Cheley Colorado Camps

We welcome our new campers with open arms! With the help of our leadership team, counselors, and returning campers, we make sure the transition is as smooth as possible. Our returning campers love reaching out to their new cabinmates and fellow campers. Cheley counselors often pair returning and new campers so that they can make a new friend quickly, as well as have a peer answer any questions they have about camp.

Every camper also receives a “go-to” counselor who is extremely diligent about checking in with their campers to ensure they feel comfortable at camp,
are making friends, and are enjoying activities. To further help integrate new campers, nightly campfires ensure that all of our campers are having a fantastic experience. The first few campfires consist of outstanding “get-to-know-you-games” and various ice breakers for campers and staff to come together, bond, and learn more about each other. Units also form their Code of Living during the first week of camp and receive their Blue Kerchief on the first Saturday, symbolizing the camaraderie of a unit. Upon arrival, campers in every unit also participate in orientation to learn about each activity and program sign-ups. Once your child gets to camp, they will realize that everyone wants them to feel comfortable, and their nervousness will melt away. Everyone–from fellow campers, to our counselors and directing staff, support staff, and year-round team– is ready to make your camper feel at home at a moment’s notice

There’s no right age to send your child to overnight camp as it’s a decision that depends on you and your child. Kids find success at camp at all ages. Sometimes, “he’s not ready for camp” actually means you’re not ready. Realizing that your child can be okay without you is sometimes hard on parents, and it’s a big step to let them have the independent experience of summer camp. With that, youth need to have a say in the decision to attend camp. Making this decision together gives your child a healthy sense of self-direction. Once the decision has been made, relaxed family conversations can help children set realistic goals for their camp experience. It’s never too late for your child to experience summer camp.

The Cheley Experience has withstood the test of time. Frank H. Cheley believed in the positive nurturing of young people when he opened Cheley Colorado Camps in 1921 and originated Fun Plus®. A century later, our commitment to the development of youth remains steadfast. Fun Plus® conveys the value we place on having fun while learning how to live life fully and know and understand ourselves more completely. The Rocky Mountains are our playground for our free-choice program. Each day, our campers head out on hikes, backpacks, horseback rides, mountain bikes, and technical climbs. Or they choose to slow down as they raft on the Poudre River, stand up paddleboard at Union Reservoir, create something in the crafts shop, or spend a few days camping. These are the vehicle for teaching children the values and ideals necessary to establish their path toward becoming thriving young adults.

The Cheley Experience offers children the opportunity for unstructured play, to meet people from all over the world and country, to form strong relationships within a supportive community, to unplug from technology, gain independence, and to have fun. Four weeks at camp might sound like a long time, but once you are at Cheley you realize that it takes time to settle into the camp schedule, get in shape, and commit to the camp community. Our campers often say they feel more alive, more connected, and their best selves at Cheley. Whether they are standing on a summit high in the Rockies, cantering around the riding ring, or cheering a fellow mountain biker up the hill, they feel as if they learn skills and values to help them succeed in our ever-changing world.

We begin every term with the development of a Code of Living in each camp unit. The Code of Living is a compilation of traits–suggested by the campers in each unit–that the campers strive to uphold throughout the term. These ideals, which often include those such as responsibility, integrity, trust, and empathy, are interwoven into camp life. Our campers wear Blue Kerchiefs on special occasions as a symbol of their commitment to the Code of Living and refer back to the Code as they continue to hold each other to these strong ideals. We know our challenge as leaders in youth development is to protect and preserve the rugged, rustic character of their experience while providing opportunities for growth, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. This is what makes Cheley Colorado Camps a top-rated and internationally renowned summer camp and we challenge ourselves to improve the camp experience every summer.