How YMCA of the Rockies creates lasting impact

What we're building: 

A Wilderness Village for young leaders at Camp Chief Ouray. Post-high school leadership and workforce development opportunities for staff. Preschool sustainability for the children and families of Estes Park.

Why it matters: 

Confidence isn't just built in a classroom. It's built on a climbing wall, in a wilderness village, at a campfire where no one is looking at their phone. The research is clear — time in nature, in community, with real challenges and real support, builds the kind of young people our communities need. Every scholarship we fund is a life changed. Every preschool moment is a future shaped. Every leadership program is a ripple we'll feel for decades. And every staff member we invest in multiplies that impact — because the counselor who shows up trained, supported, and growing is the one who changes a kid's life. 

 "Both of my boys have loved trying new things at camp which has led to them having more confidence. My elementary schooler and high schooler are involved in leadership and mentoring at their schools. This is a direct result of their experience at CCO." 

— Camper Parent, YMCA of the Rockies Social Impact Survey

What we're building: 

A new Nordic Center at Snow Mountain Ranch to match our world-class trails. This building—with a ski rental center, a warm café with fireplace, and Wi-Fi—would serve skiers of all levels, from first-time skiers to competitive athletes, currently totaling more than 30,000 each year.

Why it matters: 

The outdoors have the power to change lives — and everyone deserves the chance to experience them. The Nordic Center is an $11 million investment in making the outdoors more accessible, available to the community at mission-level pricing. The aerial challenge courses expand what families and groups can do together. When we reimagine outdoor recreation, we expand who gets to experience what these mountains can do for a person. 

 "Snow Mountain Ranch is one of the best places for dryland training. A dedicated Nordic facility could make this place a multi-season destination for Nordic skiing and training camps." 

— Dan Jamison, Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Skier 

What we're building: 

Opening a new Arts and Crafts Center at Snow Mountain Ranch. Opening a new Center for Well-Being with yoga, mindfulness, and massage therapy. Renovating the outdoor chapel at Columbine Point. Supporting chaplaincy endowments at both campuses. 
 

Why it matters: 

Spending just 20 minutes connecting with nature can help lower stress hormone levels — and what we offer goes far deeper than 20 minutes. Mental and spiritual wellness has been at the foundation of this organization since 1907. We're investing in it now with modern infrastructure: spaces for creativity, reflection, worship, and renewal that meet guests where they are, regardless of background or belief. 

What we're building: 

Restoring the Administration Building at Estes Park Center — built in 1910 — with a new casual café, full-service coffee bar, energy-efficient infrastructure, and updated office spaces, all while honoring its architectural heritage. Across Snow Mountain Ranch and Camp Chief Ouray, parallel investments in hospitality infrastructure ensure every campus delivers the same quality of welcome. 

Why it matters: 

Great hospitality isn't incidental to the mission — it is the mission made visible. When a guest arrives and feels immediately at home, everything that follows is possible: the connection, the rest, the transformation. Every investment in how we welcome people is an investment in what happens after they walk through the door. 

 "Entering the Administration Building after a long travel day is an instant feeling of relaxation. Our family has countless memories of grabbing a cup of coffee and enjoying a crisp morning taking in the views from the front porch. The Administration Building IS YMCA of the Rockies!" 

— Erin C., YMCA of the Rockies Guest 

What we're building: 

Modernizing facilities for energy efficiency and sustainability. Expanding outdoor education and access for schools and youth organizations. Supporting mental health programming and donor-sponsored getaways that open these mountains to more families. Creating pathways for Indigenous communities to reconnect with their ancestral lands in the Rocky Mountains. 

Why it matters: 

Stewardship of our resources is part of our mission — not a footnote. These mountains were here before us and will outlast us. Our responsibility is to care for them, to use them generously, and to ensure that what makes this place extraordinary is preserved for the generations who will come after us.