When can I register?
Registration opens in mid fall. It is open already for Summer 2025.
When will I know if I will be accepted?
After you submit applications, we will review your file. If we have any questions whatsoever, we will be in touch within a couple of days. If all looks good, we will send you a link to continue the registration process.
What are minimum requirements and pre-requisites?
Normally Junior or Senior standing, a course in Earth Materials, Sed-Strat, and Structural Geology, or equivalents.
What does the $4500 fee cover?
It covers everything (all Tuition, access Fees, Lodging, Travel, and Food) except your personal spending habits, once you join the camp. Travel to the camp meeting point, be it Lehigh or elsewhere, is not covered.
Are there opportunities for Scholarships?
Lehigh has limited aid available to Lehigh students. Talk to the camp director in STEPS 144 (Steve Peters) for more information.
For outside institutions, we encourage you to speak with your department chair about support available from your institution or department. Many departments have support mechanisms, but you do need to inquire and ask around.
Do I need top of the line camping and hiking equipment?
Absolutely not. Basic, well made equipment can be found at good prices by several catalogue vendors...expensive trendy equipment from fancy showroom stores is not necessary. We have learned that high-profile, large tents do not do as well as lower-profile tents in windy conditions. Refer to the suggested equipment lists provided for more information.
Are you serious? Do you really camp the whole time?
Yes, we do camp the whole time, well, except for a couple of days on the drive back to Pennsylvania, where we stay in a couple of hotels. We find that we have more opportunity for learning and discussing things around the campfire, at mealtimes, and just in general. Most of our Field Campers say at the end that the camping was totally worth it. Where else can you wake up in the morning and have a spectacular view of the Tetons, or any of the other dozen beautiful places we camp?
We do have a giant tent that we set up at our longer duration campsites for use as a classroom. It can fit about 50 people, and is only one step down from the Taj Mahal.
Realistically, at a minimum, what will I need for camp and what does this cost?
Personal comfort varies from person to person. You will need a strong, wind-and rain resistant 2-person tent (~$175), ~1 week worth of clothing, that can be layered against the cold and removed when it is hot, good hiking boots (~$100), good rain gear (~$100), a sturdy day-pack (~$100), 2-litre Nalgene or similar water bottles (~$25), a wide-brimmed hat ( ?? $), a head lamp (~$25), a set of regular and colored pencils (~$10).
We anticipate a few meals, when we are traveling, that you will need to purchase. We will also have a few town nights for some R&R, and you will also have some free time to tour and explore Yellowstone National Park. Our past experience indicates that you will need ~$150 of spending cash to cover these expenses. You can probably get by on less, and many students spend more, but that again is the result of personal spending habits, not need.
What are your facilities like?
This is a traveling and camping field camp. We do not stay in fixed structures. However, we stay in base camps with ample running water, wood for fires, bathrooms, and very soft, comfortable ground. We also have a sturdy big tent that we use as a classroom and shelter.
Will I have to hike a lot at this camp?
Yes. If you cannot hike or do not like to hike, this may not be the camp for you. Some days we will cover many hundreds of feet vertical and several kilometers hiking.
I am older, or I have an old injury that will limit my ability to hike. Is Lehigh's camp for me?
THAT DEPENDS ON YOU. We hike slow and steady and do what we can to accommodate your condition. If you are willing or able to cover the expected ground at a slow, steady pace, Lehigh Field Camp can still be for you.
