Established in 1936, the YBRA geology field camp offers accommodations in cabin-style dorms and multi-person cabins nestled in the pines and quaking aspen on the slopes of Mount Maurice at 6,800 ft above Red Lodge, Montana. Two wash houses serve as shared bathroom facilities with toilets and hot showers for camp guests. Six cabins with fantastic views and bathrooms are typically available for faculty and guest speakers. Cabins are scattered on the sloped terrain surrounding the Fanshawe Lodge. This main lodge houses the camp kitchen and dining hall, where all meals are served. In early summer you can often find the fire roaring inside, or sit on the back porch to enjoy a beautiful sunset or watch the hummingbirds feed. In summer, nights are generally cool (35º-65º) and days warmer (65º-95º). In 2022 the historic and distinctly western buildings that make up the YBRA campus were recognized for their significance when they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

YBRA facilities are available to undergraduate, graduate, and other educational groups with a geological, environmental or other scientific focus of research.

Some of our current guests include Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University of Houston, and Southern Illinois University (SIU) field geology summer programs, as well as the Elevation Science Institute (ESI) paleontology program.

Returning institutions schedule usage of Camp facilities each year; new users can be accommodated as the YBRA events schedule allows. Please consult the Schedule page for additional details and contact our Scheduler Christopher Coughenour (coughenour@gmail.com) or Acting President Richard Fifarek (rhfifarek@gmail.com) for confirmation of potential openings.