Who We Are

Summer camp romances are an honored part of Americana and, at Cheley Colorado Camps, that is no exception. The list of people who have met their spouses at camp is long and includes many who then celebrated their nuptials here as well. The romances and marriages that flourish at Cheley even have a nickname: “Chomances.” With so much love already fostered at camp, we decided to officially open our doors to wedding clients and vendors. So thank you for taking interest in our pristine location!

About Cheley Colorado Camps

One-hundred years ago, Frank H. Cheley had a dream. In 1921, nine adventurous boys journeyed high into the Colorado Rockies to a rustic summer camp on the shores of Bear Lake inside the newly minted Rocky Mountain National Park. The Bear Lake Trail School, as it were, was located in what was still in many ways a wilderness.

As a young man, Frank H. Cheley’s dream was to help boys grow into manhood in the great outdoors. Frank’s work with the YMCA convinced him that youth learn best through firsthand experiences, particularly when those experiences come under the direction of dedicated adult leaders. A century later, these basic principles are still the foundation for our work with young people.

Frank Cheley put his dreams of a character-building camp set in the high mountains of Colorado into action in 1921, the year he opened Bear Lake Trail School—An Alpine Summer Camp for Boys on the shores of Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Most of all, he wanted the boys to become good sportsmen, which he described as “self-propelled, independent individuals with real character and personality.” These leadership training summer camps became very popular and five years later, in 1926, Frank Cheley welcomed “vigorous girls” to his “vigorous camp” and called it Chipeta, named after the queen of the Utes, wife of Chief Ouray.

The entire operation – Cheley Colorado Camps – moved to the Land O’ Peaks property in 1927, and in 1941, Frank opened the Trail’s End Ranch for Boys’ and Girls’. Today all eight of our summer camp units are housed on these three properties. The massive lodges + cozy cabins of the ’20s and ’30s have been carefully maintained, providing a legacy of rich memories for the children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren of those early campers.

The Cheley family has been steadfast in upholding the philosophy of camp life envisioned by our forefather. Following Frank’s death in 1941, son Jack and his wife, Sis, led Cheley for 40 years before entrusting its leadership to son, Don and his wife, Carole. Today, the leadership of Cheley Colorado Camps remains under the two oldest members of the fourth generation: siblings, Jeff and Brooke. The well-preserved history of Cheley lives on in our historic log and stone lodges, the hearts and souls of countless satisfied campers, staff and alumni, and the stories that embody the FunPlus spirit of the Cheley Experience.