OUR NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE
Welcome to the brand-new YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake, a traditional lakeside day and overnight camp located on 300 beautiful acres near Ward, Colorado. Just 20 miles from Boulder, Colorado, we provide children ages 6-17 with outdoor adventures, resilience-nurturing experiences, support from a welcoming camp community and countless moments of fun and silliness in the heart of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake will be unlike any camp in Boulder County.
We are less than an hour from Boulder and Longmont and less than 2 hours from Denver, Loveland, Fort Collins and the North Metro area of Colorado. Bussing is provided to and from camp for both day and overnight camps.
A NEW ERA IN CAMPING
For the past 18 years, YMCA of Northern Colorado leased the Camp Santa Maria property in an effort to provide Colorado’s children and teens with overnight camp experiences that foster resilience, confidence and a love for the outdoors. However, in 2024, the Y purchased its own camp property in Boulder County and has transformed it into YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake. In 2024, the Y held day camps at Camp Tumbleson Lake, and in 2025, we are thrilled to launch overnight camps at this picturesque lakeside mountain escape.
We are ready for our next great adventure. Are you?
2025 SESSION DATES
Session 1: June 8–13
Session 2: June 15–20
Session 3: June 22–27
Session 4 (Explorers): June 29–July 2
Session 5: July 6–11
Session 6: July 13–18
Session 7: July 20–25
Session 8: July 27–Aug 1
Session 9: Aug 3–8
PICK YOUR PATH
YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake’s day and overnight camps celebrate exploration, nature education and a personal connection to the outdoors. Campers will grow their skills and knowledge while connecting with the camp community and building confidence — and of course, having a mountain of fun.
We have options for campers ages 6 to 17, providing age-appropriate experiences that welcome and help kids and teens foster confidence, independence and resilience. From day camps and our Explorers mini camp for first time campers to traditional camps to teen expedition and leadership programs, we have something for every camper.
It’s time to choose your camper’s adventure.
Explorers (Ages 6-8)
Traditional Discovery (Ages 7-9)
Traditional Pathfinder (Ages 10-12)
Traditional Trailblazer (Ages 13-16)
Teen Expedition Camp (Ages 14-17)
Leadership Programs (Ages 14-17)
Coming Soon
Tumbleson Day Camp
Registration coming in February of 2025
IT’S GONNA BE AN EPIC SUMMER
Our new camp is perfectly set up to provide campers with the ultimate summer experience: hiking, mountain biking, climbing, watching sunsets, paddling on the lake, creating art, hitting a bulls eye, bouncing through our lake-top obstacle course and roasting marshmallows by the campfire. Songs, chants and dance parties included!
Plus, our camp counselors nurture campers’ knowledge and abilities by teaching them survival skills, leave no trace principles, nature education and much more. Children and teens are given opportunities 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 through rugged wilderness to our leadership and counselor-in-training programs that give teens a chance to guide others, camp is a powerful way to provide young adults with mentorship opportunities, confidence-building exercises and real-life experience.
CREATING HAPPY CAMPERS SINCE 1885
What sets us apart from other mountain camps? We follow in the footsteps of camping giants. In the 1880s, the YMCA opened America’s first known summer camp program. For nearly 140 years, the Y has made summer special for hundreds of thousands of young people, offering campers a positive developmental experience through building bonds, nurturing confidence and growing in self-reliance — all in the great outdoors. We are continuing that legacy.
Our Vision: Get Kids outside to build character, make friends, and have fun.
Our Mission: YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake provides a community where kids gain skills, become more independent and learn to grow with others while having fun.
YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake is an equal opportunity service provider and employer.
YMCA Camp Tumbleson Lake operates under special use permit from the USDA Forest Service, Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands.