Field Station

About the Field Station

The Wheaton College Field Station in the Black Hills of South Dakota serves as the residential base camp for field studies in geology, biology, environmental science, and sustainability. Wheaton College students and faculty have been coming here since 1935, making this Wheaton’s longest running off-campus program! A core component of any earth and environmental science program, Wheaton College's field camp provides majors with experience in field methodology and regional studies in geology, ecology, botany, zoology, and more.

The unique offerings of the Field Station facility include:

40+ acre park-like campus adjacent to National Forest properties and Rapid Creek with student housing, dining hall, lodge, and classroom buildings.
Laboratories with reference collections for rocks and minerals, insects, plants from the Black Hills region
Black Hills region features diverse and unique field study sites
- Geologically: Cordilleran stratigraphy and structures, extensive Precambrian terranes, and rich paleontology
- Biologically: Mixed grass and short grass prairies, Badlands, Ponderosa Pine complex, Boreal forests, and mountain creek systems.
Proximity to classic field studies sites including Matho Tipila (Devils Tower), Matho Paha (Bear Butte), Homestake Gold Mine, Black Elk Peak region which included the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore.
Field trips to famous geologic, biologic, and ecologic sites in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana such as the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Mountains, and the Bighorn Mountain

Courses at the Field Station

Courses to meet Christ at the Core (CATC) general education requirements and required field courses for Biology and Environmental Science majors are offered every year at the Field Station. Courses required for the Certificate in Environmental Sustainability and Aequitas Fellows Sustainability track are also offered annually. The required geology field courses, a core component of any geology program, are held every other summer.

Current class schedules, course information, and program fees, as well as information on how to apply, can be found on the Global Programs and Studies website.

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Location and Contact Info

Address:
10595 Wheaton Rd
Rapid City, SD 57702

Phone:
630.752.6000

Email:
black.hills@wheaton.edu