Yampa River Youth Camps

Summer 2024

Youth River Camps DINO info

CAMP DATES: July 29 to Aug. 2 Camp with a July 24 mandatory pre-camp class.
Intent to register period opens April 18. 

Intent to Register forms (DEADLINE: May 24)

SPANISH. ENGLISH

The DINO camp has a separate application process that will open later. Check our newsletter and social media for updates. There is no registration fee for attending this DINO river experience thanks to generous support from the Iron Horse Family Foundation. Friends of the Yampa, Dinosaur National Monument, and CMC strives to offer an experience unlike any other for high school youth to experience rivers in an overnight setting, learn about data collection and our natural river systems, and ponder their role in the future of our environment. Because we want to ensure an engaged and interested group, we ask that high school students and their parents put thought into their answers in the Intent to Register form.

NOTE: Applicants who receive an invite to register will be asked to make a deposit of $200 to hold their spot. Because of the free nature of this program, we want to make sure people do not cancel at the last minute which could potentially prevent another person from filling that spot. Your money will be returned after the first day the camp starts. If you cancel less than 2 weeks before the camp start date, your deposit will be considered a donation to Friends of the Yampa, which will help pay for future DINO camps. 

Important DINO dates: 
Intent to register opens: April 18
Intent to register close: May 1
Registration period: May 2-16

This free, 5-day trip down Lodore Canyon in Dinosaur National Monument is open to students entering grades 10-12, with preference given to previous attendees of the FOTY Youth River Camps. Head down the Green River and learn about all of this and more:
• Planning for an overnight raft trip
• Leadership skills
• Meal prep
• Citizen science and river-based science
• Expedition mentality
• River safety

Youth River Camps info

Friends of the Yampa Youth River Camp dates are full or running down a long waitlist of campers. Thank you for all of your interest!

Due to high demand the Friends of the Yampa Youth River Camp, dates will have a pre-registration period starting on Feb. 18 and closing on March 3. The “Intent to Register” form provides priority to residents of the Yampa Valley, and is developed to improve equitable access. Applicants will be contacted on March 4, and the accepted will be provided with a key for registration. If not registered by March 10, all spots unclaimed will be available in open enrollment. Open enrollment will start on March 11, if available and will remain open until camps are full. Scholarships will be available until camps reach capacity. No river experience is necessary, just the willingness to engage in camp activities.

FILL OUT INTENT TO REGISTER FORM
The form is a fillable PDF. You can fill it out digitally and email it to Arianna Birdseye at abirdseye@coloradomtn.edu. You can also print the form out to fill out and drop it off at the Friends of the Yampa office: 743 Oak St., Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Google Form

Google Form (Español)  Google Form (English)

PDF Form (downloadable)

In English  En Español

Discover your own backyard by embarking on a 4-day comprehensive river class on our stunning, wild and free, Yampa River! 

No previous river experience is required to participate in this class. The main goal of this program is to empower youth to travel safely in whitewater river conditions while falling in love with one of the most important resources here in the Yampa Valley. This class will create opportunities for the youth of Northwest Colorado to get their foot in the door with beginner river skills and local river knowledge. This year, we are teaming up with Yampatika to add more environmental education on Tuesdays of the camp. Through river conservation and environmental education, youth will come away as agents of change and stewards to our local river and adjacent agricultural, public and private lands.

Course skills include:

Basic raft guiding skills

River knowledge

Environmental & historical education
– Reading water for recreation – What makes a river? – Basic hydrology
– Identifying eddies – Cause of condition changes – Geology
– Basic paddle strokes – Leave No Trace Ethics – Riparian ecosystems
– Knots – Travel Techniques – Water uses
– Equipment knowledge – Identifying condition changes – History of the Yampa River
– Basic swiftwater rescue – Western water issues – History of western water use
– Safe navigation – Signs of a healthy river

and more…

Who is the class for:

Youth entering 7-9th grade. Camps are limited to 12 kids per camp.

When and Where:

There will be 4 camp sessions starting from different locations, Monday-Thursday:

June 10-13, 9am-4pm Steamboat Springs, CO – FULL
June 17-20, 9am-4pm Steamboat Springs, CO – FULL
June 24-27, 9am-4pm Steamboat Springs, CO – FULL
July 8-11, 9am-4pm Craig, CO – FULL

Cost:

The cost is $325 per person for 4-day camp; we offer scholarships for 25% off, 50% off or the full cost of the class based on need, see below for more information.

Scholarship Information:

Each camp has positions reserved for scholarship recipients. Scholarship applications will be available through the Intent to Register Form during the pre-registration period (2/18-3/3). All responses to applicants will occur on March 4. Upon open registration on March 11, scholarship applications/Intent to register forms will be accepted again until all spots are full.

By our discretion, Friends of the Yampa may open up more positions funded by scholarships if they find there is a need, so do not hesitate to apply. We will accept scholarship applications until the classes are full.

Post the pre-registration period Scholarship applications can be printed, filled out and then emailed or filled out online. Please email outreach@friendsoftheyampa.com with further questions.

Registration:

Intent to register period opens Feb. 18 until March 3 and registration will remain open until each class is full or until the class starts. Acceptance will be sent March 4. Open registration will be from March 11 until the camp closes.

More Information

Difficulty: Class I-III whitewater

Locations: Where we float is largely dependent on river flows. We will try to stay as local as possible. Shuttle rides will be transporting everyone to put-in and takeout locations. Examples: Yampa River through Steamboat Springs, Morgan Bottom/Carpenter Ranch, Yampa River State Park, etc. There will also be a shuttle available from Steamboat Springs to Craig for the Craig camp. The new Yampa River Corridor Project — aka Craig whitewater park — has the potential to add exciting new water features depending on construction.

Q & A

  1. Will I lose my spot by applying for a scholarship and waiting to find out if I will get one? We hold aside a few spots per camp for scholarship recipients. If you apply for a scholarship and do not receive any you are welcome to still apply at the full rate or try again next summer. Have any questions about our scholarships? Please reach out to outreach@friendsoftheyampa.com.
  2. Will lunches be provided? No, please have your child come prepared with lunches and snacks. Because your child will be outdoors and on the river the majority of the time it is advisable to have them bring either an insulated lunch box with an ice pack or non-perishable food items. Lunch will sometimes be enjoyed on the shoreline or on a raft so please use as little single-use plastics as possible to avoid trash in the river.
  3. Is this a day camp or an overnight camp? This is a day camp only. 9 am-4 pm every day unless otherwise noted. The DINO camp is an overnight camp.
  4. Is river gear provided for? We have partnered with our friends at Colorado Mountain College for these classes.  CMC will provide PFD’s (life jackets), helmet, dry bag, transportation to and from the river, guides/instructors, boats, paddles, etc. Kids who attend will need to provide on river clothing including rain/splash jackets, lunch, water bottles, and other items. A full gear list will be provided to campers prior to the trip.
  5. May I apply for the class out of Craig if I live in Steamboat Springs? Yes! We do not limit any registrant based on where they live. By signing up for a class that requires commuting, you are doing it with the understanding they will be at the drop-off location by the start of class and be able to pick up your child in time.
  6. What is your policy on refunds? We have a tiered refund policy. Cancellations made 30 days before the classes will incur no fee, cancellations made at least 2 weeks ahead of time but under 30 days will incur a $100 cancellation fee, and classes canceled under 2 weeks will not receive a refund. Scholarship recipients will pay an equivalent percentage of registration when canceling. Full scholarship recipients will not incur any fees. There is a separate cancelation fee for DINO camp.

Any further questions? Please contact Katie at outreach@friendsoftheyampa.com

Thank you to the supporters of these camps: