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