FAQS
We’re here to answer your questions!
If after reading through the FAQs you still have questions, please reach out.
Camp Wojtyla Basics
How long has Camp Wojtyla been running?
Camp Wojtyla began our first pilot program in 2007. It has been quite an adventure since! Summer of 2025 will be our NINETEENTH season!
How many campers do you typically serve?
Camp Wojtyla has almost doubled in size since its humble beginnings! We currently serve 580 campers and over 40 college students. Before 2021, we served around 320 campers each summer, and up to 30 college students.
We are grateful for the growth and love living life to the full with so many new faces each summer!
What is the elevation at camp?
Our base camp is around 7,800 ft above sea level. Backcountry campers travel and sleep at elevations of 8,000-13,500 ft.
Why is Camp Wojtyla different than other camps?
Camp Wojtyla is designed to integrate amazing outdoor adventures with Catholic teaching. We do not separate the adventure from the lesson— the Adventure IS the lesson. For instance, what better way to learn about how we are brothers and sisters in Christ— depending on each other— than working together to reach an intense summit or guiding a raft all together through class III whitewater? We believe that these unique experiences can teach young people about the goodness of God and the life He has for them.
Are you Catholic?
YES! We are Catholic and adhere to every teaching of the Church and remain true to the magisterium. Everything we teach and do at Camp Wojtyla reflects our Catholic identity and faith in Jesus Christ and His Church.
What are your methods of instruction?
At Camp Wojtyla we teach through the adventure. We do not have adventure during the days and then talk about the faith at night. No, the adventure is the first part of that discussion as it is usually the catalyst for understanding the ways of our Lord. For instance, rock climbing requires trust of your belayer, rope and anchor. How is that like your faith? Do you trust God as much you did your belayer? What does the rope represent in your life? What are your anchors? The students begin to make their own connections between rock climbing and the Catholic Faith and their lives back home. They often see that God is in EVERYTHING and that their faith life is their daily life, there is no distinction.
Why are camp Sessions Limited by Camper age and sex?
We believe that males and females are wonderfully and wildly different in ways that benefit from uniquely different programming for each. Similarly, we find that each age group is also best served by programming specific to his or her life stage. Therefore, we are delighted to offer multiple, single-sex, age-appropriate camps for middle school and high school students. We are blessed with the ability to serve our campers in such a tremendous and uniquely tailored way.
How do I know if my child is ready for Camp Wojtyla?
Kids are generally ready for Camp Wojtyla if they are prepared to learn more about their faith, are independent enough to be away from home for a few nights at a time, are able to function in a group environment, and are fit enough for outdoor physical activities. We encourage you to visit our Camper Readiness page for more about our behavioral, health and fitness expectations.
Camper Gear
Where can I find your packing lists?
Packing lists are available in the Parent Information Center. This helpful resource center is available to families of registered campers via the Camp Wojtyla Registration Portal.
Do you any gear available to rent?
Yes! You can rent gear from our online store. Gear that is available for rent for each program is noted on our packing lists.
Communications
Do you allow cell phones or other electronics at camp?
We do not allow cell phones, tablets, or any other type of electronic devices at Camp. Cellular service is virtually non-existent on the mountain. Most importantly, we want Camp Wojtyla to be your child’s chance LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL! Doing this means unplugging, living in the moment, and focusing on recognizing God in His creation.
Of course, some circumstances might warrant a camper bringing electronics to Camp, such as campers who have cell phones for travel. Regardless the reason, ALL campers will be asked to turn in any electronics, or send them home with family, when checking in to Camp. Any electronics that are turned in to our staff will be safely stored and returned to the camper on departure day.
Electronics that are found in a camper’s possession after check-in will be mailed to the camper’s home at the family’s expense.
May I VISIT OR COMMUNICATE WITH MY CHILD WHILE HE/SHE IS AWAY AT CAMP WOJTYLA?
Each session at Camp Wojtyla is intentionally designed to build deep relationships between campers, staff, God, and the natural world. For this reason, phone calls and visits during the session are strongly discouraged, as they can disrupt the immersive camp experience.
Instead, we encourage you to stay connected by writing encouraging letters ahead of time and bringing them with you to check-in day. Our staff will deliver these letters to your child throughout the week in a way that supports the sense of home and belonging we begin cultivating from Day 1. In return, your camper will be given time, materials, and gentle encouragement to write home!
In the event of an emergency or a situation that warrants immediate parental attention, we will be able to call you. Our administrative team has access to an emergency landline on the mountain. This number is not published, as it is reserved for urgent needs and administrative use only. If your family has a vital reason to contact our staff on the mountain—such as a death in the family or a critical early departure—emergency contact information will be provided prior to your child’s arrival.
Finally, we warmly invite you to join us on the final day of Camp for our Closing Ceremony—a joyful celebration that offers a glimpse into your camper’s week and the community that’s been built.
Parent Resources
I’ve submitted my child’s online camper registration, but what do I do next?
Always refer back to your Camp Wojtyla Registration Instructions email to review the steps of the registration process and their due dates. Your next steps are also summarized in the email sent immediately following the submission of your online camper registration.
Review the Camp Wojtyla Parent Handbook provided in that email for full registration instructions, financial policies, travel, camp schedules and more.
You’ll find a full array of Camp Wojtyla resources in the Parent Information Center. There, we’ve provided a link to the Parent Handbook, check-in and check-out times, directions to Camp, packing lists, medical forms, and more. The resource center is available to families of registered campers only and can be accessed through the Camp Wojtyla Registration Portal.
Registration
Do you fill up?
Yes, we do! Not only have we filled up in the past, but each year more people hear about us and send their kids from all over the country. We’ve even had a few campers and counselors from abroad!
How do I sign my child up for Camp?
Each fall, we utilize a lottery system to fill our camper spots for the following summer. Families may enter their children in our lottery through our website when it opens in October. We fill all available camper spots based on a random drawing conducted after the lottery window closes. A waitlist is started with the lottery overflow. Other potential campers may join the waitlist through our website. We fill any vacant spots from our waitlist, lottery overflow first, then others in the order received. Please do not be discouraged by the waitlist! Inevitably, many spots open up after the initial lottery due to changes to campers’ summer plans and other unforeseen circumstances, and we’d love to see your child on the list when it’s time to fill a vacated spot!
Why do you have a lottery?
Because Camp Wojtyla experiences a high demand each registration season, we made the decision a few years back to populate our summer events through the use of a lottery system. This is done in an effort to keep the process as equitable as possible. Through the use of a lottery, Camp Wojtyla can assure that families who are new to Camp, and those with limited internet resources, have the same opportunity as those families who know the system and have had children attend camp year after year. Please note that due to an increase in the programs we are offering, we now have many more camper spots than in the past, resulting in a higher likelihood of lottery selection!
How do I know if my child got in?
After entering our lottery or waitlist, we will email you when your child is being offered a spot at Camp. Be sure to add registrar@camp-w.com to your contacts to ensure our important messages do not get lost to spam!
For those participating in the lottery, results will be sent November 15th or later. If you have not heard anything from us by the last week of November, please check your child’s status by logging into our registration portal via the orange button to the upper left of your screen. If your child has been assigned to a session, the session title and dates will show up next to your child’s name, and our registration instructions email could have been lost or overlooked. Feel free to email us with any questions.
Waitlist offers will be made as soon a spots open up, and families will be given 24-48 hours to consider our offer (depending on the proximity of the session being offered.)
My child got in! Now What is your Registration Process?
Our registration process is 2-part: the primary online camper registration and up to three secondary registrations (our required medical forms and optional scholarship/airport shuttle requests). Your offer email will contain a link to your child’s primary online camper registration, through which we will collect basic details, such as your child’s personal and family information, camping experience and activity level, transportation and scholarship needs, a camper health history, and waivers and acknowledgements of Camp Wojtyla’s policies and guidelines (requires digital signatures). This primary registration is fairly quick and easy, especially if your child was registered in a previous camp year (allow 20 to 30 minutes for completion). At the end of this registration step, you will make payment arrangements online and submit the form for review by our registrar.
Our fall registrants will have until December 15th to complete the primary camper registration and make payment arrangements (November 30th if you would like to request a scholarship). If online registration is not fully completed by the end of December, Camp Wojtyla will deregister your child and fill the vacated spot with a child from our waitlist. Later registrants will be given10-14 days to complete the primary camper registration. Regardless of when your child is invited to join us, we encourage you to complete this portion of the registration sooner than later, especially if you plan to request a scholarship. Secondary registrations will be released to you by email only after the registrar has reviewed and accepted your primary online camper registration.
What is a secondary registration?
Secondary registrations include our required medical forms and optional scholarship/transportation requests. Each secondary registration will have a deadline.
Medical forms registration- consists of a set of forms and requirements that are mandated by the state of Colorado for any child participating in a Colorado overnight summer camp. Access to your medical forms registration and packet will be included with your primary camper registration instructions. Our medical forms process will require a visit with a medical provider and include the following: a physician’s medical release, written medication permission, and documentation of immunization. Only the camp provided forms will be accepted, and they will require signatures from both medical provider and parent.
Scholarship and/or airport shuttle registrations- will be released to you only if these services are requested when your child’s primary online camper registration is completed. The scholarship application and/or transportation request will be released by email after our registrar has reviewed and accepted your primary registration. We encourage you to watch your inbox for our registration-related correspondence so that you can adhere to our deadlines and to help the registration process flow smoothly.
mY CHILD HAS BEEN OFFERED A SPOT AT CAMP, but i can’t find the registration instructions email! wHAT DO i DO NOW?
Parents or guardians of campers with a confirmed spot for our current program year should visit the “Registration Portal” link in the upper right corner of this page to view and complete our online registration information right away. You will use your email address and password to login. Password help is available just below the login fields. Email us at registrar@camp-w.com if you’d like us to resend your registrations instructions email.
How do I update my child’s registration information?
Both the online camper registration and your secondary registrations will become inaccessible after they’ve been submitted for review. This is how we ensure we’re aware and on top of all changes made!
Updates will be emailed to registrar@camp-w.com. For updates made within 3 or fewer days of your camper’s start date, please send or bring a hard copy of the update to check-in. This helps ensure the updates are not lost in the transition of information from the registrar’s office to the mountain.
If you need to update your child’s airport shuttle reservation or online camper registration, please send the new information to us at registrar@camp-w.com. Keep in mind that updates to authorized pick-up persons and emergency contacts must include the person’s name, relationship to camper, address and phone number per state guidelines.
To update your camper’s medical forms, there are a couple of options:
Download a new form from our Parent Information Center, add the updated information, and collect new medical provider and parent signatures where needed.
Edit your existing form as needed, initialling and dating the changes.
How do I contact the registrar’s office?
To help streamline communication and ensure we’re able to focus on time-sensitive tasks that support all camper families, we kindly ask that you email us at registrar@camp-w.com with any questions or concerns. We do our best to respond as promptly as possible.
Please note that there is no direct phone line to the registrar’s office. For matters that cannot be sufficiently addressed by email, we’re happy to schedule a phone call.
For general support with program content or the registration process, we encourage you to continue exploring our FAQs and check out the full program descriptions available on our website. Families of registered campers may also visit the Parent Information Center from their Registration Portal. Many common questions are addressed in these resources.
Registration Fees
How much does it cost to attend Camp Wojtyla?
Registration fees vary by program and year. Fees for the current or upcoming year are released no later than October 1st every year. They will be listed, along with a full program description, on each program overview page.
What does the camper Registration fee cover?
The camper fees charged at registration cover about 45% of the actual cost of Camp Wojtyla. From the rising costs of food to the inherently costly reality of land leases and incredible opportunities in the wilderness, Camp Wojtyla is a labor of love and exists only because of the prayers and contributions of the many generous individuals and families who faithfully support this mission.
What are my payment options?
An initial payment towards registration fees is required to complete our online camper registration process and save your child’s camper spot. Registration fees may be paid as a lump sum, or families may take advantage of our payment installment program. All fees must be paid in full prior to the start of camp; therefore, the number of installments offered depends on how early payments are begun.
Are Registration Fees refundable?
Registration fees are partially refundable through April 15. Cancellations before that date will incur an incremental administrative fee, based on the month of withdrawal:
December – $100
January – $150
February – $200
March – $300
April 1–15 – $400
Because it becomes increasingly difficult to fill vacated spots as our program dates approach, registration fees are non-refundable after April 15.
Scholarships
What kind of scholarships are Available?
Thanks to a number of generous supporters, Camp Wojtyla offers partial-tuition scholarships for each program throughout the summer, usually 25-60% of the registration fees owed. Scholarship awards are based on family need and the amount of funding available. We never want finances to be the reason a child does not experience Camp Wojtyla; therefore, we take each family's situation into account and do our very best to offer some scholarship amount to every family that applies.
How do I apply for a scholarship?
To apply for a scholarship, families must have a child registered for the upcoming summer at Camp Wojtyla. The family can request a scholarship application when completing the child’s primary online camper registration. The online camper registration must be SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW before a scholarship application will be released to the family. A monthly payment plan and an initial fee payment is required up front to submit the camper registration and secure the camper’s spot. The brief scholarship application is released by email after the registrar has reviewed the submitted registration to confirm that the above requirements have been met. We do not release our scholarship applications before a camper has registered. This helps us ensure that funding is directed fairly and efficiently only to families who are invested in sending their children to Camp Wojtyla. So that there is no financial risk to our potential scholarship applicants, if the funds offered are not enough to offset the cost of Camp for the family, they will have 10 days from the date of their award notification to request a refund of all fees paid.
Is there a deadline for turning in the scholarship application?
Lottery winners whose families would like to apply for a scholarship must submit their online camper registration by November 30 to receive a scholarship application. Our first and largest round of scholarship applications will be due by Dec. 5th and will be processed that month. Award amounts will be based on the number of applicants and need indicated by each family. Later scholarship applications will still be considered. They will be due by the 5th of each month to be processed that month. Applications received after the 5th may be processed the following month. Award decisions will be based on both family need and the amount remaining in our scholarship fund.
Staff
Where do you find your staff?
Every year, we receive around 400 initial applications for our 38-40 available staff positions. People hear about us through friends, internet searches, Catholic publications, conferences, recruitment trips and other sources as well. Most of college students hear about us through our partnership with FOCUS the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Every year we attend their SEEK conference. We work closely with many Camp W alumni and missionaries around the country to help spread the word to well formed Catholic leaders that are looking to grow deeper in their faith and who are wanting to spend their summer in service.
Does your staff undergo a background check?
All of our Camp Wojtyla staff are required to complete a fingerprinting and background check process at the state and national (FBI) level. Though state licensing allows summer camp programs to forgo FBI checks, we go above and beyond the the law to ensure the highest level of safety and excellence possible.
Are your staff certified in the Virtus, Protecting God’s Children, program?
Every staff member at Camp Wojtyla has attended the Virtus, Protecting God’s Children, training session. Our staff are highly trained through this program and other components of our staff training to see the physical and emotional safety our campers as our highest priority.
What is the ratio of campers to staff?
Every week of middle school programming has a maximum of 60 campers while our high school programming has a maximum of 80 campers. Our staff consists of 40 well formed, highly trained individuals ready to serve as role models and mentors. That’s a 2:1 ratio!
Within each small group there are 2-3 counselors for every 8-10 campers. We believe in the power of discipleship, investing in the life of another, sharing not only Christ but our very lives as well (2 Thess 2:2).
Standards & Safety
Are you licensed by the state?
Yes, Camp Wojtyla falls under the state’s Child Care Licensing umbrella with the Department of Human Services. We undergo inspections by the state and we adhere to their rules and regulations. Often our protocols go above and beyond what is required of us by the state.
How do you provide such excellent rock climbing and white water rafting experiences?
We believe that Camp Wojtyla should provide the best of everything. That most certainly includes our climbing company and white water rafting company. Our climbing company, KMAC has been serving the Estes Park area for over 25 years with an incredible reputation of service, safety and experience! Our white water rafting company, The Adventure Company, came to us after MUCH research. We chose them because of their unheard of policy of NO FIRST YEAR RAFT GUIDES. Experience is a wise teacher and the The Adventure Company only hires raft guides with four plus years of experience. Both companies allow us to guide the conversations and teachings within each element while they provide the safest experience possible.
What is the level of training for physical and spiritual formation?
At Camp Wojtyla we train our staff for a total of three weeks— far beyond the industry average of one to two week staff training periods. In addition to the three weeks of training during the summer, a large number of our staff also choose to attend an additional 10 day certification course to become Wilderness First Responders (WFR). All our staff undergo extensive training in: risk management procedures and judgment in the field-- how to mitigate risk and avoid needless dangerous situations altogether through proper planning and foresight; the Processing Pinnacle; how to extract powerful meaning and connections from every experience at Camp Wojtyla; how to teach archery and high line safety and procedures; teamwork and team communication; conflict resolution; the New Evangelization; how to teach the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church; Salvation History and the Gospels; high-alpine terrain travel; rock climbing safety practices; the conscious use of metaphor; map reading and how to teach topographic maps to campers.
What does your safety training look like?
Our staff study the human and environmental components of risks and learn how to mitigate these possible risks through proper planning and sound decision making. We take them through classroom analysis of these topics, studying topics like lightning, weather, high alpine terrain, wildlife, medical scenarios, group dynamics and sound leadership as well as in action through long, rigorous high alpine summits, rock climbing at 10,000 feet for upwards of ten hours and hours of practicing wilderness scenarios.
Travel
WHERE IS CAMP WOJTYLA? HOW DO I GET THERE?
We are located near Jamestown, CO, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, about a 40 minute drive from Boulder, and 90 minutes from Denver. Once your child has a confirmed spot with camp, we will provide you with detailed directions and address information so you may make your travel arrangements.
MY CHILD DOES NOT LIVE IN COLORADO AND MAY BE FLYING IN TO ATTEND CAMP WOJTYLA. CAN YOU ASSIST WITH TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (DIA)?
We certainly can! We offer an airport shuttle to and from Denver International Airport for a nominal fee. Once you have a confirmed spot at camp, you will have an opportunity to request airport transfer assistance within the online camper registration. Your request will alert our registrar team that your child will need airport transportation, then access to your “Airport Shuttle” registration, along with additional information regarding our transportation procedures, will be emailed to you. Do keep in mind that our shuttles only follow a route to and from the Denver International Airport and Camp Wojtyla. We do not deviate for any reason from these routes and we cannot make stops in between. In addition, our shuttle schedule can accommodate ONLY those arriving at Denver International BEFORE 12:30 pm (mountain time) on the first day of camp and departing AFTER 4 pm (mountain time) on the last day of camp.
My child is under 18. Can he or she fly alone?
Different airlines set different minimum age ranges for minors who will be flying alone. Children who an airline will not allow to fly alone are called Unaccompanied Minors. An airline defines an Unaccompanied Minor (UAM) as a child who must fly with either an accompanying adult or older child, or under the supervision of airline staff for an additional fee. Airline personnel are required to hold Unaccompanied Minors at the arrival gate until retrieved by an authorized adult. Unaccompanied minor age limits are defined by each airline’s UAM policy. Here’s a useful online article regarding the minor policies of most major, domestic airlines. Though unaffiliated with Camp, it may assist you in determining which airline will best meet your child’s needs. Please read below for Camp Wojtyla’s policies on Unaccompanied Minors.
What if my child has to fly as AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR?
For an additional fee, Camp Wojtyla offers an Unaccompanied Minor service ONLY to campers who required by airline policy to fly as an “Unaccompanied Minor”. In addition, because we have a limited number of staff assigned to our airport shuttles, we can accept only a limited number of Unaccompanied Minors on each shuttle trip. Therefore, campers who will need a Camp Unaccompanied Minor escort must get approval from our Registrar BEFORE purchasing an UAM ticket. Approval may be requested by emailing our registrar at registrar@camp-w.com.
Camp’s Unaccompanied Minor service includes a vetted Camp escort who will pick up the UAM at his or her arrival gate and drop-off the UAM with airline personnel for departure. This is the only situation where Camp Staff will go behind TSA screening during the arrival process. When a child is not considered an “Unaccompanied Minor” by his or her airline, but the parent or guardian is uncomfortable with them making their way through the airport to the designated meeting location, we suggest that a family member or friend accompany the child on their journey. Do know that we will provide very explicit instructions (with pictures) on how to locate the designated meeting site within the airport. We’ve had very few issues with kids locating our staff in the past.