SPREE Summer Camps

SPREE Summer Camp includes hands-on activities, games, crafts, and quiet story time in the afternoon. Campers spend time catching critters in the river, wading ankle-deep in the water, and playing games while doing experiments and hands-on investigations. Activities include sharpening identification skills, practicing ranger skills, studying fish and bugs, investigating rocks and birds, diving into Colorado ecosystems, learning about Colorado state symbols, and practicing scientific observation and identification.

• Ages: 6–14 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, one-week sessions during six weeks in summer 2026, including one bonus week for middle-school-aged campers only
• Price: Campers and Leaders In Training: $400 per child, per week; After Care: $100 per child, per week

SPREE Summer Camps are educational, outdoor, and active programs with structured lessons that are broken up by snacks, free time, quiet time, and other activities. Each week has a special theme that ties directly to the South Platte River and urban waterways, with three unique themes that each run twice over the summer, and camps with the same theme or title have identical curriculum and activities. Campers entering 1–5 grade must be at least 6 years old at the time of their first camp session, and there is a new Junior Park Ranger Camp week for students entering 6th–9th grade in 2026. Summer days are cooled down with frequent water breaks, quiet story time in the afternoon, wading ankle-deep in the river, and adjusting the location or structure of activities if needed. A packing list is provided in camp documents so campers can be prepared for hot summer days and outdoor activities, and there is no air conditioning at SPREE camps, though indoor facilities are available.

SPREE Summer Camps are run by The Greenway Foundation, whose mission is “A cleaner, safer, more accessible river for all.” The Greenway Foundation cares for the South Platte River and its tributaries, and for the people who live, work, and play along its banks. The program includes special guests every week and offers a tiered priority registration system based on level of monthly giving through the FrOG program. The Greenway Foundation also hosts a free family-friendly river festival called CROSSCURRENTS on July 11, 2026.

Testimonials about SPREE programs describe thoughtfully planned guided fieldwork and field trips, with one second/third grade teacher calling it “the best guided fieldwork I have experienced in my 10 years of teaching” and a first grade teacher stating “You guys have the best field trip in the city.” Former participants in related Greenway programs, such as the River Ranger program and The Greenway Leadership Corps, describe discovering a passion for the environment, the outdoors, and earth sciences through their experiences.

Last updated February 23, 2026.