Tour and hike the historic YMCA Camp Santa Maria

Come on a guided tour of the historic buildings in the YMCA Camp Santa Maria situated along the south side of the South Platte River west of Bailey, Colorado. After the tour, we'll hike the steep hill behind the camp to see the 55 foot tall statue of Christ the King, claimed to be second in height to the famous statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Later, as an option, we'll hike the trails behind the statue in the Pike National Forest or enjoy a easy walk around the camp alongside the river.

If interested, the YMCA staff will serve us a lunch starting at $10.00 or more per person at 12 Noon. Please RSVP as soon as possible for the guided tour and if you are interested in the lunch.

For those interested in the lunch, once I get a head count, I'll get the menu selection from the YMCA camp staff.

Here is a little history of the Santa Maria camp written by historian Thomas J. Noel.

"Another Catholic summer camp origi-nated with
the old resort of Cassells on the South Platte River.
The resort had been launched as a stop along the
Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad by David
N. Cassells, the agent there, in the 1880s. In 1930,
J.K. Mullen's son-in-law, John L. Dower, and his
wife, purchased the place, located 8.3 miles west of
Bailey, from Cassells estate and gave it to Catholic
Charities as a summer camp for underprivileged
boys and girls between the ages of eight and
fifteen. By 1931, the freshly rechristened Camp
Santa Maria was offering three-week summer
sessions, during which youngsters slept in the old
Cassells hotel.
The landmark atop the hill behind the camp, a
fifty-five-foot statue of Christ the King donated in
1933 by the Dowers, is supposedly second in height
only to the famous statue of Christ in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. Although the old hotel and
Cassells-Dower summer house have been
demolished, Camp Santa Maria still delights young
summer visitors to this mountain retreat along the
upper South Platte River. Since the 1950s, the
Mary Mullen Dower Benevolent Corporation has
leased Camp Santa Maria to Catholic Community
Services, which offers not only children's summer
camping but also retreats and autumn camping for
senior citizens. "

Now the YMCA of Boulder Valley in partnership with the Mary M. Dower Benevolent Corporation, a non-profit family foundation, manages Camp Santa Maria. "YMCA of Boulder Valley Camp Santa Maria opened in the spring of 2007. The YMCA of Boulder Valley and the Mary M. Dower Benevolent Corporation share the common goal of providing camp and recreational opportunities for all youth."