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.
