Policies
The Camp Community
It is our goal to partner and work together with parents to determine if our program is suitable for your child prior to their enrollment. Sanborn Western Camps is not a rehabilitative or therapeutic program and does not specialize in serving those with special needs, including those with acute mental health, socio-emotional or behavioral challenges. Sanborn Western Camps reserves the right to refuse admission or to send home without refund any camper who presents a safety concern, medical risk or whose behavior is deemed disruptive or harmful to the best interests of other campers or to the camp community. Please read the following Essential Functions of a Sanborn Camper so you may better understand the socio-emotional, self-care and physical skills required to help make camp a positive experience for your child. If you have any questions about your camper’s compatibility with the camp program, please contact our Director team at 719-748-3341 or
Skills Required to be Successful at Sanborn
Campers should have the ability to:
- Manage self-care in an age appropriate manner
- Independently function in a community without consistent one on one support
- Practice personal health routines, including: showering, brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, dietary management etc.
- Self-calm following an event that causes frustration, sadness, or anger
- Communicate how they are feeling using differing emotions, such as happiness, distress, nervousness, frustration
- Advocate for personal needs by talking to a staff member
- Manage the sleep-away aspects of camp in an age appropriate manner
- Complete duration of session without in-person visits or outside phone calls
- Participate in a group living situation
- Sleep in a room with up to 11 other people without sleep aids
- Live in a rustic outdoor setting with no personal electronic devices
- Follow verbal instructions and rules
- Communicate conversationally in English
- Remain in areas of supervision as defined by staff
- Resolve conflicts without resorting to physical contact or verbal abuse
- Live successfully in an active social community that includes constant interaction with other children
- Understand camp rules regarding safety and respect
- Will remain in their assigned living units after lights out
- And will not possess or use alcoholic beverages, tobacco, E-cigarettes, Juuls, narcotics, recreational drugs and firearms/weapons
Campers should have the ability to:
- Participate daily in outdoor activities, including: walking up and downhill on uneven ground and varied terrain; remain outside for extended periods at a time; learn to stay warm, dry, and safe from exposure to the sun and mountain weather; manage levels of physical stress and challenge
- Move independently from activity to activity
- Follow safety instructions given verbally by staff
- Sleep overnight in a tent at a backcountry campsite
- Go to the bathroom in the outdoors
- Junior Campers: Hike up to 3 miles carrying a light daypack with water bottles, layers, and other essentials (at least 10 pounds)
- Month Long Campers: Hike for a minimum of 3 miles with a backpacking pack containing personal and group gear (at least 25 pounds)
Campers should have the ability to:
- Communicate medical care needs with staff
- Provide accurate information to staff during check-ins and assessments
- Independently navigate food allergies and dietary restrictions
- Live at high altitude (8,600’) in a dry climate (low humidity)
- Manage environmental allergies, including grass, pollen, animal dander
- Self-carry and/or administer emergency albuterol inhaler, epi-pen, or other emergency medicine (if applicable)
- Manage any chronic medical conditions independently and be incident free (no hospitalizations) for a minimum of one year
Electronic Devices
One of the great advantages of camp is the opportunity to take a break from the pace and connectivity of one’s day-to-day life. In today’s world, technology is a powerful tool and pretty amazing. However, bringing personal technology to camp distracts campers from many of the foundational aspects of camp (relationship building, appreciation for nature’s beauty, increased independence and much more). This is why the only electronic devices campers bring to camp are allowed to bring to camp are cameras, music players and electronic readers without cellular or wi-fi capability. These devices may only be used at specific,appropriate times.
We realize that one’s music player or electronic reader may also be a phone, camera and a gaming device. If the electronic device has cellular or wi-fi capability, we will collect it at the beginning of the session and hand it back at the close — as we do with all phones and gaming devices that are brought to camp by campers traveling by plane. If your child’s phone is his/her primary camera, we ask that you send your child with a different camera for use during camp. Kindle Paperwhites, basic Nooks or other “book-only” e-readers are fine for reading in the cabin or tent at bedtime.
As always, leaving all electronic devices at home is a great choice. Music players will be available in each living unit and the risk of loss or damage to personal electronic devices then drops to zero.
We ask for your support and cooperation in order to maximize the camp experience for your camper and the entire camp community.
Telephone Use
Phone service at camp is limited to one business/emergency line at each camp. 719-748-3341 at Big Spring Ranch and 719-748-3451 at High Trails Ranch. Directors welcome calls but may not be available immediately. They will return calls promptly. We regret that we cannot call campers or staff to the phone. Any necessary phone calls with campers will need to be prearranged with directors. In the case of an emergency, please contact a director who will work with you to determine the next steps.
Financial Information
Our Terms and Conditions have been updated to reflect the effects of the pandemic, including changes to our payment schedule, refund deadlines and refund policies.
Please read through our updated Financial Terms and Conditions thoroughly, including the “Tuition, Deposit and Terms of Payment” and “Cancellation” sections. Please contact camp with any questions.
When we receive both your enrollment application and your deposit of $1500 for Big Spring and/or High Trails month long sessions or $750 for all Sanborn Junior two week sessions, we will confirm your child’s camp enrollment. Enrollment applications are accepted in the order in which they are received. Spaces are limited and based on session and grade group.
For each younger child from the same family enrolled for the summer of 2023, there is a discount of $100.
Tuition includes: Board and lodging, laundry, instruction, guidance, training, and complete camp program. The tuition fee includes all expenses EXCEPT personal expenses, spending allowance and transportation from the camper’s home to Florissant, Colorado.
We accept checks, most major credit cards, electronic checks, money orders and bank transfers as payment methods.
You may pay your tuition deposit, balance, and “Additional Options Form” expenses online under the “Financial Management” tab within Camp InTouch.
All payments must be received May 1st, 2023. Failure to do so may result in the child’s withdrawal from camp.
All money paid is fully refundable for cancellations received by February 1, 2023. Portions of camp payments are non-refundable as summer approaches. See chart above for complete refund schedule.
Parents are responsible for all costs of early departure from camp for any reason.
Once the session begins, in the event of absence from or closure of the camps due to world events, natural disaster, global pandemic, or for any other reason, financial loss will be shared equally between the camps and the parents.
In the event the camps are unable to open due to world events, natural disaster, global pandemic or any other reason, the non-refundable portion of the camp tuition ($1500 for HT/BS month-long/$750 for Sanborn Junior) will be retained by Sanborn Western Camps. This is to ensure the long-term survival of the program.
Cash is not needed or used at camp. We operate a “camp bank” system and keep a record of each camper’s expenditures. A statement will be sent home after camp with a refund or a bill. We encourage careful spending and make every effort to keep the personal spending of campers to a minimum, but please discuss your expectations in this regard with your child.
Disposable cameras, camp clothing, batteries, water bottles, other camping equipment and stamps are the most costly items available in the store.
Sleeping bags, backpacks, riding boots, bed linens and blankets may be rented from camp Please be aware that Sanborn provides Junior campers with full size backpacks when needed; Junior campers do not need to rent or bring full size backpacks.
Other great places to look for gear and equipment for camp include REI, Sierra Trading Post, and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), as well as local gear shops.
Campers are not allowed to bring weapons, animals or pets of any kind (including personal horses), vehicles including bicycles, alcohol, and illegal drugs to camp. Campers may bring tennis racquets or fishing gear, but should not bring personal climbing gear, archery equipment, baseball bats, lacrosse or hockey sticks. The camp is well-supplied with this equipment.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Sanborn Western Camps and the Colorado Outdoor Education Center admit campers of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to participants. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin or any other status protected by applicable law in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship program and other administered programs.