The Program

Girls ages 11 – 13 begin to discover who they are and who they want to be within a sisterhood that is led by a staff of positive and healthy female role models. Silver Saddle cabins reside in the heart of our valley, and are the most traditional of camp cabins providing the perfect environment for girls to create a community of mutual respect and great friendships.

The 4-week program duration is the perfect length for girls to create lasting bonds with their counselors and fellow campers as they realize their full potential and grow into healthy young women.

Saddle counselors develop new activities before each term that are aimed at developing skills, promoting self-confidence, and sparking new interests amongst the campers. Saddle staff create a fun and safe environment where the girls work together to challenge themselves and achieve their goals for the term. Saddle campers participate in two separate three-part activities aimed at honing new skills and exploring their creativity. They’re also given opportunities to try new activities on a daily basis.

During the evening, girls participate in traditional camp activities such as cookouts, campfires, and dances, team building exercises, or come together to create a communal art project. Campers in Silver Saddle participate in two camp-wide, themed special event days where they play games and have fun with campers of all ages. Silver Saddle girls begin the term by building a community within their own camp, and slowly spend more time with their brother camp, Silver Spruce.

The backcountry portion of our program builds long lasting memories and friendships in the pristine wilderness surrounding Colvig Silver Camps. Saddle girls participate in three backcountry camping trips in the Four Corners region, led by their own cabin counselors. The trips progress from a 3-day overnight around camp where counselors teach campers about backcountry travel and setting up camp, to a 4-day further away from camp where the girls can improve their skills, to a final coed 5-day trip with Silver Spruce. These trips can take Saddle campers to the peaks of high mountains, to the banks of peaceful alpine lakes, to southwest waters in a canoe, and to deep canyons in the Utah desert.

A few of Silver Saddle’s trips include:

• Ice Lakes: A 4-day journey to the remarkable Ice Lakes. Admire the crystal clear blue waters of Ice Lake and Island Lake and maybe have a chance to climb one of the surrounding 13,000 ft. peaks.
• Arch Canyon: A 4-day trek through peaceful Arch Canyon. Find a watering hole, see some ancient ancestral pueblo ruins, or see a natural arch in the rock.
• McPhee Canoe: A 5-day float trip across the popular McPhee reservoir near Dolores, CO. Paddle your canoes, camp on a peninsula, explore a rocky cove, or jump into the water from the surrounding rocks.

Silver Saddle is an opportunity for girls to grow among peers under the guidance of positive female role models. Saddle staff members bring hard work and dedication to the task of developing a confident sense of self within campers and establishing meaningful relationships within the Saddle community.