May 2026 Field Course Big Bend
Sharon Bywater-Reyes
Please share this opportunity with your students! Field course opportunity to explore the Big Bend Region in May of 2026 with a course through University of Northern Colorado.
Course Name: Geologic and environmental
history of big bend (ran as ESCI 491 Geoscience Field Issues)
Course Dates: May 11-22, 2026
Course Description:
- Course Description: This course will examine the geologic and environmental history of the Big Bend region and the Rio Grande River. We will practice our observation-making and critical thinking skills across the disciplines of Geology, Environmental Science, and History. We encourage students from broad disciplines to join us and share in knowledge and diverse perspectives as we learn together! The course route will take us across the desert West, exploring rugged beautiful landscapes including Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands.
- Prerequisites: All students need the consent of the instructors to enroll.
- Course cost includes tuition for 2 credits (depends on student residence, etc.) plus a course fee (~$300/person)
- Course fee includes all transportation (leaving from Greeley, CO but perhaps we can make pit stops to pick folks up if they are on our route), camping, food, and entry fee cost
- Instructors: Drs. Elkins, Grover, Bywater-Reyes, Welsh
- Contact sharon.by...@unco.edu with questions
If you are interested, please fill out the interest form.
Draft Itinerary:
|
Date |
Day |
Location & Activity |
Accommodation/Notes |
|
05/11/2025 |
Day 1 |
Greeley to Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon (7 hours) |
Palo Duro Canyon |
|
05/12/2025 |
Day 2 |
Drive to Study Butte (7 hours) |
Study Butte (Big Bend Area) |
|
05/13/2025 |
Day 3 |
Big Bend National Park |
Study Butte |
|
05/14/2025 |
Day 4 |
Big Bend National Park |
Study Butte |
|
05/15/2025 |
Day 5 |
Big Bend National Park |
Study Butte |
|
05/16/2025 |
Day 6 |
Big Bend National Park |
Study Butte |
|
05/17/2025 |
Day 7 |
Big Bend Ranch State Park |
Big Bend Ranch State Park Campsite |
|
05/18/2025 |
Day 8 |
Guadalupe Mountains (4-hour drive) and afternoon at Carlsbad Caverns |
Guadalupe Mountains: Pine Springs Campground (group site) |
|
05/19/2025 |
Day 9 |
Guadalupe Mountains |
Pine Springs Campground (group site) |
|
05/20/2025 |
Day 10 |
El Paso and White Sands |
TBD |
|
05/21/2025 |
Day 11 |
Drive North New Mexico |
TBD |
|
05/22/2025 |
Day 12 |
Home |
N/A |