Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center

University of California Riverside

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Reserve Facilities

Boyd Center

Arial photo of buildings in the desert
The Boyd Center. Clockwise from the bottom: the Director’s Residence, the office, the Mayhew dorm building, the maintenance shop and labs.

Dorm rooms, a kitchen/common room, 2 restrooms with showers, and separate lab rooms comprise the facilities at Boyd Center. The Wilbur Mayhew Building can house up to 14 researchers (2-4 bunks/room). All of the facilities at Boyd Center have wireless internet connectivity and cell phone reception.

Shared kitchen area in the Mayhew building
Shared lounge area in the Mayhew building.
Typical room in the Mayhew building
Typical room in the Mayhew building

Fees to stay at the dorm are minimal:
UC-affiliated users—$12.50/person/night
Non-UC users—$15.00/person/night

Lab
Our laboratory facilities offer basic equipment and a safe, temperature-controlled environment in which to conduct additional components of your field research.

Laboratory facilities offer basic equipment and a temperature-controlled environment for laboratory work complementing field studies. There are currently no additional fees charged for routine laboratory use. However heavy use of air conditioning and energy intensive equipment will be subject to additional fees of $5 per day.

Agave Hill

The Agave Hill facility is located along the western edge of the Deep Canyon gorge at an elevation of 820 meters (2700 feet). It is easily accessed through a locked gate along State Highway 74. Agave Hill provides researchers with a secure study site at an elevation that is not easily accessed from Boyd Center.

Rainfall and air temperature data are available from this site since 1973. The plant community here is rocky crosotebush scrub infused with some desert chaparral components, Mojave yucca, and big galleta grass. 

Photo of the Agave Hill facility, which is a shipping container
The Agave Hill facility is a converted steel shipping container that has a lab room, composting toilet, and bunk room that sleeps four. Electricity and air conditioning are available, but water is not available at the site. Researchers must bring their own water for both domestic and research use. The facility has wireless interned connectivity, but cell phone reception is spotty.

 Campground

Our campground is designed to accommodate field classes and features four shade structures (with picnic tables and barbecues), non-potable water, and a toilet. Drinking water must be supplied by the users.  There is a fire-ring, but users must bring their own firewood: material from the reserve cannot be collected for campfires.

photo of a campground in creosote scrub desert, with some wooden shade structures.
Our campground features four shade structures (with picnic tables and barbecues), non-potable water, and a toilet. Drinking water must be supplied by the users.  There is a fire-ring, but users must bring their own firewood; no material from the reserve can be used for campfires.

A Teaching Trail loops up to a ridge where students can stop and note several features including the plant life and geological aspects specific to the area.  In addition, the view of flood deposits offers a unique opportunity to study the often forgotten role of water in the desert ecosystem.

There are five pitfall trap arrays that can be useful for live-trapping reptiles and terrestrial arthropods.  One array is located adjacent to the campsite.  Four others are positioned along the teaching trail in different locales: 2 in different sandy washes, 1 along the ridge, and 1 on a rocky slope.  Contact staff prior to arrival to obtain coordinates for the arrays and to facilitate opening and closing the traps.

Fees for using the campground are minimal:
UC-affiliated users—$2.00/person/night
Non-UC users—$4.00/person/night                                                                                                    

 Santa Rosa Cabin

 

photo of a rustic log cabin in the mountains
The Santa Rosa cabin is located at an elevation of 2,347 m (7,700 ft), between Toro Peak and Santa Rosa Peak. The cabin is rustic, with no potable water, electricity, or heat.

The Santa Rosa cabin is located between Toro Peak and Santa Rosa Peak at an elevation of 2,347 m (7,700 ft). The rustic cabin is owned by the US Forest Service with a Conditional Use Permit held by Friends of Desert Mountains. Its use for research requires permission from Friends of Desert Mountains. The Director of Boyd Deep Canyon should be consulted to request permission and facilitate arrangements with Friends.

The cabin is usually accessible to high clearance vehicles from April to November, but access is restricted by snow during winter months. Users should regard the cabin as a back country weather shelter and plan to be self sufficient.

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Boyd Deep Canyon
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Other UCR Reserves
  • Box Springs Reserve
  • Emerson Oaks Reserve
  • James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve
  • Motte Rimrock Reserve
  • Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center
  • Natural Reserve System
Contact Us

Christopher Tracy
Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center
54900 Desert Research Trail
Indian Wells, CA 92210
Office Phone: 951-827-3655

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