Summer Field Camp

Three weeks in the field with the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering.

Planned dates:

May 23 to June 13, 2025

GEOL 451 2025 Course Application

Field Camp Director:

The Summer Geology Field Course is an exciting capstone experience for the Geology major at the �鶹ӳ��. This 3-credit course takes place over roughly three weeks. The exact schedule changes each year. In 2025, the course dates will span May 23 to June 13.

The course will involve several field exercises in eastern �鶹ӳ�� that center around the geologic themes of the North American Cordillera and Basin and Range extension. This course will involve camping for the entire duration of the camp.

If you have questions, please contact the Camp Director, Andrew Zuza.

Course tuition is $2,250, which includes credit fees, vehicle use, campsite fees, operating costs, course materials and supplies, cooking supplies and propane, and other miscellaneous fees associated with running the course. Non-residency fees are extra. Food is not included, but we provide group camping gear to cook great backcountry meals, including several campsite cooking stoves, pots/pans and utensils. Students and instructors cook meals in groups each evening in the campsites.

Group of students walking along a partially snowy ridgeline.

The Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the �鶹ӳ��, offers a comprehensive, capstone, three-week, three-credit summer geology field camp class. The focus of the course will be to develop advanced field skills, including rock description, generation of geologic maps, and illustrating the geometries of deformed rocks with cross-sections. Through a series of mapping-based exercises, field camp students will gain the ability to understand complex field relations in three dimensions. This is enhanced by the incredible geologic setting of these exercises, which includes several world-class geologic sites in eastern �鶹ӳ��, in the heart of the Basin and Range province, and in eastern California, where the Basin and Range meets the Sierra �鶹ӳ��.

Students will traverse the North American Cordillera during field exercises across �鶹ӳ��, with especially memorable field trips to Great Basin National Park and the Snake Range metamorphic core complex.

Course information

Course Title: Geology 451 (3-semester credits)
2025 Fees: $2,250 (non-resident fees also apply for out-of-state students)

Prerequisites

Courses in mineralogy/petrology, sedimentology/stratigraphy, structural geology, and field methods. If you are lacking one or more of these courses, it may still be possible to attend camp. Please contact the Field Camp Director to discuss your individual situation. Credit will be posted in the office of the registrar at the end of the summer term (mid-August).

Field Camp alumni

Students from all over the U.S. participate each year. Below is a list of schools where our Field Camp alumni have come from.

Arizona State University
Boston University
Case Western Reserve
CCNY
Central Michigan University
Clemson University
Colby College
College of Charleston
CSU Bakersfield
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Grand Valley State University
Harvard University
Keene State College
Muskingum College, Texas
Pacific Lutheran College
Portland State University
Sacramento State University
Saint Lawrence College
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Sonoma State University
Southern Mississippi University
Texas A&M University
UCLA
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
University of Arkansas
University of Delaware
University of Maine
University of Maryland
University of Nebraska, Omaha
University of �鶹ӳ��, Las Vegas
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina
University of Puget Sound
University of Southern California
Vanderbilt University
Washington University
Whitman College
Whittier College

Things you should know

The camp is open to both �鶹ӳ�� and non-University students. The course is divided into several approximately week-long topical geologic mapping exercises, with specific themes including Quaternary, bedrock, metamorphic and igneous geology. These exercises will build the students' broad knowledge regarding the geologic history of western North America from the Paleozoic to the present.

Weather

In mountainous areas of eastern �鶹ӳ��, you can count on cool evenings and warm to hot days in May and June. We will be working over a range of elevations from 5,000 to 10,000+ feet, so sunscreen and a hat are essential. Most days are clear, but we have had light snows in June. Spring rains, including afternoon thunderstorms, are possible too, so rain gear is essential.

Logistics

Course dates will span May 23 to June 13, 2025. The course will take place in eastern �鶹ӳ��, away from Reno, for the entire duration of the class. We will be camping for the entire time. Please reach out to the course director with any questions.