The Program

Boys ages 11 – 13 develop a strong sense of self and camaraderie within a brotherhood that promotes respect led by a staff of positive and healthy male role models. Silver Spruce campers enter their treehouse cabins by way of a secret hatch underneath the cabin providing the perfect setting for a boy’s summer adventure!

The 4-week program duration is the ideal length for boys to create strong bonds with their counselors and fellow campers as they realize their full potential and grow into healthy young men.

Counselors create an entirely new activity schedule at the beginning of each term, which brings fresh and engaging ideas into the program. The activities Spruce staff develop are catered to the age, skill-range, and interests of Spruce campers. Activities introduce campers to new interests as well as hone old skills. Twice during the term, Spruce campers will partake in a three-part activity that’s designed to develop new skills, or have fun around themed activities. Each day Spruce counselors offer new free-choice activities to give the campers an opportunity to try new things. On any given day campers in Spruce may be learning to fish or build shelters, while others have elected to play basketball or even drum on trash cans in the Spruce-man group activity.

During the evening, the boys participate in traditional camp activities such as cookouts, campfires, and dances, or come together to play capture the flag and do team building exercises. Spruce campers join the rest of camp for two themed special event days where they get to have fun with campers of all ages. The boys in Silver Spruce begin the term by building a community within their camp, and slowly spend more time with their sister camp, Silver Saddle.

The backcountry portion of our program builds long lasting memories and friendships in the pristine wilderness surrounding Colvig Silver Camps. Spruce boys 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 boys can improve their skills, to a final coed 5-day trip with Silver Saddle. These trips can take Spruce 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 Spruce’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 Spruce is an opportunity for boys to grow among peers under the guidance of positive male role models. Spruce 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 Spruce community.