THINK OUTSIDE

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 to epic hikes to backpacking and learning outdoor skills 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!

2023 SESSION DATES

Session 1: June 4 - June 9, 2023

Session 2: June 11 - June 16, 2023

Session 3: June 18 - June 23, 2023

Session 4: June 25 - June 30, 2023

Session 5: July 5 - July 8, 2023 (Explorers)

Session 6: July 9 - July 14, 2023

Session 7: July 16 - July 21, 2023

Session 8: July 23 - July 28, 2023

Session 9: July 30 - Aug 4, 2023

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“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.

It’s Gonna Be An Epic Summer

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.

Our Vision: Get Kids outside to build character, make friends, and have fun.

Our Mission: YMCA Camp Santa Maria provides a community where kids gain skills, become more independent, and learn to grow with others while having fun.