessary permits and licenses to enable us to develop the Bear Lodge REE Project. Based on review of current permitting timetables and other factors, the Company anticipates receiving its permits in the second half of 2016. The Company is working in parallel (with permitting activities) to advance engineering in preparation for the feasibility study, to gain strategic partners and off-take customers, to design and engineer a commercial-scale demonstration plant and to scale up its RE separation test work in pilot plant testing. Subject to the (i) availability of adequate capital, (ii) a positive FS, (iii) securing off-take customers, (iv) obtaining necessary permits, (v) board approval, and (vi) other factors, the Company will be able to begin construction activities on the Project. Our continuing operations and the recoverability of the carrying values of our mineral property interests are dependent upon the development, mining and processing of economic mineral reserves at the Bear Lodge REE Project, our ability to obtain the necessary permits and licenses to mine and process these mineral reserves, and on the future profitable production of these mineral reserves. In addition, development and start-up of the Bear Lodge REE Project are dependent upon our ability to obtain the necessary financing to construct and complete the Bear Lodge REE Project. Although we have been successful in raising capital in the past, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so in the future.

1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Rare Element Resources Ltd. (collectively, “we,” “Rare Element” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, on June 3, 1999.

We are focused on advancing the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Element (“REE”) Project located near the town of Sundance in northeast Wyoming. The Bear Lodge REE Project consists of several large, disseminated REE deposits and a proposed hydrometallurgical plant to be located near Upton, Wyoming. The Bear Lodge REE Project is one of the highest grade REE deposits identified in North America and one of the highest grade europium deposits in the world. In addition, the Bear Lodge REE Project has a favorable distribution of the remaining critical rare earth elements (“CREEs”), which the Company defines as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, europium, terbium and yttrium. At present, we are undertaking process confirmation, elemental separation test work, and technical studies while working toward obtaining the necessary permits and licenses to enable us to develop the Bear Lodge REE Project. Based on review of current permitting timetables and other factors, the Company anticipates receiving its permits in the second half of 2016. The Company is working in parallel (with permitting activities) to advance engineering in preparation for the feasibility study, to gain strategic partners and off-take customers, to design and engineer a commercial-scale demonstration plant and to scale up its RE separation test work in pilot plant testing. Subject to the (i) availability of adequate capital, (ii) a positive FS, (iii) securing off-take customers, (iv) obtaining necessary permits, (v) board approval, and (vi) other factors, the Company will be able to begin construction activities on the Project.

Our continuing operations and the recoverability of the carrying values of our mineral property interests are dependent upon the development, mining and processing of economic mineral reserves at the Bear Lodge REE Project, our ability to obtain the necessary permits and licenses to mine and process these mineral reserves, and on the future profitable production of these mineral reserves. In addition, development and start-up of the Bear Lodge REE Project are dependent upon our ability to obtain the necessary financing to construct and complete the Bear Lodge REE Project. Although we have been successful in raising capital in the past, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so in the future.