Colorado Mountain Ranch

If you cannot join us to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Colorado Mountain Ranch & Trojan Ranch you can still get involved with a donation to our fundraiser!

Our first goal is to raise $10,000 to archive the photographic Ranch history professionally. This includes making photos, films and slides available to the public (and maybe even by year! You will finally be able to find yourself!) Once we have reached that goal, any additional funds raised will go towards the New Pool Rebuild Fund.

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Photos from Colorado Mountain Ranch's post

09/04/2024

Summer Camp at the Ranch circa 2000s, did you attend CMR as a staff member or camper? Let us know!

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08/31/2024

Can we plan to see YOU next weekend for our Camp Reunion?
Make sure to RSVP today so we can plan ahead with a good head-count!

Camp Reunion
Sep 6-8
Head over to our website to get the full itinerary.

The Merch and RSVP form is now available for both 'Staff' or 'Parent' logins, once logged in 'Click on your Name' and the form will populate. Complete the form even if just to RSVP but not to purchase anything. Make sure to select 'Free Smiles and Fresh Air' to be able to submit the form.

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08/31/2024

More photos to get you excited about next week's 75th Anniversary Reunion! The Ranch in the 80s looked like a blast.

08/29/2024

🎉 BUY YOUR MERCH NOW
You don't have to attend the event to buy your 75th Anniversary Merch. Head on over to our website now to place your order!

Also the Merch and RSVP form is now available for both 'Staff' or 'Parent' logins, once logged in 'Click on your Name' and the form will populate. Complete the form even if just to RSVP but not to purchase anything. Make sure to select 'Free Smiles and Fresh Air' to be able to submit the form.

linktr.ee/coloradomountainranch

08/23/2024

A look back into the past summers here on the Ranch. Have you purchased your ticket to the Ranch Reunion coming up in just a couple weeks?

More info can be found on our website!

www.coloradomountainranch.com/reunion-24

08/21/2024

🎉 TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Head over to our website to purchase your tickets to the Ranch Reunion Sep 6-8th. You can also purchase your 75th Anniversary Merch as well!! We are less than a month away, hope to see you there!!

www.coloradomountainranch.com/reunion-24

08/20/2024

🏔️ LATE POST
Hi I’m Em and i am taking over the CMR Instagram account this week! I am a wrangler here at CMR and I love spending every day with the kids and horses. This week has started off great with plenty of fun trail rides and happy faces from the spunky paint horse Lakota.

We are thankful for the staff that participated in staff take-overs this year. We missed a week of a great staff member’s posts (and that’s my bad I was backpacking in Canada and my assistant missed the message request) we still want you to connect with this staff member so here was her first post. Now that camp is over, we can take this post as a look-back on how great of a summer it truly was.

WHO IS READY FOR THE REUNION?

08/15/2024

We are LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY from the Ranch Reunion. We hope to see you there. More info coming soon as to how to register and sign-up for certain events. Head over to our website and sign-up for our mailing list to stay up-to-date on everything reunion related.

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08/02/2024

Oh what a truly terrific thursday it was!
The waxy teepee commanders had a very eventful and lively day!!!
We started out at drama with Ava, and despite our second time we got to try new things out - we broke up in to groups and got to meet new people, while working together to make such creative skits ! I was blown away.
We headed to mountainboarding, something we were really looking forward to all week, and hit some rad power slides. In the afternoon we got to go to animal care again, as we had greatly hope, and saw our lovely horsey and goat friends! JP introduced us to so many horses and we had some great bonding time with our sweet Cinnamon, Anne, Ferdinand and our B, we love them so very much! Finally, we ended the day at native lore and did some incredibly calming meditation and ran into a whole HERD of sweet lady bugs, it was SO COOL! They heard some fascinating sounds during meditation time and even I drifted off in to peaceful land for a bit! 🐞🐞💤
GET READY FOR FUNKAY FRIDAY WE ARE COMING!!!

08/01/2024

Happy happy WACKY WEDNESDAY!!!! ITS HUMP DAYYYY!!!!!🐪🐪📸
Today was so spectacular and the waxy tee-pee commanders were incredibly energetic and are truly opening up to eachother! We started out at fools gold with therese’s wonderful group and it was a true blast; we spent a lot of ROCKin time at rock stadium, with boatloads of rocks found and then headed over to outdoor living with Tyler and hiked up to the “secret” forts😌😎 - they truly are such talented fort builders. In the afternoon we spent our time at stories under the wonderful shady family tree and then ended at arts and crafts creating and competing with each of their own paper airplanes, which they absolutely killed!!
I am a part of bus crew and bringing the campers back down the mountain and today we had the campers make like a million crafts specifically for our friend Larry who owns the Gold Hill Store, it was truly so heartwarming!!! Tune in for terrific Thursday 🧚🏼‍♂️😊🏕️

08/01/2024

We need to let you know that our Annual Family Camp Day will no longer happen this weekend, Saturday, August 3. This decision was made with careful consideration and is due to a combination of factors. We understand that this news may be disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or let-down this may cause.

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07/31/2024

Hello hello tuesday lovers! Hope your day was so spectacular; we had the most awesomenest adventurous day. The waxy tee-pee commanders started out at Gymnastics today and we had some awesome live action shots, then we spent some lovely time in the woods at Forts; they worked on building a protective wall and we found some cool looking stained glass! In the afternoon, it sure was a hot one but we couldn’t have been more grateful to spend the whole afternoon with the horsies, goats and coolin’ off at the wondrous barn!🐴🐐

07/30/2024

“Hi everyone!!! I am so happy to be here, digitally and in real time on the ranch! My name is Rowan and I am a counselor this week for Group 6, the waxy teepee commanders, who absolutely rock! It has been such a wonderful experience and new journey here this summer and I am so happy to close out my last week showing you just how wonderful CMR is to me and the campers! WOOT WOOT!!!
- Today we started out at yoga and saw sweet baby birds as we were leaving! This group has so much compassion, patience and unique spirit; so excited for the week already! “

07/24/2024

FAMILY CAMP DAY IS APPROACHING
Join us August 3rd, 2024 for our Annual Family Camp Day, a fundraiser for our Mountain Summers Scholarship Program.

Head over to our website to learn more and register today!

https://linktr.ee/coloradomountainranch

07/20/2024

And the week has come to an end. Thank you all for following along for a couple of highlighted moments of being a wrangler here at CMR. Comment below your favorite horses here!🧡🐴

07/19/2024

Funny (horse) Friday🐴😅 Here are some light hearted pictures of some of our favorite horses here at CMR you may or may not know… but sure do love🥰

07/18/2024

🎉 Exciting News!
Join us September 6th-8th for the Colorado Mountain Ranch's 75th Anniversary Reunion event in Gold Hill, Colorado!

🌄 This special event is for both campers and staff.

Enjoy 3 days of fun-filled activities and reconnect with old friends. Head over to our website to learn more.

We can't wait to see you there! 🏕️✨

linktr.ee/coloradomountainranch

07/16/2024

Hi everyone! My name is Paige and I am a horse wrangler here at CMR. I will be taking over the Instagram this week!🐴😊 Being with the horses is a blessing and I can’t wait for you guys to get an inside scoop in to my day to day life with my coworkers and the campers!

07/10/2024

Hi! 🙂 My name is Georgia and I am a former CMR camper and current counselor for Group 10—AKA “Dino Nuggies With Da Chick-fil-A Sauce.” I can’t wait to show you guys all of the fun activities we do this week and the behind the scenes of being a counselor here at CMR!

06/29/2024

CMR let the Olympic Games begin on this FUNKY-FRIDAY! 🤝🪽

06/28/2024

Caption:
RECAP 🔙 to the past couple of days! We can’t wait for
⭐️Fun-day Friday⭐️ coming 🔜

06/26/2024

In group 5 (The Blue Dragons Breathing Fireballs 🐉)
We expressed our unique talents and interests through Drama and Arts&crafts! 🎭🎨

06/25/2024

Group 5 had an awesome day today!!🤗 we started our morning at the barn hanging out with the horses and goats and then ended our day in CMR’s beautiful tipi’s learning about Native Lore!

06/22/2024

We concluded the week with our Funky Friday theme of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!!” Dressed as a Oompa Loompa and some other Wonka characters made an appearance. This was such a fun and exciting week!! Many more to come! 😝😝

06/21/2024

06/20/2024

Today we spent half our day in the corral with the lovely wranglers!! The wranglers are very crucial to the camp and are so appreciated!! They are awesome at getting those trail rides along and providing guidance. We also got to see the new baby goats this year who are so friendly!! Half way through an awesome week! 😝

06/19/2024

Today was an awesome day! my group the ‘Purple Chicken Wings Loving Underwearing Goblins’ started the day off at flag pole with an an amazing performance by some staff! Then moved into Gymnastics followed by Nature and ended the day at Disc Golf and Arts and Crafts!!

06/18/2024

Hey guys what’s up! My name is Emerson and I’ll be doing the instagram takeover this week! I’m a first year counselor here and also my first time in Colorado! I have had an awesome wild past 2 weeks at camp from being a camp counselor to western riders counselor! cant wait for week 3. 🤪🤪

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Our Story

Voted "Best of Boulder," the Colorado Mountain Ranch is independent and Walker family-owned and operated since 1947. The residential staff offers Day Camp outdoor adventure programs for young people ages 7-17 and mountain events for groups. The staff community is the foundation of the warm welcoming feel, meaningful experiences, and life-long friends and connections for all who take part - children, staff, and guests.

At 8,500 feet above Boulder near the historic mining town of Gold Hill, Ranch visitors enjoy majestic vistas of the Rocky Mountain Front Range in the day and the twinkling lights of Denver by night. The Ranch is a magical place, a songbird sanctuary nestled in the mountains on 160 acres of wildflower meadows, pine forests, and aspen groves. At the heart of the Ranch is the rustic turn-of-the century log Lodge, exuding the ambience and hospitality of the Old West.

The Ranch is open June - August for Summer Day Camp and May through September for weddings, company picnics, retreats, parties, team-building on the ropes course, and other events. Some small events are possible year-round. Features are warm hospitality, personalized service, excellent food, and quality experiences.

Activities - at the only Summer Day Camp in Boulder County that is actually located in the mountains - include Western horseback riding, animal care, gymnastics, trampoline, arts & crafts, Indian lore, team-building on the ropes course, nature, outdoor living skills, high-country excursions for camping, hiking, and exploring, sustainability and organic gardening, disc golf, mountainboarding, dramatics, yoga, and archery. Campers spend their days at camp against the backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Continental Divide.

The founding principles of the Ranch continue today. As established by the original founders Coach Walker and Norma Walker, the purpose of the Colorado Mountain Ranch is to provide a rustic, wholesome environment for children and guests. The mission of the Summer Camp programs is for children to individually and collectively develop through enriching outdoor experiences as they learn and grow – physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.

All Camp leaders introduce new experiences with emphasis on enjoyment, personal skill development, communication, and connection with self, others, nature, team, and community. The approach is always positive so everyone has fun and builds confidence and understanding of themselves, each other, and how they are a part of the natural world. Young people build skills and character through activity and positive connections with nature, friends of all ages, and sense of place. As a Colorado Mountain Ranch camper or staff member, each young person becomes a lifelong member of the Ranch family, warmly welcomed into the inviting and inclusive community that gives them and others the space, respect, and support to be themselves.

OUR HISTORY

Founded and operated by the Walker Family since 1947, the Ranch legacy begins with Coach and Norma Walker, a gymnastics coach and high school teacher from Texas. They directed leadership camps in the hills of Texas and Oklahoma and at what is now the Y Camp of the Rockies near Estes Park. In 1947, they established their dream with their own Camp, Trojan Ranch, in the mountains west of Boulder, Colorado. The re-named Colorado Mountain Ranch continues to operate today. Since 1973, second generation Walkers - Gail, Mike, and Lynn - have directed the Colorado Mountain Ranch Summer Camp, committing their lifetimes to serving youth.

On September 6, 2010, the Fourmile wildfire burned 30 of the Ranch's 160 acres, taking a number of buildings, vehicles, and trees, yet thankfully leaving the Heart of Camp - the Lodge and the Family Tree. The Walkers appreciate the resilience and tenacity it takes to respond to challenges, knowing first-hand that difficulties often provide opportunities for character growth. The value of community moved to center as family, friends, camper and staff alumni, along with local mountain neighbors all came together to embrace the Ranch.

OUR FAMILY

The Walker Family

Mike, Lynn, and Gail, the owners and administrators of The Colorado Mountain Ranch, are lifetime youth workers and educators who love children and live and work at the Ranch year-round. Lynn and Mike’s daughters Kate, Josie, and Rosie Walker, are part of the third generation work team. Basically, the Walkers always have been and continue to be dedicated to kids!

Gail Walker Grissom is known to spontaneously break out into song and knows every tune in the camp song book. When she’s not reminding everyone to drink more water and wear sunscreen, she’s leading the Camp office as Executive Manager and Director, Health Care Supervisor, and Supply Manager. Her laugh is contagious and her band-aids, hugs, and lively Camp stories come easily. Gail is usually found with her doggy sidekick Tika, a cute-as-can-be rescue, and spends her time with friends in Southern Colorado during Camp’s off-season. She is retired after many successful winters working with Boulder Valley Schools during the school year.

Mike Walker is referred to by many as “the best horseman” they know and manages the Ranch facility and horses year-round. One of Mike's special gifts is his affable manner with campers, sharing his gentle way with horses both when riding and working with the animals from the ground. Growing up on the Ranch, he's become a fine craftsman, learning how to make things work from materials on hand. Mike can fix anything from electrical to plumbing, construct with wood and metal, and is no stranger to a shovel! He is always on-the-go with a positive, fun-loving attitude, impressing the value of a hard day’s work on all who meet him. If you’re lucky enough to be the subject of one of Mike’s poems, you’ll feel like you’ve starred in your own personalized Western ballad. While he’s not working on Ranch projects from sun up to sun down, he’s playing with his beloved Grandchildren.

Lynn Walker is “The Camp Mom,” making the Ranch feel like home to everyone, always pulling up a chair for a heart-to-heart chat to offer words of support. She strives to remember every camper’s name, appreciating the uniqueness and strengths in every individual. Lynn was first hired by Coach Walker in 1970 as a camp counselor, fell in love with Camp and then Mike Walker, and soon officially became part of the Ranch family. Today she leads staff and program development for the Ranch. Lynn holds degrees from CU in Psychology and Sociology and an American Montessori Directress certificate. Lynn loves the refreshing feel of her feet in a cool mountain stream and has a deep love for all children.

Kate Walker feels at home in the kitchen, cooking for family, friends, and Ranch events every chance she gets. When she’s not looking up recipes, she’s crunching numbers in the office or on a supply run, and if that’s not enough she also drives Camp busses.

Andrew Cook joined the Ranch family as Kate’s husband and is an invaluable asset with his IT knowledge. He builds and manages the Ranch computers and keeps the internet up and running.

Josie Walker’s unique connection to children and all things in nature has guided her to carry the Camp Spirit in all she does. When not playing with the kids or discovering new insects, she’s operating heavy machinery for Ranch projects, counseling teen leaders (CITs), and driving Camp busses. In the off-season, she helps with all things in the office and ensures that all the horses get fed and that their water is ice-free twice a day.

Rosie Walker’s love of horses since she was a small child led her to apprentice with Mike as horse manager and Western riding instructor with the Horse Focus campers. She also established the Colorado Mountain Horse Rescue and is passing on her passion for horses to her daughters, Jade and Alanah.

Jade & Alanah (Laney) are the Ranch’s liveliest and youngest Walker family members, helping everyone remember one of Coach Walker’s favorite messages: “Stay with youth, and it will keep you young.”

JoJo Morrison fancies herself a bit of a nomad, calling Australia a second home and traveling the world at every opportunity. Yet she always finds herself called back to her roots in Gold Hill with the Ranch family where she grew up as a camper, teen leader (CIT), and Camp staff at the Ranch. JoJo’s driving forces are learning and teaching primitive and ancestral skills, offering team-building facilitation, and training Camp staff in her role as the Ranch’s Program Director. Challenge her to dance off and you’ll find a fast friend! JoJo is always up for a good dance party and wins costume contests galore. She holds a Masters in Organizational Leadership and utilizes her education to support the Ranch’s mission.

OUR THUNDERBIRD LOGO

The Native Thunderbird Symbol represents power, protection and strength. After forest fire roared through The Ranch property in 2010, CMR rebranded with a new Thunderbird logo to represent the strength and energy it has taken to rebound from the natural disaster and move into the future.

Videos (show all)

Just camp counselor things. 😇😂🏔️Go follow our tiktok! The staff is putting in a lot of effort to connect with all of you...

We will see you soon 😂There is a reason the campers become staff and staff become family. The ranch is a magical place! ...

Go follow us on TikTok! #coloradomountainranch #colorado #cmr #summercamp #campcounselor #fyp #tiktok #camplife

Camp looks a little different doesn’t it?...#colorado #coloradomountains #coloradomountainranch #mountains #mountainranc...

Dey Moose Enterprises proudly presents…DORA’S QUEST TO FIND DEY MOOSE DEY MOOSEIn this action packed blockbuster, Dora t...

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Website

http://coloradomountainranch.com/

Address

10063 Gold Hill Rd
Boulder, CO
80302

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