1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
NATURE OF OPERATIONS	Rare Element Resources Ltd. (collectively, “we,” “us,” “Rare Element” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, on June 3, 1999. Rare Element has historically been focused on advancing the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Element (“REE”) Project and the Sundance Gold Project both 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 Sundance Gold Project contains an inferred mineral resource primarily composed of three main gold targets within the area of the Bear Lodge REE Project. Based upon prior economic conditions for gold, no drilling or exploration on the Sundance Gold Project has been conducted since the end of 2011. The Company previously announced extensive cost cutting measures and the placement of the Bear Lodge REE Project on care-and-maintenance to enable us to move the Bear Lodge REE Project forward when market conditions improve. In the interim, we have been and will continue pursuing potential financings and strategic alternatives such as off-take agreements, joint ventures and the potential sale of various assets, including all or part of the Bear Lodge REE Project or the Sundance Gold Project. We continue to pursue opportunities to further reduce corporate and administration costs, including outsourcing of certain additional administrative functions. More recently, with gold markets improving, the Company has turned its attention to the potential of its gold claims which are proximate to the claims containing rare earth deposits within the area of the Bear Lodge REE Project. Several parties have expressed an interest in exploring the gold potential and the Company is currently considering alternatives. The identified rare earth and gold resources are largely separate occurrences, but there may be overlapping potential in limited circumstances. Only further exploration will better define the gold potential and the extent of overlap, if any. The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future. The Company has incurred losses since inception and further losses are anticipated in the development of its business, raising substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Company obtaining the necessary financing to meet its obligations and pay its liabilities arising from normal business operations when they come due. Management intends to finance operating costs with existing cash on hand, asset sales, strategic alliances and potential issuances of common stock. There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise the necessary financing or complete a strategic transaction on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to continue as a going concern or in order to preserve shareholder value, we may have to liquidate our assets. If the Company decides to sell part or all of its assets, the sale proceeds may be less than the value at which those assets are carried on our consolidated financial statements. As a result, investors may lose part or all of their investment.

1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

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

Rare Element has historically been focused on advancing the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Element (“REE”) Project and the Sundance Gold Project both 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 Sundance Gold Project contains an inferred mineral resource primarily composed of three main gold targets within the area of the Bear Lodge REE Project. Based upon prior economic conditions for gold, no drilling or exploration on the Sundance Gold Project has been conducted since the end of 2011.

The Company previously announced extensive cost cutting measures and the placement of the Bear Lodge REE Project on care-and-maintenance to enable us to move the Bear Lodge REE Project forward when market conditions improve. In the interim, we have been and will continue pursuing potential financings and strategic alternatives such as off-take agreements, joint ventures and the potential sale of various assets, including all or part of the Bear Lodge REE Project or the Sundance Gold Project. We continue to pursue opportunities to further reduce corporate and administration costs, including outsourcing of certain additional administrative functions.

More recently, with gold markets improving, the Company has turned its attention to the potential of its gold claims which are proximate to the claims containing rare earth deposits within the area of the Bear Lodge REE Project. Several parties have expressed an interest in exploring the gold potential and the Company is currently considering alternatives. The identified rare earth and gold resources are largely separate occurrences, but there may be overlapping potential in limited circumstances. Only further exploration will better define the gold potential and the extent of overlap, if any.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future. The Company has incurred losses since inception and further losses are anticipated in the development of its business, raising substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Company obtaining the necessary financing to meet its obligations and pay its liabilities arising from normal business operations when they come due. Management intends to finance operating costs with existing cash on hand, asset sales, strategic alliances and potential issuances of common stock. There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise the necessary financing or complete a strategic transaction on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to continue as a going concern or in order to preserve shareholder value, we may have to liquidate our assets. If the Company decides to sell part or all of its assets, the sale proceeds may be less than the value at which those assets are carried on our consolidated financial statements. As a result, investors may lose part or all of their investment.