Day Camps
Adventure Quest with Renaissance Adventures
Boulder and Denver
303-786-9216
RenaissanceAdventures.com
Your child is the hero of a mythic quest in an incredibly fun, award-winning outdoor experience like none other. In small groups of like ages, children ages 6-17 read maps, solve mysteries and riddles, overcome dynamic challenges, and battle using safe, foam swords. Adventure Quest summer camps are designed to develop teamwork, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication and other skills for social emotional development. Highly trained staff, and over 25 years experience, make Renaissance Adventures a family favorite kids camp since 1995. We also run exciting birthdays, afterschool programs, as well as day-off and holiday camps year-round, and offer $50 off your first summer camp for new campers as well as sibling and multi-camp discounts.
AEI Base Camp
Almont
970-641-4708
aeibasecamp.com
This camp is located 10,000 feet above sea level in the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. The spectacular scenery of the backcountry base camp is the perfect site for your wilderness experience. Activities include backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, inflatable kayaking, fly fishing, climbing tower, orienteering, adventure racing, day hikes, peak ascents, leave-no-trace ethics and more. Christian-based camp adventure programs available.
Avid4 Adventure
Boulder, Superior, Lafayette, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Denver, Golden, Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch
720-249-2412
Avid4.com
This summer, experience the power of authentic outdoor adventure. At Avid4 Adventure, we’re on a mission to get kids excited and empowered by outdoor adventure so they are inspired to live active outdoor lifestyles. Avid4 Adventure day camps teach kids of all levels in pre-K to seventh grade to climb, paddle, bike, hike and thrive in the outdoors. With help from our time-tested curriculum and experienced instructors, we give campers solid skills and character-shaping confidence, launching them into a lifetime of empowering adventure. With our multi-week discount, you could save up to $50 per session!
CIT Knighthood with Renaissance Adventures
Boulder and Denver
303-786-9216
RenaissanceAdventures.com
Get in on this super fun, empowering leadership opportunity for your teen. Teens participate in a training session, then develop their skills of accountability, integrity and leadership in the field as mentors to groups of younger kids as they assist our adult counselors with our Adventure Quest summer camps. Knights join an Adventure Quest group, who are playing the heroes of a mythic quest. Adventure Quest is experiential education through live-action role-playing, and the participants solve mysteries and riddles, overcome dynamic challenges, and battle foes using safe, foam swords. Knight CITs assist the Quest Leader to help with activities, challenges, storytelling, plot dynamics, characters, safety and leadership. We also run exciting Heroes’ Alliance programs, Quest Leading workshops, and other programs for teens. Weekly programs all summer long and whenever school is out. Ages 14-18.
Dawson Summer Camps
Lafayette
303-665-6679
dawsonschool.org/summer
Ages 5-15. Weeklong day camps running Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. June 7 through Aug. 6. Camps for sports, arts, tech and more, with exciting new camps being offered in 2021. (There are more than 70 camps to choose from in all.) Full hot/cold lunch served in our dining hall. Take a break and cool off in the pool daily. Experienced adult director for every camp, with a 5-to-1 camper-to-staff ratio. Voted one of the top camps in Boulder County. Cost range: $330-$450 per week. For questions, you can email us directly at [email protected]. (See ad for more info.)
Growing Gardens — Children’s Peace Garden
Boulder
303-443-9952
growinggardens.org
Spend an active week gardening, cooking and creating on our one-of-a-kind urban farm. Learn about sustainable agriculture, pollinators and ecosystems through hands-on learning and exploration. We’ll engage all of our senses through farm-to-fork cooking, art and science projects and games. Instructors are experienced educators trained in CPR and first aid. Ages 5-11. Full-day camps, running Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Go online to register.
Keystone Science School Summer Camp
Keystone
970-468-2098
KeystoneScienceSchool.org/camp
Experience the Rocky Mountains of Colorado this summer with our adventurous and traditional day camps. Campers, aged 5-12, will create lifelong friendships, explore and learn about the natural world, and gain leadership and wilderness skills. Since 1976, our beautiful, 23-acre campus nestled in the mountains along the Continental Divide has served as the perfect basecamp for a summer full of adventure and fun in the outdoors. New theme options each week. Find a full summer calendar on our website.
Quest & Quill with Renaissance Adventures
Boulder and Denver
303-786-9216
RenaissanceAdventures.com
Quest & Quill summer camp is experiential education at its best, combining live-action role-playing with story-writing and storytelling. In small groups, children ages 9-17 embody their own customized characters in mysterious challenges within mythical lands, and write their own stories. With a focus on self-expression, enjoyment and sharing their writing in a supportive and non-competitive environment, the theme of their writing may be inspired by the quest of the week or about any topic that inspires them. Emphasis is not placed on grammar, spelling or writing style and participation in the written “guild challenges” earns each child’s character “powers and treasures” within the week’s quest.
Rez Camp — with Boulder Parks & Recreation
Boulder
303-413-7270
BPRcamps.org
Ages 7-14. Come join the newly renovated Boulder Reservoir this summer. Camp will look different this year as we spend our weeks with a mix of sports as well as exploring the reservoir and everything it has to offer. From water sports to soccer on the green to nature walks and learning about the water ecology of the reservoir, we will ensure the kids are busy, engaged and able to spend plenty of time cooling off with a swim.
Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures (SMBA)
Boulder
303-447-8014
ridesmba.org
Flexible schedule, ages 7-17. SMBA has been creating champions on and off the bike through outdoor play, skill development, camaraderie and fun in the Boulder County area for more than 25 years. We offer weekly summer camps (beginner, co-ed and all-girls options), summer team rides, spring and fall after-school, and Sunday team rides (intermediate to advanced, co-ed and all-girls options), and a variety of mini-skills camps (all levels). Easy to advanced trail-riding allows for mastery of new skills in a fun, safe and supportive environment. SMBA provides an atmosphere where riders have the opportunity to develop a range of skills and interests in a fun and non-competitive environment.
Star Quest with Renaissance Adventures
Boulder and Denver
303-786-9216
RenaissanceAdventures.com
Star Quest is a science fiction live-action role-playing game that is designed to develop the 21st century skills of teamwork, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication and a love for learning. In this unique experience, the questers band together in small groups of like age to discover strange new worlds, overcome dynamic challenges, negotiate intergalactic treaties and battle using blasters (beanbags) and fusion blades (foam swords). The themes and settings explore futuristic mainstays like warp speed, mech suits, tapping into the “Meta” for telepathic powers, time travel, cyberpunk netrunning, alien “hive mind” sentience and more. Join us for exciting, active and mind-bending programs that are a short ways off, in a galaxy really, really close. See website for dates. Ages 10-17.
The Colorado Mountain Ranch Children’s Summer Day Camp
Gold Hill, Boulder
303-442-4557
coloradomountainranch.com/summer-day-camp
Everything is outdoors in the mountains and all programs include horseback riding. Groups include Explorers (grades 2-6), Mountaineers (grades 7-11), Western Riders (grades 6-12) and Team Leaders (grades 8-12). Voted the No. 1 outdoor day camp for decades — it’s well worth the drive to the base of the mountains to meet our bus for the ride up. Camp activities for all programs include: Friendly camp-raised horses, lots of riding, baby goats, arts and crafts, 10-step archery, mountainboarding, gymnastics and trampoline, woodcraft and outdoor skills, drama, games and fun galore. Competent, attentive, upbeat staff-in-residence. Children connect with people, peers, place, programs and nature to create their own kids’ community in the mountains. Long day and transportation from Boulder’s Foothills Community Park included. For a focus on outdoor skills and crafts, choose the Mountaineers programs for rising seventh-11th graders, with evening campfire programs, excursions to high-country streams and lakes, and choices from all other camp activities.
Watershed School Camps
Boulder
303-440-7520
watershedschool.org
High school students begin the year with a nine-day backcountry trip, known as Wilderness, with their advisors and members of their homeroom. They learn valuable outdoor skills and take turns leading the group for the day. They also experience a 24-hour solo that develops their character and capacity for reflection. Middle school students begin with a four-day camping trip, known as Orientation, that offers an opportunity to connect with advisors and the middle school as a whole. Orientation and Wilderness both offer an opportunity to learn about grit, empathy, optimism and the ability to collaborate.
Wee Folk Forest Summer Camp
Boulder
720-383-4406
weefolkforestkindergarten.com/summer-camp
A day camp for kids ages 2.5-6. Runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. At Wee Folk Forest Camps, we’ll be spending our mornings exploring our light-filled forest and our afternoons relaxing inside our tipi, beside our pond and taking adventure walks around the land. All weeks of camp include a fun and balanced approach to the day; blending activities with outdoor free play, collaborative group play, music and storytelling. For more info, email [email protected].
Wild Bear Nature Center Summer Nature Camps with Altitude
Nederland and Boulder
303-258-0495
wildbear.org
Join Wild Bear Nature Center in the cool mountain air this summer. Hike the mountain forests, play in the woods, discover the mountain water creatures, create art to take home and more. Low child-to-adult ratios. Shuttle service available. Generous scholarships available, and we are a CCAP provider. Fun, hands-on, arts-integrated, outdoor nature camps for ages 3-12. Groups include: Bear Cubs (ages 3-5 with an adult), NederRangers (ages 5-6), Wild Naturalists (ages 7-8) and Wild Adventures (ages 9-12). For ages 5-12, choose any combo of Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday or all four days Monday-Thursday for each two-week session or all summer long. Days are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Two-week sessions start June 7 and go through Aug. 12.
Women’s Wilderness
Boulder
303-938-9191
womenswilderness.org
We share the gifts of the wilderness with people of all colors, backgrounds, sizes, gender identities and experience levels. Our specialty is helping girls and women become their strongest, best selves, while providing solid instruction in wilderness travel and outdoor skills.
YMCA Camp Elks (YMCA of Northern Colorado)
Boulder
303-443-4474
ymcanoco.org
This is a nature-based, outdoor-education camp where kids make friends through adventure, challenge and exploration. Campers swim, learn archery and go hiking as well as explore the natural land of Colorado. This camp will help children efficiently and mindfully move through the outdoors by learning important navigation skills and practicing leave-no-trace principles. CCAP accepted. Financial assistance available.
Cal-Wood Summer Camp
Jamestown
303-449-0603
calwood.org
There 1,200 acres for adventure at Cal-Wood this summer. Hands-on education, cabin and tent camping and experiences including fishing, archery, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, star-gazing, nature and science exploration and much more. Five-to-one camper-counselor ratio. For kids in grades 6-10. Program starts at $740. Camp is first-come, first-served, so register now.
Overnight Camps
Adventure Backpack and Climb Course
Meet in Boulder but travel to locations in Colorado and Wyoming
303-938-9191
womenswilderness.org
Adventure Backpack and Climb Course is a great way for girls and LGBTQ+ youth to enjoy the wilderness, meet new friends, try on different leadership roles and connect to the natural environment. Camps include six days of backpacking, two days of rock climbing, as well as other outdoor activities throughout, such as setting up a tent, purifying water, reading a map and cooking over single-burner camp stoves. Cost is $1,055. For rising sixth- to eighth-graders. Three sessions offered (June 24-July 1, July 6-13 and July 15-22.)
Adventure Climbing Camp
Meet in Boulder but travel to locations in Colorado and Wyoming
303-938-9191
womenswilderness.org
This foundational rock-climbing course is just for middle school girls and LGBTQ+ youth to car camp and rock climb in Vedauwoo, Wyoming. Through the art of climbing, participants will explore their values, develop a growth mindset, learn how to navigate challenges and develop bravery. Costs is $755. For rising sixth- to eighth-graders. One session offered (June 21-25).
Avid4 Adventure — Colorado Mountain Camp
Mt. Evans, Windy Peak and Expeditions leaving from Boulder
720-249-2412
Avid4.com/overnight-camp
At Avid4 Adventure, we’re on a mission to get kids excited and empowered by outdoor adventure so they are inspired to live active outdoor lifestyles. Avid4 Adventure overnight camps teach first-12th graders of all levels to climb, paddle, bike, hike and thrive in the outdoors. Our experienced instructors use time-tested curriculum to provide campers with solid outdoors skills and character-shaping confidence they can use at camp and beyond, launching them into a lifetime of empowering adventure. One- and two-week sessions available from June through August. To learn more, email [email protected].
Bold Earth Adventures
303-526-0806
boldearth.com
Bold Earth has organized adventure camps for teenagers since 1976, with over 20,000 participants having joined from all 50 states and over 55 different countries. Bold Earth seeks to empower our teenage participants through fun, adventure and challenge. Our summer programs have been developed for students ages 13-18. Offering fun and adventure-filled experiences across the country (and normally the world), Bold Earth students will surf on the Kona Coast, hike alongside the granite domes in Yosemite, summit peaks in the Rockies, raft the mighty Colorado through the Grand Canyon, rock climb and explore the Rocky Mountains, and so much more. If you are interested in adventure travel, community service opportunities and tons of fun, Bold Earth is the camp for you. Check us out on our website and schedule a call with a director today.
Camp Chief Ouray
YMCA of the Rockies
Granby
970-887-2648
campchiefouray.org
For over a century, Camp Chief Ouray has been the adventure playground for boys and girls from around the world. Located on 5,100 acres of mountains, valleys, streams and meadows, boredom is simply not an option. Traditional camp for kids ages 7-14 is designed to provide fun and growth through a series of exciting experiences in a beautiful mountain setting. Special attention is given to the development of positive human relations, leadership and character development. The week at camp consists of a mix between cabin activities, activities with kids of similar interests, camping out, hiking, camp-wide games and a chance for campers to choose their favorite activities. Adventure trips for teenagers ages 14-15 have a dynamic array of wilderness programs for campers looking for an added adventure. These exciting backcountry programs offer campers the chance to participate in rafting, mountain biking, backpacking, horse packing and kayaking adventures. Leadership training programs for teenagers age 15-18 build community leaders. Camp Chief Ouray has many opportunities for teens to gain valuable leadership skills while participating in activities at camp and in the wilderness.
Camp Granite Lake
Golden
720-249-2997
campgranitelake.com
Connect with friends, counselors and nature in a supportive, unplugged community. Campers choose from activities including: sailing, rock climbing, woodworking, canoeing, ceramics, SUP, archery, etc. Beautiful 135-acre property with private 8-acre lake located in Coal Creek Canyon. Twenty-day sessions for campers finishing second-10th grade. Well-trained and professional staff, strict COVID protocols, ACA-accredited, CDHS-licensed. Payment plans available. Visit our website or call to speak with a director or schedule a virtual tour or slideshow.
Cheley Colorado Camps
Estes Park
303-377-3616
cheley.com
Celebrating 100 years this year, Cheley provides an awesome 27-day overnight summer experience in Estes Park for girls and boys ages 7-17 from all over the world. Activities include: backpacking, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, technical climbing, stand-up paddle boarding, a via ferrata, high ropes course and more. We have spaces available for our first term (June 15 through July 11) and second term (July 13 through Aug. 8) in certain age groups. We also offer a five-night experience for 7-10-year-old boys and girls (Aug. 9-14) and a family camp for the whole family (Aug. 9-14).
Deer Hill Expeditions
Mancos, Colorado
970-533-7492
deerhillexpeditions.com
[email protected]
Deer Hill Expeditions provides enriching wilderness and service experiences in the American Southwest, designed to foster personal growth and cultivate a greater sense of self and community. Students are challenged through these experiences in nature, returning to their communities as more confident, skilled and empathetic leaders. Summer expeditions are roughly three weeks long, and lead participants into some of the most enriching hidden places of the Colorado Plateau. Groups begin and end their expeditions at Deer Hill’s Basecamp in Southwest Colorado, before exploring the surrounding area. We offer open-enrollment summer expeditions for students ages 13-18 and a semester-long gap program for students 18 and up.
Keystone Science School Summer Camp
Keystone
970-468-2098
KeystoneScienceSchool.org/camp
Experience the Rocky Mountains of Colorado through traditional overnight camps or the excitement and adventure of our traveling expeditions. Campers will create lifelong friendships, explore and learn about the natural world, and gain leadership and wilderness skills. Since 1976, our beautiful 23-acre campus nestled in the mountains along the Continental Divide has served the perfect basecamp for a summer full of adventure and new friends. Morrison pick-up and drop-off available. New theme options each week. Find a full summer calendar at our website.
New Mexico Backpacking Expedition
Meet in Boulder, but travel to locations in New Mexico
303-938-9191
womenswilderness.org
During these nine days, participants will go on an immersive backpacking trip in the Pecos Wilderness during peak wildflower season. Participants will learn how to set up camp, cook delicious meals, pack a backpack, read a map and navigate in the mountains. This course area lends itself to girls learning about various ways humans impact and engage with natural environments, from recreation to forestry. Cost is $1,140. Eleventh and 12th graders and recent high school graduates are welcome. One session offered, July 27 through Aug. 4.
Sanborn Western Camps
Florissant
719-748-3341
sanbornwesterncamps.com
Since 1948, Sanborn Western Camps have been creating outdoor experiences of exceptional quality and depth. Sanborn’s fun, relaxed atmosphere and caring staff provide a supportive environment for individual growth in self-confidence, independence and awareness of others. Each child’s contributions are valued in a community based on mutual respect and shared adventures. Big Spring Ranch for Boys and High Trails Ranch for Girls lie at an elevation of 8,700 feet in the center of Colorado. The camps own more than 6,000 acres of open pine forest, wildflower meadows and rocky bluffs, an unparalleled setting for outdoor adventures.
Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures (SMBA)
Boulder
303-447-8014
www.ridesmba.org
Ages 10-17. SMBA Adventure Trips bring riders to some of the best riding in Colorado, Moab and beyond. SMBA is the longest-running independent junior mountain bike program in Colorado. Our programs introduce young riders to the exhilaration of mountain biking and provide an atmosphere where riders have the opportunity to develop a range of skills and interests in a fun and non-competitive environment.
YMCA Camp Santa Maria
Bailey
303-443-4474
ymcacampsantamaria.org
YMCA Camp Santa Maria offers a classic overnight camp experience with a focus on inclusion and community. Campers ages 6-17 can kayak, paddleboard, swim, enjoy crafts, learn archery, hike and explore, build gnome homes and learn outdoor skills. But the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down. Evenings at camp are spent playing games, performing skits and singing songs by the campfire. Kids learn independence, challenge their own limitations and connect with the natural world. Financial assistance available.
Blue Mountain Ranch
Florissant
719-748-3279
bluemountainranch.com
Blue Mountain Ranch (BMR) is a third-generation owned and operated summer camp that is located just outside Florissant, Colorado. For the past 75 years, BMR has been enriching the lives of children from across the country and globe. BMR is a coeducational camp for children ages 7-15, who are placed in cabins based on their age. Our campers gain independence and confidence through the ability to choose their daily activities. We encourage our campers to try as many activities as possible, including an activity they have never tried before. Campers should leave camp having learned a new skill. With our emphasis being participation over competition, we provide a welcoming environment for all children. Blue Mountain Ranch is a fun safe place for kids to be kids and disconnect from technology and reconnect with childhood in the great Colorado outdoors.
