Welcome to YMCA Camp Santa Maria, a traditional overnight camp located on more than 1,000 beautiful acres near Bailey, Colorado. We are a mid-sized camp that provides children ages 6-17 with outdoor adventures, resilience-nurturing experiences, support from a welcoming camp community, new skills and countless moments of fun, silliness and smile-inducing joy.
YMCA Camp Santa Maria is a Colorado overnight camp less than a 2-hour drive from the Denver area, Boulder, Loveland, Longmont, Golden and Colorado Springs, offering campers a wide range of experiences. From roasting s’mores and soaring down a huge slip ‘n’ slide to backpacking and mountain biking to stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, our campers become immersed in the community and culture of our mountain summer camp. Songs, chants and dance parties included!
Wed, May 29 - Sat, June 1Explorers only
Sun, June 2 - Sat, June 8
Sun, June 9 - Sat, June 15
Sun, June 16 - Sat, June 22
Sun, June 23 - Sat, June 29
Sun, June 30 - Sat, July 6
Sun, July 7 - Sat, July 13
Sun, July 14 - Sat, July 20
Sun, July 21 - Sat, July 27
Sun, July 28 - Sat, Aug 3
Sun, Aug 4 - Wed, Aug 7Explorers only
Overnight camp is about fun. However, it’s not just fun. Counselors work to nurture campers’ knowledge and abilities throughout the summer by teaching them survival skills, music, drama, archery and much, much more. Kids are given a chance to take risks in a safe environment and with a community to support them along the way. And it’s not just kid stuff. From adventure camps that take campers down whitewater rapids to leadership camps that give teens a chance to guide others, camp can be a powerful way to provide young adults with mentors, confidence-building exercises and active time.
“I’ve learned that it’s OK to be yourself.” That’s what campers say after a week at YMCA Camp Santa Maria. It’s that new-found confidence and comfort that is instilled in overnight campers from the moment they check in until the moment they head back home. YMCA Camp Santa Maria campers walk away with a new perspective on life, new skills and a new awareness of their abilities. We see children build confidence, learn to put others first and work toward something greater than themselves. They learn to work with and work out their conflicts with their fellow campers (that’s a must when you share a cabin with so many new people). And maybe most importantly, our campers learn that it’s OK — no, it’s amazing — to be themselves. Camp is a place where kids can be weird, silly, creative and smart. In fact, it’s encouraged.
In the mid 1880s, the YMCA opened America’s first known summer camp program. For more than 130 years, the Y has made summer special for hundreds of thousands of children, offering campers a positive developmental experience through building bonds, nurturing confidence and growing in self-reliance — all in the great outdoors. There is something so special about a child spending part of his or her summer in the mountains: kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, watching sunsets, creating art and roasting marshmallows by the campfire. It’s not only about activities, it’s about making friends, meeting supportive counselors, playing camp games, performing skits and being a part of a community. Come join us in the great outdoors this summer at YMCA Camp Santa Maria.
Become a Y member and receive special rates on Camp Santa Maria. Learn more about the benefits of membership.
The Y offers financial assistance to help families in need send their children to camp.
The Y also offers day camps through Boulder, Weld and Larimer counties.
Prepare for summer pool time with swim lessons at the Y.
May 18, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm
Visit camp in-person at our open house. Explore the beautiful grounds, check out the cabins and dining hall, meet our staff and more. READ MORE
Emily Sampl
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Overnight camp may be more challenging for parents than it is for campers. Here's one mom's take on the summer camp experience. READ MORE