Get a Real Vacation, While on Vacation at the YMCA of the Rockies

 
Kid’s day camps and adult activities keep grandparents, parents and even the kids busy and happy – all on the same vacation!

July 2, 2009 … Estes Park / Winter Park, Colo., … Everyone has heard the saying, “I had to go back to work just to recover from my vacation.” Well, that’s one thing you won’t be saying after your family vacation at the YMCA of the Rockies. Offering on-site kids day camps for young adventurers also provides mom and dad, grandma and grandpa with an amazing opportunity to relax, and enjoy their vacation too!

Kids can burn off all that excitement and energy at one of the many affordable day camps available at either YMCA of the Rockies location. At Estes Park Center in Estes Park, the Bennett (for ages three and four) and Legett (for kindergarten to eighth graders) day camps offer such activities! as hiking, nature and craft activities, drama play, archery and swimming. Full and half day programs are available, allowing the adults to undertake adventures of their own, but still enjoy some great family together time.  

The Outpost program (for fifth to eighth graders) offers a week-long outdoor adventure for kids interested in rock climbing, ropes courses, building survival and camping skills and horseback riding. The full-day Adventures program (for ninth to twelve graders) offers a ropes course and zip-line, swimming, horseback riding and rafting. A special evening camp is also available for parents looking for the freedom of a night out to go to dinner, a movie or just to relax.

And, the day camps at Estes Park Center are incredibly affordable, starting at $14 for half-day camps, and $25 for full-day camps, plus a one-time family registration fee of just $10.

Children of all ages will find a perfectly suited day camp available at Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park, too. The Trailblazers program ! (for campers entering kindergarten or first grade) includes swimming, wagon rides, archery and arts and crafts. For campers entering second and third grades, the Caballeros program includes hiking, group games, a climbing wall and horseback riding.

For older campers, try the Pathfinders program (from fourth to sixth grades), offering outdoor education, mountain biking and roller-skating. For ages 13-16, the Adventurers program includes zip-line, ropes challenge course, canoeing, fishing and disc golf. Day camps at Snow Mountain Ranch are $23, with a one-time registration fee of $10.

While the children are off having fun, grandparents and parents can have some fun on their own. Adults can fish at the lake, hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, enjoy a picnic together, try one of the many crafts available, or play tennis, basketball or sand volleyball, all on-site. Want some downtime? Visit the library to check out the more than 15,000 books, including ! best sellers and classics. Or, head into town for some shopping and exploring, before returning to the YMCA of the Rockies and reconnecting with the whole family for a memory-filled evening under the stars.

For lodging at Estes Park Center and at Snow Mountain Ranch, visit www.ymcarockies.org, or call 1-800-777-9622. Rates start at just $109 per night in a lodge room that can sleep up to six adults, and includes two adult breakfasts per day!


To make a reservation at either Snow Mountain Ranch or Estes Park Center, visit www.ymcarockies.org, or call 1-800-777-9622.


Surrounded on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park, the YMCA Estes Park Center is just 65 miles northwest of Denver on 860 acres of ponderosa pines. Estes Park Center offers guests the choice of 200 cabins, ranging in size from two to 16 bedrooms, and 600 lodge rooms.  The lodges are within walking distance of most activities, and a stay in a lodge room includes complimentary breakfast for two.  On! -site activities include a zip line, horseback riding, archery, fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, a brand new craft center and an indoor swimming pool.

Snow Mountain Ranch is located between the Winter Park Ski Resort and the town of Grand Lake, just 80 miles west of Denver. This 5,000-acre ranch provides a secluded and restful destination for families to reconnect. With just 50 cabins and 170 lodge rooms, Snow Mountain Ranch is a true retreat from the every day. Similar to the Estes Park Center, Snow Mountain Ranch offers a plethora of activities to bring every family closer together.

For more than 100 years, families have been drawn to the YMCA of the Rockies Mission and its core values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and faith. YMCAs nationwide are 100 percent non-profit charities striving to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities.

For more information on the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center or S! now Mountain Ranch, visit www.ymcarockies.org. 

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