We take pride in providing hearty and delicious meals at Birch Creek Center for groups with up to 100 participants. Menus vary seasonally and with Chef's choice. Meals are served in the Bender Center buffet style and may be eaten inside or outside on the deck.
Continental breakfasts and sack lunches are always available in place of buffet meals. We are delighted to work with you to arrange special menus for banquets, barbecues, or receptions. We are always willing to provide vegetarian and special entrees for diet restrictions; however, vegetarian and special diet entrees must be requested two (2) weeks in advance on the Reservation Agreement. Guests will pay full fee for meals regardless of the dietary restrictions.
Groups will pay for meal expenses at 90% of the guaranteed number of people, or the actual attendance whichever is greater. Birch Creek Center's kitchen is not available for private use.
The accommodations at the Birch Creek Center are rustic and dormitory style with bunk or single beds. The dorms in the Bender Center are handicap accessible. Please bring your own sleeping bags and personal toiletries, including towels, pillows, and linens if desired. Private sleeping rooms are not available on campus.
All cabins are heated with cozy wood stoves. Wood is provided for the stoves, but it is the responsibility of the guests to safely light, supervise, and maintain the fires. Hot plates and cooking appliances are not permitted in any lodging area. Tenting is not permitted.
Groups are responsible for vacating and cleaning the sleeping cabins after breakfast on the final day of the program. Cleanup includes removing personal items, depositing trash into receptacles and sweeping floors. Group equipment and personal belongings may be stored in a designated classroom space until the group is ready to leave.
A maximum of 80 participants is accepted for overnight use and 150 participants for day use only. Any group with 70 participants or more will have the Birch Creek Center to itself. A group of less than 70 people may have another suitable group with them. In this case, facility use and meal time preferences will be at the final discretion of the staff.
All groups utilizing Birch Creek Center are responsible for their own transportation to and from the facility and for field trips. Please travel slowly on the Birch Creek Road. The College has limited vans and buses available for rent (see UM-Western Motor Pool Rental Rates). The charges are based on mileage and the cost of a bus driver. Additional liability coverage may also be required.
Air travel arrives at the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, MT, and is currently served by:
Directions: Traveling on Interstate 15, turn west at Apex Exit 74, located 11 miles north of Dillon and 50 miles south of Butte. Drive 10 miles on the gravel Birch Creek Road. Turn left at the "Birch Creek Outdoor Education Center" sign, continue across the Birch Creek bridge, and straight up the hill.
We take pride in providing hearty and delicious meals at Birch Creek Center for groups with up to 100 participants. Menus vary seasonally and with Chef's choice. Meals are served in the Bender Center buffet style and may be eaten inside or outside on the deck. 
