Annual Colorado Summer Camp Guide

Summer Camp Guide

By Carolyn Hardin

Oh, how lucky to be a child during a Roaring Fork Valley summer! Not only is there a wealth of fun family activities, classes, recreation opportunities and organized events, there’s also an abundance of summer camps. Mountain Parent has done the initial research, so you can choose from 48 local options.

Advocate Safehouse Project — Camps and support groups for children who have witnessed hurtful fighting, 945-2632.

Anderson Western Colorado Camps — Overnight camps in Gypsum for boys and girls, ages 7-17, with rafting, riding, backpacking and other outdoor adventures. Two- to four-week sessions. High Adventures Camp for ages 13-17, with mountain climbing, kayaking and backpacking. $2050 and up. 1-800-832-4851 or www.andersoncamps.com.

Anderson Ranch — Week-long art workshops in photography, clay, woodworking, sculpture, painting and other media for children ages 6 and up, June 9-August 22, in Snowmass Village. Scholarships available. 923-3181 or www.andersonranch.org.

Aspen Art Museum — Week-long art camps on a variety of themes, using different media and techniques, for children ages 5 and up. Twelve different classes at Aspen locations, June 23-August 15. Scholarships available. 925-8050 or www.aspenartmuseum.org.

Aspen Basketball Academy — Junior Academy for boys and girls entering grades K-8. June 30-July 3 or July 21-25, 9 am-3 pm, $75 per day. Senior Academy advanced skill development for boys and girls entering grades 9-12, day or overnight. Boys camp July 14-17, girls camp July 9-12. $330 for day camp, $375 for overnight. Aspen High School. Steve: 927-1840  or aspenbasketballacademy.com.

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and Rock Bottom Ranch — Offers day- and week-long camps for ages 5 and up, with fun environmentally-oriented activities. ACES: 925-5756; RBR: 927-6760  or www.aspennature.org.

Aspen Filmfest — Animation Workshop, June 9 -13. Terry: 925-6882, ext. 2  or www.aspenfilm.org.

Aspen Kids Camps — Fun family activities on Aspen Mountain, June 15-September 3, Monday-Thursday, 11 am-1 pm. Many free. Climbing wall, obstacle course, and silver nugget dig. 923-1227 or www.aspensnowmass.com/camps.

Aspen Jr. Golf Program — Golf lessons for ages 4 and up. $200 per student includes instruction, tee-shirt, rules test, unlimited use of range, skills challenge and more. Scholarships available. 920-3221 or www.aspenjrgolf.

Aspen Writers’ Foundation Scribes and Scribblers — Four one- to two-week creative writing camps for children and teens aged 8 and up in July and August, in Basalt and Aspen. $250 to $300, scholarships available. Jordan: 925-3122, ext. 4,  or www.aspenwriters.org.

Aspen Recreation Day Camp — for kids 5-14 (must have completed kindergarten). June 9-August 22. Outdoor activities, aquatics, educational programs, field trips and more. $30 per day. Scholarships available; families may be eligible for State of Colorado financial assistance. Desiree: 925-5140  or www.aspenrecreation.com.

Aspen Youth Center — Providing a variety of activities for youth grades 4 and up, including computer lab, game rooms and gym. Monday-Friday, 10 am-6 pm. $2.00 per day, punch passes available. 544-4133 or www.aspenyouthcenter.org.

Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Soccer Clubs — Registrations are due in June for the fall soccer programs for boys and girls. Scholarships may be available. Basalt: 927-0523, ext. 507 or  basaltsoccerclub.org; Carbondale: 704-1838; Glenwood: 945-6091 or www.glenwoodsoccer.org.

Bob Johnson Hockey School — Groups youth hockey players by age, experience and ability at the Aspen Ice Garden, July 22-August 2. Tuition is $575 ($200 for goalies), 10% second child discount. 920-5141 or www.bobjohnsonhockeyschool.com.

British Soccer Camps — Skill development, technical and tactical practices and tournament-style play. Triangle Park in River Valley Ranch, Carbondale. Ages 3-16,  August 11-15. Half-day camps are 1-4 pm and full-day camps are 9 am-12 pm and 1-4 pm. $60 to $159. 704-1838 or www.challengersports.com.

Camp Chip-A-Tooth — Summer program for children ages 5 and up. Located at Basalt Elementary School. Monday-Friday, 7:30 am-5:30 pm, June 9-August 22. Activities, music, arts and crafts, drama, field trips and more. Daily rates. Deb Morrison: 927-0169.

Camp Ecology and Camp Eco Sports — Week-long day camps June-August. Camp Ecology, ages 5-8, Camp Eco Sports, ages 7-10. Both meet at Koch Park, Aspen. Mondays-Fridays, 9 am-3 pm, June 16-August 22. $85 per day or $375 per week. 274-2267 or www.campeco.com.

Camp Run-A-Muk — Summer day camp for children ages 5 and up. Monday-Friday, 7:30 am-6 pm, June 9-August 22. Crystal River Elementary School. Recreation, music, arts & crafts, nature hikes, field trips, swimming and drama. Daily rates, punch passes available. 704-CAMP.

Carbondale Clay Center — Clay classes for children ages 5 and up. Week-long sessions meet Monday-Friday mornings (9:30 am-12 pm) or afternoons (1:30-4 pm) from June 2-August 23. $155 per session. Some scholarships. 963-CLAY (2529) or www.carbondaleclay.org.

Celebrate the Beat — Performance dance camps. “Arts in Motion I,” for ages 4-6, June 30-July 3 and July 5 from 9:30 am-12 pm, Aspen Art Museum. “Arts in Motion II” for ages 7-10, July 28-31 and August 2, Red Brick in Aspen. $200. Camps also available in Vail Valley. Tracy: 917-566-1381 or www.ctbeat.org.

Crystal River Ballet School —  Summer Dance Camp for students ages 7 and up July 21-25, 10 am-3 pm with a performance at the Carbondale Mountain Fair, $200. Jeni: 704-0114 or www.crystalriverballet.com.

Create and Share Animations — Create interactive stories, animations, games, music and art with the Scratch program. For middle school students, June 16-20, 10 am-12 pm, Access Roaring Fork Studio in El Jebel. $150. 927-8214 or www.basaltexpressrec.org.

Don Eddy Basketball Camps — Overnight camp at YMCA of the Rockies at Estes Park, June 29-July 8 for boys and girls 8-18. $399, scholarships available. www.debb.com.

Earthbeat Summer Music Camps — One-week camps for children ages 5-13 in Glenwood Springs (June 16-20), New Castle (July 14-18), Carbondale (July 21-July 25) and Basalt (August 4-8). Study choir, dance, voice projection, and songwriting. Recital plus an appearance at a local summer fair. $175, scholarships available. KC: 618-8103.

Extreme Sports Camp — Summer adventure camp in Aspen for children with autism spectrum disorders. Day, overnight and travel camps for ages 5 and up, from June-August. Cost depends on session. Scholarships and payment plans available. www.extremesportscamp.org.

Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts — A variety of visual arts, dance, pottery, and drama classes and camps for all ages. 945-2414 or www.glenwoodarts.org.

H2J Riding School — Summer day camp options include daily or weekly sessions from 10 am-4 pm, Monday-Friday, June 2-August 24, for ages 5-17. Learn to ride and to care for horses. $100 per day, multi-day discount. Cozy Point Ranch near Aspen. 923-9297 or www.h2j.com.

KidzPlex Kamp — Day camp offering gymnastics, arts and crafts, play and adventures. Ages 6-11, June 9-August 22, 7:00 am-6:00 pm. Registration: Friday, May 2, 9 am-4 pm. Nichole: 945-0606 or www.kidzplex.com.

Little Demon Basketball Camp — Learn fundamentals from the Glenwood Springs Lady Demon coaches and players. 3rd through 8th graders, July 21-24, 4:30-5:30 pm. $40 Glenwood residents, $50  non-residents. 384-6311 or www.glenwoodrec.com.

Mesa State Athletic Camps — Overnight and day summer camps for boys and girls in basketball, cheerleading, football and soccer, June-August. Ages, times and cost vary by camp. www.mesastate.edu/athletics/athleticcamps.

Mt. Sopris Montessori School — One-week day camps for 4-6 year olds, “Spanish Language and Culture” theme. June 2-July 25. $175 per week for full-day, $125 per week mornings only. 963-3506.

Mountain Kids Academy — Three, one-week sessions. Sessions I and II, for grades 1-6, teaches sport skills from June 9-13, and from June 16-20, 9 am–3 pm. Session III, grades 3 – 8, will focus on outdoor education,  June 23-27, 8:30 am–4 pm. Cost per session, $350. Jared: 963-8271 or www.mountainkidsacademy.com.

Major League Soccer Camp — Week-long, half- and full-day soccer camps offered in Snowmass Village, June 23-27 for ages 4-17. $65-$175, depending on level. Woodsie: 922-2240 or www.mlscamps.com.

National Soccer Academy Camp — For kids born 1992 to 1999. June 9-12, 9 am–3:30 pm at the Gates Soccer Complex at CMC in Glenwood Springs, $200. Brad: 947-1837 (days) or 947-1809 (eves). E-mail www.glenwoodsoccer.org or www.nationalsocceracademy.org.

Outdoor Adventure Camp — June 23-25 or July 14-16, for ages 8-14. Fishing, hiking, volleyball, arts, crafts and more. $60 Glenwood residents, $78 non-residents. 384-6311 or www.glenwoodrec.com.

Power Lab Vacation Bible School — Games, crafts, music and more. For preschoolers through 5th graders at Christ Community Church (between El Jebel and Basalt), July 21-24, 9 a.m- noon. FREE!  927-3889 or www.cccbasalt.com.

Roaring Fork Baseball Camp — Individual and group instruction in the fundamentals of baseball for boys and girls 8-13. June 7 and 8, Aspen at Iselin Park, 9 am-2 pm. $75. Ron Morehead: 925-3301 or Steve Martin: 963-6161.

Roaring Fork Club Jr. Golf — Two sessions available for ages 8-13. Each session is 2 hours, four days a week. Session 1, June 10-13, Session 2, June 17-20. $100. Student caddie program also offered. 927-8214 or www.basaltexpressrec.org.

Rocky Mountain Hockey Schools — Weeklong hockey and adventure camp in Steamboat Springs for boys ages 8-19 from June 29-July 5, $1295 for resident campers; and for girls ages 8-19 at the Aspen Ice Garden from July 21-25, $395. (970) 547-7914 or www.rmhshockey.com.

Sports Camp — All-encompassing sports camp for ages 8-12, June 9-13, 9 am-5 pm, Glenwood Springs Community Center. $130 Glenwood residents, $165 non-residents. 384-6311 or www.glenwoodrec.com.

Snowmass Recreation Summer Camp—Day camp for ages 7-16, Monday-Thursday plus Friday Adventure Club, 9 am-4 pm. $80 per day or $300 for four days. 922-2240 or www.snowmassrecreation.com.

Summer Music Theater Camps — One camp, for 10-16 year olds, will stage A Chorus Line, auditions June 21 and performances July 18-20. A second camp for 6 -10 year olds, will stage a production (to be named), auditions July 7 and performances July 31-August 3. $475. Jayne Gottleib: 927-0555.

Sopris Therapy Services — Day camp and weekly sessions for ages 3 and up. Horseback riding, equine-assisted learning and therapeutic programs. Aspen Equestrian Estates in Carbondale. $25 per session, scholarships available. Pat: 963-4677.

Theatre Aspen — A variety of age-appropriate classes in theatre for children ages 5-18, beginners through advanced, June-August. $300-$900 depending upon the class. Scholarships available. Marisa: 925-9313, ext. 5 or www.theatreaspen.org.

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More Options and Information

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Check out the Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Snowmass Village Recreation Departments.

Basalt 927-8214 or www.basaltexpressrec.org

Carbondale 704-4115 or  www.carbondale.com

Glenwood Springs 384-6300 or  www.glenwoodrec.com

Snowmass Village 922-2240 or www.snowmassrecreation.com 

Aspen 544-5834 or www.aspenrecreation.com.