Our History
The Beginning
In the late 1940’s an idealistic young couple had a vision of a better world. In the years just after World War II, Laura and Sandy Sanborn had a dream of creating a place where young people could learn to live together in the out-of-doors. They bought 480 acres of land in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado and, in 1948, they welcomed four boys to Big Spring Ranch. Now, almost 70 years later, the Colorado Outdoor Education Center - comprised of Sanborn Western Camps, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, and The Nature Place Conference Center - provides outdoor experiences for thousands of children and adults each year.
The Camp Grows
Throughout the 1960’s the staff grew in proportion to the number of campers, bringing expertise in education, knowledge of the outdoors, and skills in working with children. Under the direction of Sandy and Laura, these talented staffers extended the original educational vision of the Sanborns to a growing number of youngsters. Facilities, land, and learning centers grew to keep pace with the educational goals of the camps. Learning centers were developed which include a working cattle ranch, a restored 1890’s homestead, two astronomy observatories, a simulated Ute Indian tipi village, a rebuilt frontier sawmill, and geological collecting sites. The Interbarn, an interpretive science center, contains active displays, a library, and a wide variety of scientific equipment.
High Trails Outdoor Education Center
As a logical outgrowth of the educational emphasis of the camps, an innovative outdoor education program was developed in 1967 alongside local school districts. A pilot program with one class of fifth graders from Colorado Springs was the beginning of a residential outdoor education program that to date has served over 130,000 elementary students, 20,000 high school students, and 8,000 teachers from districts throughout the state. In 1978, The Nature Place was built as a conference center where adults could also enjoy and learn in the out-of-doors. Business executives, families, educators, scientists and many other groups have enjoyed conferences and retreats at the Nature Place.