YBRA Field Station Cabins
Our YBRA field station facility includes a main lodge that houses the dining hall and kitchen, two community washhouses with sinks, showers and toilets, three classroom buildings, seventeen dorms and cozy guest cabins, six faculty-staff cabins with bathrooms in addition to five YBRA staff cabins. The camp is spread over a parcel of about 9 acres on the slopes of Mount Maurice off Howell Gulch Road above the town of Red Lodge, Montana. Here are an assortment of the accommodations. Cabin configurations can change season to season.
Dutcher. Multiple bunk beds. Two rooms. Near Marathon Washhouse and "the Point." Named for Russell R. Dutcher (1927-2011) an expert in coal, who had a long history of service to the YBRA.
Bowen. Two twin beds. Nestled in trees near the Fanshawe Lodge. Named for Norman L. Bowen (1887-1956) an experimental petrologist who revolutionized the understanding of mineral crystallization.
Weaver. Two bunk beds. In a grove adjacent to the Fanshawe Lodge. Named for Helen & Al Weaver (20th century), old friends of the YBRA, who supported the research of many F&M geologists working south of Red Lodge near Sunlight Basin.
Hayden. A bunk bed & twin bed. Framed by lodgepoles east of the Fanshawe Lodge. Named for Ferdinand V. Hayden (1829-1887), a pioneering geologist known for his survey expeditions of the Rocky Mountains as geologist-in-charge of the United States Geological & Geographical Survey of the Territories.
Dorf Dorm. Multiple bunk beds. Located on the west end of camp with a view up the Rock Creek valley. Named for Erling Dorf (1905-1984), a renowned paleobotanist who based much of his research & teaching out of camp and was a champion of the field station.
Thom. Four bunk beds. Located on the south slope, with amazing views. Named for W. Taylor Thom, Jr., a Princeton Geological Engineering Professor, economic geologist, and a leading founder and longtime supporter of the YBRA.
Chamberlin. Two bunk beds. Near the Main Washhouse and Wadsworth & Dusenbury classrooms. Named for Thomas C. Chamberlin (1843-1928) who was known as the founder of the Journal of Geology.
Bucher. Four bunk beds. Located high on the south slope, with amazing views. Named for Walter H. Bucher (1889-1965) a German-American paleontologist and structural geologist.
Darton. Multiple bunk beds. One of the original dorm cabins with Wadsworth log and stone style construction. Near main Main Washhouse. Named for USGS geologist Nelson H. Darton (1865-1948).
Fenneman. Two bunk beds. Located along the path to Dorf Dorm. Near the Main Washhouse and Wadsworth & Dusenbury classrooms. Named for Nevin M. Fenneman (1865-1945), a noted physical geographer.
Heroy. Four bunk beds. Located on the south slope, with amazing views. Named for William B. Heroy, Jr (1915-2006), known in part for his work with the Teledyne Corporation and as President of the American Geological Institute. He was a longtime board member and benefactor of the YBRA.
Poldervaart. Multiple bunk beds. Nestled in trees east of the Fanshawe Lodge. Named for Arie Poldervaart (1918-1964) a petrologist, noted for his work concerning crustal evolution and the petrology of igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Rouse. Two bunk beds. A two room cabin in the woods east of the Fanshawe Lodge near Marathon Washhouse. Named for John T. Rouse (1906-1982), a petroleum geologist who was a founder and longtime supporter of the YBRA.
Wasson. Two twin beds. Tucked into the trees near the Fanshawe Lodge and the Main Washhouse. Named for Theron R. Wasson (1887–1970) a petroleum geologist who developed the use of geophysical surveys for oil and gas exploration.
Barrell. Two twin beds. On the treed hillside near the Fanshawe Lodge. Named for Joseph Barrell (1869-1919), a mining and structural geologist, who helped advanced the understanding of sedimentary processes.
The Fanshawe Lodge is the main field station community building and includes a dinning area, porch, kitchen, and hearth area with seating. Named for Jack & Peggy Fanshawe in 1988. Jack, a petroleum geologist, was deeply involved in Montana geology. They were longtime friends and supporters of the YBRA.
The Main and Marathon washhouses are community restroom and shower facilities that service the bulk of cabins in camp.
Wadsworth, Dusenbury and the Thom Library classrooms offer teaching and study spaces for students and visiting scholars.
Foose. A one room faculty or staff cabin with bathroom. Named for Dorothy and Richard M. Foose (1915 - 1994). A geology professor at Amherst College, Foose taught at the YBRA for over 35 years, and helped lead it's Board of Directors.
F&M. A one room faculty or staff cabin with bathroom and views of the front range and Red Lodge. Named for Franklin & Marshall College, whose geosciences faculty and students were instrumental in the support and operations of the field station.
Princeton. A two bedroom faculty or staff cabin with shared bathroom and views of both the front range and Rock Creek valley. Named for Princeton University, whose geosciences faculty and students were instrumental in the founding and operations of the field station.
Bonini. A one room faculty or staff cabin with bathroom and lovely view of the Montana prarie. Named for Rose & Bill Bonini (1926-2016). Bill, a geophysicist, directed the YBRA-Princeton field course for over 35 years.
Tom Dorf. A one room faculty or staff cabin with bathroom and a breathtaking view of the lodge and front range. Named for Thomas A. Dorf (1937-1958), son of Ruth & Erling Dorf.
Amherst. A two bedroom faculty or staff cabin with shared bathroom. Named for Amherst College, whose faulty and staff were core to YBRA operations for decades. When Foose was President of YBRA (1985-87), he inspired the gift by Dr. Porteus Johnson (Class of '28) to build the Amherst Cabin.