Dates & Tuition

Securing your camper’s spot is straightforward with our clear and staggered enrollment process. Interested in securing your camper’s spot? Our enrollment opens well in advance and follows a staggered approach to cater to different groups. Quick action is essential as our sessions tend to fill up.

We follow the same schedule each year, utilizing a staggered enrollment process for fairness and flexibility. Open enrollment provides the opportunity for brand new families to join our camp community. To maximize your chances and secure your preferred session, we encourage taking action as soon as possible. Secure your camper’s spot by enrolling now or joining the waitlist!

If you register before November 1st for Summer Camp, you will receive a $200 early-bird discount. If you pay in full by January 15th for Summer Camp, you will receive a $75 discount. Siblings, not including the first child, will receive a $150 discount for Summer Camp and a $50 discount for Quarter B-4.

We understand that every family’s financial situation is unique; therefore, we offer flexible payment plans to accommodate your preferences. All payments must be completed by May 1st to secure your camper’s enrollment. Failure to meet this deadline may result in your camper’s withdrawal from camp. You have the following payment choices when enrolling:

• Full Balance Payment: Families can choose to pay the entire tuition upfront.
• Deposit and Three Installments: Opt for a deposit at enrollment and split the remaining balance into three installments due on January 1st, March 1st, and May 1st.
• Deposit and Monthly Installments: Spread the cost by paying a deposit upon enrollment, followed by monthly installments. Payments will be due each month from the time of enrollment until May 1st.
• Deposit and Confirm Payment Schedule Later: Pay a deposit upon enrollment to secure your camper’s spot, then confirm your payment schedule at a later date.

We accept various payment methods, including ACH payments (eChecks), credit & debit cards, and checks. We encourage families to use ACH payments, which draft directly from your checking or savings account for convenience and efficiency, and charge a 2.8% surcharge for all credit card payments. Please ensure timely payments to secure your camper’s spot and avoid any inconvenience.

The deposit is part of the total tuition and is due with your registration application to secure your camper’s spot.

Once Summer Camp, Quarter B-4, or Family Camp reaches full capacity, we establish a waitlist in the order of received applications. Joining the waitlist does not require a deposit. For Summer Camp, our waitlists operate per unit per term. In Quarter B-4, separate waitlists are maintained for the Pikas and the Marmots.

We understand that being placed on a waitlist can be disappointing. It is our goal to make this process as easy and straightforward as possible. Know that there is still hope for a great summer and that we give our waitlist thoughtful attention. Between now and the camp’s start, enrollment statuses tend to change as families adjust their summer plans. While it’s impossible to predict the exact number of open spaces for a given unit or term, historically, cancellations have been infrequent for Quarter B-4 and Family Camp. When spots become available, and we can move a camper off the waitlist, we promptly notify eligible campers via email and phone, using the information provided in your CampBrain waitlist application.

Regrettably, we are unable to increase our capacity due to limitations, such as occupancy restrictions, dining hall capacities, staffing considerations, and program logistics. We deeply appreciate your understanding of these constraints. We genuinely wish we could accommodate every interested camper, and we thank you for considering Cheley Colorado Camps!

Nope! Unlike some other camps where you might need to join a waitlist years in advance, we keep it simple. Registration for the following summer typically opens on October 1st. Just enroll your camper when registration opens. We only start a waitlist after a unit reaches capacity—until then, it’s open enrollment!

We start fresh each summer! Our waitlist does not carry over from year to year. This means you do not need to add your child/camper to a waitlist years ahead of time to enroll. However, if you were on the waitlist the previous year, you’ll receive earlier access to enrollment for the following summer.

If you are in need of financial assistance, please visit A Thousand Summers, previously the John Austin Cheley Foundation (JACF), which was established in 1989 to honor the memory of John Austin (Jack) Cheley to help fulfill his dream of making a summer camp experience available to deserving youth who could not otherwise afford it. Since 1989, the Foundation has provided over 1,400 camperships valued today at over $8 million.

Camperships are open to youth from families whose financial circumstances would mean that a high-quality residential camp experience would be unattainable without external financial support. The specific financial circumstances of a family will determine whether they are eligible for Full Support or Partial Support as defined in the JACF Income Eligibility and Family Contribution Table.

The JACF establishes relationships with youth-mentoring, non-profit organizations, and schools as well as independent volunteers to help them identify great applicants interested in a summer camp experience at Cheley or one of their other partner camps. These Mentors play a critical role in guiding a child and family through the application process, assisting award recipients in preparing for camp, advising through the Capstone Service Project requirements, and helping the Foundation with follow-up after camp.

We invite you to join us in honoring Jack’s vision and the wonderful work of A Thousand Summers by supporting the ‘JACK CHELEY ENDOWED CAMPERSHIP’ fund that will ensure that a deserving camper attends Cheley Colorado Camps every year in Jack’s name, in perpetuity, developing lasting character and resiliency for the recipient through challenging experiences in a supportive and natural environment – just as Jack intended. To donate to A Thousand Summers, please Sponsor a Camper.

If you feel that there is even a remote possibility that you will need to cancel your camper’s enrollment, we suggest you purchase Cancellation Insurance. We recommend the A+ Program Protection through TravMark.

If you feel there is a significant chance of needing to cancel enrollment, especially after May 1, 2024, this program is only available to purchase during the enrollment process (or within 20 days after initial payment). Please evaluate this “Cancel For Any Reason” insurance plan carefully and determine if it is a good fit for your circumstances. When using the “Cancel For Any Reason” benefit, the plan pays out 65% of tuition.

We strive for transparency regarding fees and expenses to help families plan and budget accordingly. Our tuition covers everything needed for a complete camp experience, with only a few additional costs that may apply. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Included in Tuition:

• All activities and program offerings
• Housing and lodging
• Food and snacks (excluding treats)
• Weekly laundry service
• All necessary equipment (everything required but not on the packing list)
• Blue Kerchief for each camper
• Any patches or recognitions received
• End of summer yearbook
• On-site medical care

Additional Costs (if applicable):

• Personal Expenses: Includes personal items, merchandise, treats, and other store purchases. Costs vary based on individual spending.
• Sleeping Bag/Pad Rental: $30
• Bus/Shuttle Transportation: $45 per way between Denver International Airport and Cheley on Arrival/Departure Days. A $175 fee applies for special trips to/from the airport, covering fuel and staff time.
• Airport Spending Money: $15 provided for spending if campers go to the airport.
• Additional Variable Fees:
  • Prescription/Medication
  • Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Fees
  • Luggage Fees
  • Lost and Found Shipping Costs (if items are found and need to be shipped back)

For any specific questions about these fees or to get more details, please contact our office. We’re here to assist and ensure a smooth camp experience for your camper!

Yes! The store is open for 45 minutes each morning for campers to purchase needed supplies and equipment, as well as gift items and clothing items. Each afternoon the store is open for one hour for ‘treats.’ Treats is a chance for campers to buy a snack and hang out with their friends in a relaxed setting. Campers in Lower Chipeta, Lower Ski Hi, and all Quarter B-4 campers can purchase one treat per day ($1.50 or less) while campers in other units may purchase two treats. Campers also have the opportunity to rent a sleeping bag and pad ($30) from the Camp Store. During Summer Camp, the average camper spends $125 to $175 during a term. During Quarter B-4, the average camper spends $20 to $50.

The camp store does not accept cash. During the enrollment process in the Store Form, you will have the option to add a Camp Store “Deposit.” Put simply, this lets us know how much your camper can spend at the Camp Store. This deposit is not paid up front – you will only be charged for your camper’s purchases at the end of the summer (i.e., what they actually spend).

When campers visit the Camp Store, they can ask the Camp Store Manager what their remaining balance is – we call this their “Camp Store Wallet.” If at anytime during the summer your camper’s Camp Store Wallet reaches $25, we will contact you to see if you would like to raise their spending limit. You can also “add money” or request access to your camper’s Camp Store Wallet, including their balance and purchases, at any time by contacting us.

Again, you will only be charged for your camper’s purchases, not their entire deposit. At the end of each Summer Camp term during Final Saturday and on Departure Day for Quarter B-4, families may visit the camp store at Land O’Peaks and the TEs or browse online – credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, and Afterpay are accepted at both.

The Camp Store provides a great opportunity for campers to learn responsibility and work on decision-making skills. We highly recommend you sit down with your camper(s) to discuss the Camp Store and using credit – so that they know their spending limit and what they should be spending their credit on. A conversation about budgeting and only getting what is needed can provide a valuable lesson.