Colorado is famous for beautiful landscapes like the Rocky Mountains and the Garden of the Gods. This natural beauty is what makes the state such a beautiful location for a kid’s summer camp.
Whether you’re looking for something traditional with hiking and campfire activities or looking for something with mind-challenging activities, these are some wonderful summer camps in Colorado.
Summer camps can provide kids with some of the most nostalgic memories and an opportunity to learn new skills.
Not only does Colorado have a variety of choices but it also has some of the most fascinating ones in the United States. Even if you’re not a Colorado resident, you should consider the ones on this list.
11 Best Summer Camps In Colorado
#1 – Cheley Camps
Cheley Colorado Camps has been around since 1921. As their mission states, “We build the lasting character and resiliency of young people, creating unique life experiences in a challenging and nurturing natural environment.”
At the gateway to the Colorado Rockies, they have access to miles and miles of trails for their hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, and mountain biking adventures. Other activities include technical rock climbing, rafting, stand-up paddleboarding, a high ropes course, riflery, archery, crafts, sports, and much more.
Their success isn’t just attributed to their programs but more to their commitment to youth development. Character, critical thinking, collaboration, and other skills to help each child thrive outside of camp are the Cheley commitment’s cornerstone.
Each year campers attend from over 45 states and 10 foreign countries, so kids don’t have to worry about being considered a new camper.
#2 – Got Game Summer Camp
Got Game Sports operates two summer day camps, one in Louisville and another in Erie both at local elementary schools. They let children create their own schedules and place them into groups based on their age.
For eight weeks in the summer months, each weekday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., campers can participate in team sports like soccer and basketball, fun camp games like Capture The Flag, arts and crafts, and educational science activities.
Their staff is composed of teachers, coaches, and educators who undergo training, so your child is in good hands. Their curriculum ensures that each week is different, so campers never get bored and always try new activities. Got Game Sports is flexible with scheduling, and you can sign your child up for one or multiple weeks covering the whole summer.
#3 – Renaissance Adventures
Renaissance Adventures offers summer camps, after-school programs, and birthdays in Denver, Boulder, and the greater metro areas. This is one of the best unique summer camps in Colorado that has programs for ages 6-17. Campers can become wizards and heroes in a magical world filled with fun quests.
Their day camps give kids an unforgettable live-action role-playing experience with other children in small groups of 6. Kids can expect everything from treasure hunts to completing quests and solving riddles and fighting off pirates in a safe environment.
The camp directors at Renaissance Adventures ensure a high-quality and fun experience for all. Renaissance Adventures also offers science fiction and Tabletop role-playing games classes. Their Knight CIT is one of their leadership programs for older teens 14-17.
#4 – Camp Granite Lake
Camp Granite Lake does an excellent job showing how they care about providing their campers nothing but comfort and support. Dedicated to boosting social and emotional growth, counselors set an excellent environment for connecting with nature and people.
The staff creates personal relationships with the campers and the parents. Situated in the Colorado mountains and less than an hour outside of Denver, the camp has 132 acres open to exploring and an 8-acre lake for water activities.
Campers also have the freedom to participate in activities like sailing, fishing, or swimming. Your child will reside in simple but quite comfortable cabins and enjoy their meals in the lakeside dining tents.
Read this guide to find some of the other best Denver summer camps.
#5 – Sanborn Western Camp
For over seventy years, Sanborn Western Camp has provided experiences that are all about safety and high-quality learning.
As youth development experts, skill progression occurs through a balance of choices. Campers can be part of something bigger with a traditional in-camp community while also allowing campers to build a custom schedule and head out on more challenging extended off-property expeditions and trips.
They are the largest private overnight summer camp in the country, with over 6,000 acres of land and the ability to provide unique experiences in a national forest with more permits than any other outfitter in Colorado.
Your child can gain a deeper appreciation of the natural world’s beauty and magic around them. With a custom schedule for the camper, you can rest assured their experience will be unique and suited just for them.
#6 – Camp Chief Ouray
Camp Chief Ouray is a YMCA program that proudly declares honesty, respect, responsibility, caring, and faith as tenants of their programs.
Spanning 5,000 acres of land in the Rocky Mountains, Camp Chief Ouray has been the go-to adventure camp for children since 1908. Their goal is to offer challenging experiences to build leaders through life-long skill development in an imaginative and natural setting.
Camp Chief Ouray instills confidence through independence and interpersonal skills as they challenge their campers to discover their true selves. It certainly is a lovely community that prioritizes developing a healthy spirit, mind, and body.
They offer campers the chance to explore their true selves and inspire determination by concentrating on healthy interpersonal skills. The lasting skills they teach help prepare future leaders.
#7 – Ramah In The Rockies
Ramah in the Rockies combines outdoor adventures with Judaism in this kosher Sabbath observant outdoor adventure camp.
Campers from states all across the United States and countries like Canada and Israel come to experience this cheerful Jewish camp in Colorado. Their primary mission is to nurture the character progress of Jewish youth by challenging campers intellectually, physically, and spiritually.
Campers between the ages of 8 to 17 are welcome at their two-week and four-week programs on the 360-acre ranch. They also take bi-weekly trips in the backcountry. Camp activities include rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, sports, service projects, and gardening.
#8 – Pedalheads Camps
Pedalheads is one of the more unique summer day camps that you can find. Offered as a week-long program during the summer, they specialize in helping kids as young as 3 get off-training wheels and be able to ride on their own in as short as one week.
For Pedalheads, their focus is on safety, fun, and skills, and more than anything want to build confidence and a love of biking for the campers in their program. They provide half-day, all-day, and 1.5-hour Tots level camps that typically run from the months of June to August depending on the location.
Let them take out the yelling and frustration of teaching a kid to ride a bike and enjoy the benefits of enjoyable family rides afterward. Having run bike camps for over 25+ years, put your trust in this popular parent program staple. Apart from their Colorado summer camps, they have 150+ locations across North America.
#9 – Keystone Science School Camps
The Keystone Science School offers both day camp and overnight camps in the Rocky Mountains. Kids from kindergarten to 12th grade can participate in one of their many summer programs.
Kids get the opportunity to do all sorts of exciting activities like rock climbing, kayaking, backpacking, canoeing, and much more! With a focus on teaching kids about everything that nature has to offer and thrilling activities, kids grow and develop into a better version of themselves.
Campers are supervised by experienced staff that receives extensive training in things like risk management and wilderness. Plus, they also gain certificates and licenses like CPR certification, so you can be sure that your child is in safe hands.
The different day camps, sleepaway camps, and outdoor adventure programs separate young campers by grade. With options for elementary students, middle school, and high school students, you can send your child to the one that’s most suitable for them.
#10 – Colvig Silver Camp
Colvig Silver Camp is one camp that will undoubtedly help enhance your child’s cognitive and social skills. Their stated philosophy is community-driven and outdoor-oriented.
They primarily focus on augmenting responsibility, leadership, decision-making skills, and teamwork. Their staff is entirely professional and is keen on providing proper youth development programs.
A camper-to-staff ratio of 3:1 further helps the counselors build stronger connections with the campers, allowing them to focus more on improving each camper’s skills. Colvig Silver Camp is definitely a contender for one of the top overnight summer camps in Colorado you won’t want your kid to miss out on.
#11 – Colorado Mountain Ranch Day Camp
Frequently voted as Boulder’s best summer camp, the Colorado Mountain Ranch has various team-building activities that guarantee a joyous stay.
Although there are plenty of things to do, each activity’s training is individualized so each camper feels special and well cared for. A low ropes course, horseback riding, hiking, fort building, and archery are a few of the many camp activities.
Other program options include gymnastics, mountainboarding, arts and crafts, gardening, and yoga. With all the many activities, campers won’t have a hard time making friends with similar interests.