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Attire & Hygiene While at CCO 
Campers should wear clothing appropriate for an active lifestyle at summer camp, including closed-toed, closed-back shoes. Flip flops/sandals are permitted only for showering and water-based activities. All clothing, hair, and accessories should not become a safety hazard for participants. For safety reasons, we do not allow the wearing of tank tops at CCO, all shirts must have sleeves to protect against sunburn. 

CCO is a community focused on uplifting the core values of caring, respect, responsibility, and faith. To help maintain an inclusive and welcoming community, clothing or attire with inappropriate language, offensive graphics and/or logos, references to alcohol, drugs and/or tobacco are absolutely forbidden. Some program areas or activities may have additional dress code requirements, for example wearing long pants while riding a horse. If clothing does not reflect the principles and values of CCO or presents a safety hazard for you as a participant, you will be asked to change. Campers are also expected to maintain their personal hygiene throughout their time at CCO.  

Day Campers should be prepared for changing weather; please pack multiple layers (sweatshirt, rain jacket, sweatpants, etc.).

Campers will need the following each day:

  • A backpack (campers travel around the property throughout the day)
  • Two (2) water bottles - labeled with name
  • A lunch and snacks (please avoid packing nut products)
  • Closed toed shoes
  • Rain gear
  • Sunscreen - labeled with name
  • Lip Balm
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Hand Sanitizer (optional, must be labeled with name)
  • Face mask (disposable or washable, must be at least a two-layer face mask that covers the nose, mouth, chin) Why? This is in line with our infectious disease protocol. 

It is strongly suggested that all camper items are labeled with their name. 

What Not to Bring: 

The following items are prohibited to be brought by campers: alcohol, tobacco, drugs, weapons, pocket knives, expensive items, money, sports equipment, pets, or electronics. 
We strive to offer children a unique outdoor experience. Please help support us in this mission by not allowing campers to bring cell phones, digital cameras, iPads, smart watches or electronic games as they detract from the experience.  If campers opt to bring personal toys or stuffed animals, they will be expected to be responsible for them at all times. 

Camp Chief Ouray is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items. 

Handbooks and Info Session

Parent Handbooks contain vital information to help you prepare for your experience at CCO. Most of your questions wil be answered by reading this document.

Follow the link below to access the recording from our April 16th Info Session. 

Financials

Your financial statement can be found on your CampInTouch account under the Financial Management tab. This will indicate your base camp fee, session number and dates, requested transportation, additional options such as the horseback riding , rafting, and high ropes course, appropriate discounts, and deposits. If there are errors, please get in touch with the camp office.

All payments must be in the camp office 30 days before arriving at camp. Camp Chief Ouray reserves the right to cancel any registration if the balance due is not received 30 days before the program’s start. Forms and payments are completed online in your CampInTouch account. We strongly suggest you copy all documents and checks mailed to the Camp Chief Ouray office.

Registration and Deposits for 2024

  • Deposits are required for registration into programs at Camp Chief Ouray. $100 per week of the program guarantees a spot.
  • Programs that ask for applications are not charged deposits until all steps are completed, and the camper is accepted into the program.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

If we are required to limit or cancel sessions per the Colorado Department of Health or Grand County Public Health, you may roll over, donate, or be fully refunded all monies paid.

If a family decides to cancel their registration:

  • 30 days or more before your camp session, you may roll over, donate, or be fully refunded all monies paid.
  • Less than 30 days before your camp session, you may roll over, donate, or be refunded fees paid minus the deposit.

Camp Chief Ouray wants to make sure anyone who wants to be at summer camp has a way of attaining it. We do this in many ways; individual scholarships, partnerships with organizations, and third-party sponsors.

You can download the scholarship application here. You can also submit the scholarship application online by registering first and then completing the ‘Scholarship Application (optional)’ under ‘Forms and Documents’ of your CampInTouch account. We are happy to answer questions about any of these scholarships or questions about camp at chiefouray@ymcarockies.org or by calling 970-887-2648.

Seleccione aquí para la solicitud en Español

The following are the healthcare billing procedures should your camper need emergency services provided outside of the CCO health care system:

Insurance and Payments

The healthcare provider will directly bill your insurance company. As the primary provider, you will receive statements. It is your responsibility to get payment to the healthcare provider according to their terms. If your camper is seen in the emergency room, you will receive a physician’s fee statement and an emergency room fee statement separately. If seen in the clinic portion, all procedures are on one statement. If ambulance transportation is provided, a separate fee statement for the Grand County EMS will be mailed to you. Fees charged will vary depending upon the medical services provided. Emergency room fees are substantially higher than the clinic fees. 

Pharmacy Services

The local City Market Pharmacy will provide pharmacy services. If your camper requires prescribed medication, the pharmacy staff will bill your insurance directly whenever possible. If the pharmacy cannot bill your insurance company, the prescription cost for your camper will be charged to the Camp Chief Ouray account. The prescription receipts for individual charges will be mailed to you. Upon receipt, we request reimbursement payment (checks payable to Camp Chief Ouray).

Camp Forms

There are several MANDATORY camp forms you will find in your CampInTouch account under 'Forms and Documents'. Please be sure to have the following documents completed as soon as possible and no later than 30 days before your camper arrives at camp. We encourage you to upload forms, but you may email or fax it to the office if that is not possible. These forms will be saved electronically and not in hard copy format.

Your camper’s health and safety are our priority. Having health forms before your camper arrives at camp is critical for our health care staff.

Physician's Examination

The Colorado state law requires each camper to have a physical within 12 months of the camper’s last day at camp. The physical form must be completed, signed, and dated by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner, including the examiner’s address and telephone number, or by state law; the camper cannot attend camp.

The medication section of the Physician’s Exam form acts the same as a prescription when appropriately completed by your provider. This means that your physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner must complete this section the same way they would write a prescription. Ensure that the lower doctor’s signature section is completed, signed, and dated.

Health History Form

This is required by Childcare Licensing.

Immunization Record

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) lists all required vaccines you can view here. If your camper is not up to date on all required vaccines, you will be required to submit a medical or non-medical exemption which you can learn more and gather the form here. The update to required vaccines and exemptions applies out of state campers as well.

Childcare Licensing requires that camper’s immunization record be on the provided Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Certificate of Immunization Even for out of state campers. Dates may be written on the form provided in your CampInTouch account or a copy of your child’s official Colorado record may be uploaded.

Healthcare Authorization

This form would accompany your camper to the doctor’s office, giving healthcare permission to the Medical Center.

Camper/Guardian Behavior Expectation Agreement

Read, sign and submit this form for all campers, it establishes expectations of conduct during our programs.  It must be signed by both the camper and the parent/guardian.

Information for Counselors

This is a simple “fill in the blank and submit” form that is given to your camper's counselors before you arrive.  Please give the counselors as much information as possible to make your camper's CCO experience the best.

Colorado Fourteener Intitiative Waiver

Campers participating in certain Leadership and Training Programs will need to complete the Colorado Fourteener Intiatitve Waiver to participate in volunteer projects. 

Estes Climbing Waiver

Campers participating in the Adventure Odyssey camp will need to complete the Estes Climbing Waiver. 

Headwaters Trails Alliance Agreement

Campers participating in certain Leadership and Training Programs will need to complete the Headwaters Trails Alliance (HTA) Agreement for volunteer projects. 

Hike to Climb Waiver

All participants in Trekker Hike to Climb must complete the Hike to Climb waiver. 

Horsepack Waiver

Campers participating in the Adventure Horseback and Wrangler in Training programs must complete the Red Feather Guides and Outfitters' waiver. 

Rafting Waivers

  • Campers participating in a rafting trip MUST have the Mad Adventures Rafting Agreement completed online and signed by both the participant and a guardian. This includes Counselor-in-Training participants.
  • Campers doing overnight rafting, including Adventure Rafting and Specialist-in-Training programs, MUST have the Colorado River Center Waiver completed, signed, and submitted.

Health & Screening

Our program is designed with camper health and safety in mind. We have a well-equipped Health Center on camp grounds with two resident nurses in charge of medications and first-aid needs.

Our health care staff are seasonal and reside in the Health Center during each camp season between the last week in May through Labor Day (until the camp season ends). They may be contacted during this time. The year-round administrative staff can make notations regarding specific health needs for your camper’s records during the remainder of the year.

Camp Health Center

Our health care staff contacts parents/guardians if a camper's illness or injury requires treatment by the camp's clinic physicians, if there is a fever of over 100 degrees, vomiting associated with other symptoms, more than two episodes of diarrhea, head or spinal cord injuries, or if the camper is retained in our Health Center for 24 hours. Our resident camp nurses will communicate with the clinic and parents regarding the diagnosis, any necessary medications, and after-care treatment. Camp staff will communicate with parents and guardians if other issues arise during the session.

Taking Medicine at Camp

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications for the common cold, stomach ailments, headaches, cuts, and abrasions are stocked in our Health Center and administered by our Health Center staff according to our camp physician’s standing orders. Contact the camp office if you need more specific information.

Medications and homeopathic treatments are dispensed by our Health Center nursing staff or specially trained staff at the Health Center daily after breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before evening vespers.

Emergency Services

Middle Park Medical Center is 15 minutes away from camp and utilized for emergency services. It offers 24-hour care and consultation. The Middle Park Medical Center is fully staffed 24 hours a day. Grand County EMS services provide ambulance service for emergencies. A staff member will accompany your camper during their transport and the entire clinic visit.

Campers are seen through the emergency room portion of Middle Park Medical Center. The clinic portion cannot always schedule appointments for our campers. The only exception is for any maintenance injection, such as allergy shots. If your camper requires this medical treatment, please call the camp office.

Non Emergency Services

Our camp travel staff provides transportation to and from the clinic for non-emergency trips. A staff member will accompany your camper during their transport and the entire clinic visit. In non-emergency cases, you may wish to take your camper home. You are welcome to discuss this option with our camp nurse.

Trip Services

Health and safety procedures for Adventure/Trekker Trips and Leadership Training Programs are as follows:

  • Staff members are trained in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder and carry a first aid kit on all trips.
  • Staff are trained in evacuation procedures and equipped with maps identifying the closest ranger stations.
  • Staff members carry GPS Garmin InReach devices with messaging capabilities to contact the camp office and emergency personnel.
  • If staff members cannot tend to an emergency, 911 is called. For our wilderness evacuation procedures, please get in touch with the camp office.

Mental Health Services

If a camper confides in our staff the intent to do self-harm, our protocols require us to call mental health services in the county for professional support, which may result in a trip to the Emergency Room. Per our protocols, camp staff is prohibited from transport in these situations. The Grand County Emergency Medical Services or the Grand County Sheriff will transport the camper. Camp staff would accompany the camper in both cases. Any calls home in this situation would come from Mental Health Services and the licensed provider.

Colorado Child Care Services

Child care services are essential in supporting families, and strong families are the basis of a thriving community. Your camper’s education, physical, emotional, and social development will be nurtured in a well-planned and well-run program. 

Licensed facilities make every effort to provide children with a safe and healthy environment. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, physical or sexual abuse may occur. If you believe your camper has been abused, you should seek immediate assistance from the county Department of Social Services. The telephone number to report child abuse in Grand County is 970-725-3331.

For additional information regarding licensing or if you have concerns about a child care facility, please consult:

Colorado Division of Child Care
1575 Sherman Street
Denver, 
Colorado 80203-1714

303-866-5858

All campers will receive a health screening. You will drive through a series of stations upon arrival at the CCO entrance. Expect a long line of cars. 


The healthcare screening consists of but is not necessarily limited to lice check, temperature check, and health screening, with questions regarding your camper’s current health condition. We will need to access each camper’s scalp to conduct the lice check properly. 

Both parent and the camper must talk with the nurses when handing over medication. Campers arriving with medications or homeopathic treatments must be prepared to hand them to the Health Center staff in their original containers.

Bringing Medicine to Camp

Colorado state law stipulates that only medications prescribed by your health care provider may be dispensed at camp. 


Any medicines your camper takes, including but not limited to any maintenance medications; behavioral disorder medications; antibiotics; herbal, homeopathic medicines; vitamins; eye/ear drops; inhalers; epinephrine “epi” pens, etc. must be listed (including dosage) on the Physician’s Exam

If medications are added or changed after the exam, you must bring the medication in the original pharmacy container noting the RX number and physician name. If this is not possible, you or your health care provider will need to provide us with a prescription.

Please send all medications to camp in their original container stating the RX number and physician name. The only exceptions are inhalers and epi-pens, which Health Center Staff must be informed of and can be carried by the camper. Homeopathic treatments must come with parental and physician consent in the original container.

Taking Medicine Home

Parents/guardians will pick up all medications your camper brought from the Cabin Counselor. Campers traveling home by bus or airplane will have their medications returned before their trip home.

Additional Health Information

The following are subject to change based on recommendations from state and local health agencies.

Although Colorado may be at low transmission for infectious diseases, we must remember that our campers visit us worldwide. Safety is and always will be our priority. We will utilize NPIs (Non-pharmaceutical interventions) such as being outdoors, increased rigorous cleaning, hand washing, and mask-wearing for individuals showing symptoms throughout camp for maximum safety.

The most significant request we have is your patience. Our systems are designed for maximum safety, not speed. With this in mind, we have updated our refund policy.

Vaccines

CCO will not require vaccination of campers though we do encourage being vaccinated to assist in community health. Campers who do not meet the required vaccination standards of the CDPH will neeed so submit a medical or non medical exemption form. 

Masks

At this time we do not require campers or staff to wear masks unless they have come in contact with a person with an infectious disease or start to show symptoms of an infectios disease. 

Testing

At this time CCO only conducts a COVID test if a camper or staff member begins to show symptoms. 

We are currently using a tiered approach for all infectious disease scenarios (including norovirus, COVID, etc.) and mitigation plans as follows:

LOW ALERT: Each session, we will start at low alert unless the CDC community spread level in the county is higher.
MEDIUM ALERT: We will move to medium alert if one or more individuals show symptoms or test positive for an infectious disease.
HIGH ALERT: We will move to high alert if five or more individuals show symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. This is considered an outbreak. For other infectious diseases, it is two confirmed cases.

Sickness Before Camp

If COVID-19 symptoms develop before your camp session, we want you to stay home. Please call the camp office if this happens. We will need a doctor’s note giving you clearance to be at camp if you have developed symptoms.

You may move to a later session if there are available spots. 
You may also request to roll over, donate, or be refunded all monies paid with a doctor’s note.

Sickness During Camp

If a camper shows symptoms of COVID-19 at camp, they will be placed in isolation. The family/emergency contact will be asked to pick up their camper. The camper’s cabinmates will be tested, asked to wear masks, and quarantined until test results return. Camp will be placed on MEDIUM ALERT. We will communicate with parents of day campers to monitor their campers for symptoms.

If five or more individuals show symptoms or test positive, camp will report the outbreak to the local health department for guidance, which could include shutting down for a set time frame. All groups will be quarantined, and parents/guardians will be contacted with the next steps. Camp will be placed on HIGH ALERT. During High Alert, all campers and staff must wear masks except for being inside their cabin, eating, drinking, and water-based activities.

If every test returns negative, we will return to LOW ALERT and keep the positive individual in isolation until the parent/guardians come to pick them up. Once the isolated individual has left, we will operate without masks and encourage those who feel more comfortable to wear one.

Fees may be pro-rated for the week in attendance, rolled over, or donated if your camper must return home due to COVID-19.

Sickness After Camp

If you notice symptoms of COVID up to 2 weeks after camp, please notify the office as soon as possible (camper or parents).

Guest Expectations

All guests will be required to wear masks while indoors. If camp is placed on MEDIUM ALERT, masks will be required. Only essential guests will be allowed at camp during HIGH ALERT, and masks will be required at all times.

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