“The Ranch at the End of the Trail”
Girls’ Trail’s End
Located 12 miles east of Estes Park in Glen Haven, the Trail’s Ends are self-contained. GTE is an 85-acre ranch bordered by wilderness land along Fox Creek. GTE has eighteen Conestoga wagons, its own boathouse, lodge, dining hall, and other facilities, including Barns, craft shop, and archery/riflery ranges.
The age range at the Trail’s Ends provides a strong sense of camp unity with a mature and nurturing family feel. Our campers at BTE and GTE feel the added strength of the friendships that develop in a setting modeled after the pioneer days of the rugged West. Both TEs offer a strong and loving support system that’s so important during your teen years because you’re able to rely on your peers and counselors and gain a greater sense of independence. Some campers apply to be a Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) seeking additional responsibilities and leadership experience in their final summer at camp.
For Girls 12 to 17 Years Old
Walk to the pasture with friends after breakfast, halter and grain in hand. Lead the horses to the corals and barns for feeding and grooming. Or pack your backpack for a beautiful three-day trip with your camp buddies to a favorite destination. Girls’ Trail’s End will give you a terrific sense of camp unity and connection in a setting that typifies western ranch life, complete with covered wagon living.
This is no ordinary Colorado girls’ summer camp. Girls’ Trail’s End feels like family with a big-sis-little-sis vibe, which is one of the things campers love most. Campers sleep in covered wagons in a wooded setting near Fox Creek, with four girls assigned to each Conestoga. The wagons are arranged in two circles for added warmth and closeness. You look out for one another, laugh and play together, and trade stories about the day’s adventures. Girls’ Trail’s End offers a strong and loving support system that’s so important during your teen years.
You will love the hiking and backpacking programs at GTE. Another unique aspect of this camp is its horse packing program. You’ll learn how to pack a horse for overnight trips, including knot tying skills, packing the horse for balance and efficiency, and horse-leading techniques. You’ll challenge yourself, make new friends, and learn valuable life skills.
Take a look around
Welcome to GTE
This short unit tour offers a glimpse into daily life at Girls’ Trail’s End, from wagons and gathering spaces to the places campers spend time together, helping families get a feel for the rhythm of the day.
GTE is home to up to 72 campers, supported by approximately 15 staff members and a small team of leadership staff. Campers spend their days in smaller activity groups with close support and individualized attention. The unit has eighteen wagons between the Lower Wagon Yard, where Wagons 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 1/2, 6, 7, 8, and 9 reside, and Upper Wagon Yard, where Wagons 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 live.
Explore Our Activities
Girls’ Trail’s End campers get to choose from a wide range of activities designed for this age and stage. Each day, campers typically choose from five to seven activity options, selecting either one full-day activity or two half-day activities. This approach creates variety from day to day while giving campers meaningful choice and flexibility throughout the session. Want a deeper look at how choice and scheduling work? Read more about how activity sign-ups work.
- Archery
- Backpacking
- Ceramics
- Challenge Course
- Climbing Wall
- Colts
- Crafts
- Fishing
- High Ropes
- Hiking
- Horseback Riding Pack Trips
- Horseback Ring Rides
- Horseback Trail Rides
- Lil’ Ranchers
- Mountain Biking
- Mountain Biking Trips
- One Wheel
- Outcamping
- Rafting
- Riflery
- Sewing
- Solo Experiences
- Sports
- Stand Up Paddleboarding
- Technical Climbing
- Via Ferrata
- Woodworking
- And miscellaneous activities, like Finer Things, Water Wars, Random Acts of Kindness, and more!
Activities rotate throughout the session, and not every activity is offered every day or every week. While both terms offer a similar range of activities, the specific schedule and rotation may vary from session to session.
What is a Go-To Counselor?
Each camper is assigned a counselor in their unit (typically, someone also in their cabin) who is responsible for them in terms of general camp life. They are your mentor, advocate, and “go-to” counselor throughout the term. This means they are checking in with you daily to see how your experience is progressing. They are getting to know you and what excites and scares you. They are watching you every day, and because of your relationship with them, can tell when things are going well and when they need extra attention. In essence, they are your big brother or sister. To support you and your Cheley Experience, your go-to counselor is there for you to:
- Create family! They are reading your blue camper/parent information form, encouraging letter writing home, writing weekly reports, meeting and greeting parents on visiting day, and saying good night.
- Know your program! They are advising, monitoring, and advocating for you during sign-ups to make sure you are getting the programs you want and completing your goals during the camp experience. Assisting and advising in appropriate clothing and equipment for the day.
- Encourage personal responsibility! They are helping you keep track of your belongings. Assisting in packing and unpacking, monitoring borrowing and lending, creating an honest environment, helping with lost and found, and supervising laundry preparation.
- Nurture your physical and emotional health! They are monitoring and assisting with personal cleanliness, encouraging physical conditioning and challenge, escorting you to the Health Center for medication or illness/injury, encouraging adequate sleep and rest, and more. Encouraging self-reliance and independence. Talking with you, listening to you, playing with you, and reading. Being available.