Program Overview

Introduction to the Les Huston Geology Field Camp

The Les Huston Geology Field Camp, offered by Oklahoma State University and the Boone Pickens School of Geology, is a six-credit hour field camp experience. The program is designed to provide students with training in important and widely sought-after skills such as bedrock and surface mapping, measuring stratigraphic sections, describing outcrop relationships, and interpreting geologic processes and history based on their observations.

Program Details

• The field camp will take place from May 18 to June 19, 2026.
• Students will gain experience in geophysical data acquisition and interpretation using an array of near-surface geophysical methods, including seismic, ground-penetrating radar, and electrical resistivity.
• The program includes traditional orienteering and geologic mapping exercises, stratigraphic section measurement of Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks, and digital mapping exercises designed to give students experience with modern field methods.

Prerequisites and Requirements

• Students are required to have taken prerequisite courses of Sedimentary Geology/Petrology and Structural Geology at their previous institution.
• Exemptions may be made on a case-by-case basis depending on the home institution's curricula.

Traditional and Modern Geoscience Field Methods

The program begins with a foundation of traditional mapping and measurement methods before gaining experience in modern instrumentation and data collection. This includes:

• Traditional orienteering and geologic mapping exercises
• Stratigraphic section measurement of Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks
• Digital mapping exercises designed to give students experience with modern field methods
• Geophysical measurement, data processing, and interpretation, and applications to environmental geosciences

Geoscience Field Camp with Options

Students at OSU's Les Huston Geology Field Camp can elect to replace one or two of the traditional field camp projects with something more tailored to their career interests. Options include:

• Geophysics
• Petroleum Geoscience
• Paleontology
• Mining Geology
• Environmental Geoscience

Local Adventures

Students have free time to explore the surrounding Front Range area, with plenty to do in Cańon City, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Denver. This includes visiting Royal Gorge, Garden of the Gods, and exploring the Front Range and Denver.

Program Structure

The program is structured to provide a comprehensive field camp experience, with a combination of traditional and modern geoscience field methods. Students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of geoscience disciplines, with options to tailor their experience to their career interests.