Spend this summer in the mountains of Colorado and play a positive role in a child's life!

May 7th Hiring update: Camp Granite Lake is looking to fill our last male-identifying cabin counselor roles! We are unable to accept any more international applicants at this time.

Dear Potential Camp Granite Lake Staff Member,

We’re honored that you are considering a position at Camp Granite Lake for the 2026 summer! Working at camp is a unique experience that is fun, rewarding, and challenging. We all step away from technology and build meaningful connections with nature and each other.

Because camp is both a workplace and a community, it’s important that the fit between staff member and camp feels right for you and us.

At Camp Granite Lake, we believe in creating a welcoming environment for everyone. Here are the values that guide us:

Community & belonging: Summer camp hasn’t always been known for being diverse, but we are working to make it more accessible and welcoming for staff and campers from a variety of backgrounds.

Kindness & respect: Words and actions matter. We expect staff to treat each other and campers with respect, including using people’s chosen names and pronouns. We don’t tolerate language or behavior that demeans others.

Inclusion: Some of our campers and staff identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We support them fully, including in housing arrangements that match the gender where they feel most comfortable.

Health & safety: All members of the camp community are required to be fully immunized, and for staff, that includes at least one COVID vaccine at some point in the past.

Learning, growth, and grace: Everyone comes to camp with different experiences and perspectives. We know mistakes will happen. What matters is that people are open to learning, asking questions, and moving forward. At CGL, we believe in “calling people in” — offering support and conversation — rather than “calling people out” in ways that shut others down, and having grace when people have good intentions, but don’t get it quite right.

Submitting an application to work at Camp Granite Lake is a commitment to believing we can make the world a kinder, gentler, and more inclusive place by being great role models for campers. We will be doing this work together, with good intentions and great care for one another, and we hope you will join us.

We hope you find alignment with our values and look forward to the possibility of working with you next summer.

Sincerely, 
Abbie, Ellie, Barry & Tommy (CGL Directors)                                              September, 2025

About Camp Granite Lake

Camp Granite Lake offers 20-day sessions for campers entering 2nd-10th grades, a Counselor In Training program for 11th graders, and 5-night Mini Camps for elementary aged campers, where they make lifelong memories and friends. We offer over 25 activities, including sailing, rock climbing, ceramics, ecology, culinary, DnD, kayaking, woodworking, and more!

We are looking for staff members who are interested in helping us build a supportive community, who are willing to work hard, and who want to create an environment where the decisions we make while at camp and off-site are made with our responsibility to the campers in mind. 

Our staff members play an integral role in providing a fun, enriching and memorable experience for our campers. We value staff members who are willing to commit themselves to a summer of living in a supportive, tech-free community, who are focused on building positive relationships with campers and peers, and enjoy creating a connection with the natural world around them. We train and empower our staff with skills and memories they can take with them to their lives outside of camp.

Follow this link to view our FAQ page!

Staff play the ultimate role in supporting CGL’s philosophy and program. They are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and ‘un-plugged’ environment, where campers and staff live and work collaboratively, and create connections with each other, and the natural world around them. They are willing to work hard and to create a ‘kid first’ environment, where the decisions we make day to day, in and out of camp reflect the commitment we've made to working with children. 

Our staff’s education and experience are very diverse; everything from staff who went to or have worked at camp, to those who are studying to be teachers in either a community college or university, to people taking a gap year, to people studying in a field completely unrelated to education, to folks who are working. More important than any previous job experience or education, is the desire to be a great role model for children and the willingness to learn and work hard.

There are some ‘technical’ activities at camp that demand ‘hard skills’, but we look at personality traits first. Here are qualities that we look for in potential candidates:

• good at building one on one relationships
• able to manage stress and conflict
• willing to work hard
• problem solving
• caring and empathetic
• collaborative and communicative
• flexible and able to adapt to different environments

We provide room and board to all staff. Counselors live in a cabin with 6-12 campers within one of our three age groups and live with 1 - 2 other co-counselors. Camp Granite Lake does not have separate counselor quarters. Cabins are comfortable and rustic; some have adjacent bathrooms and others utilize a central bathhouse.

We provide 3 meals a day, as well as some snacks for staff. Meals are eaten with campers in our dining hall. We are able to accommodate a range of special diets, such as gluten free and vegan. There is more information about special diet and allergy accommodations and limitations in the staff application.

Staff have access to Wi-Fi in our staff lounge during down time and their time off.

• Access to Pro-Deal discounts like Chaco, Kavu, and many more through Outdoor Prolink

• Certifications: We provide First Aid and CPR courses to all our staff, and the potential to receive your Lifeguarding Certification.

• Explore Colorado: Access to Denver and Boulder, the Rocky Mountains, and small mountain towns on your days off!

• Access to mental health support through Dear Scout, provided by CGL.

• Gain valuable experience and references – we love supporting great staff on their journeys after camp!

• Room and Board, valued at $2,000

• Most Importantly: A positive impact on a camper’s life and the camp community!

Camp Granite Lake is less than hour from Boulder, Denver, and Rocky Mountain National Park!

Getting to Camp: Many staff drive, carpool to camp, or get dropped off, others fly into Denver International Airport (we provide transportation to and from the airport to camp!). If you drive to camp, there is a staff parking lot, and having a car can be helpful during your time off. We factor the cost of travel to camp into your summer salary.

Transportation During the Summer: Many staff bring a car to camp, and we do our best to spread out staff with vehicles across different days off. If you are driving, we ask that you come with a willingness to help your peers, even if that just means giving someone a ride down the mountain before going your separate ways.

If at any point during the summer you find it challenging to arrange transportation for your time off, please communicate with the year-round director team. We know how important days off are and want to support staff in making the most of them!

While our camp programs and property have a lot to offer, here are some highlights for staff time off:

• Hiking and Camping: CGL is surrounded by world-famous hiking! Whether you’re new to the hiking game or experienced, our region offers it all. Between alpine lakes, peak wildflower season, and views of countless mountains, you will find more trails than you could possibly hike in a summer! After a day of hiking, there’s nothing like settling down in a cozy campsite. There are many dispersed camping sites and full-service campsites near CGL for a night off under the stars.

• Music and Events: Summer in Colorado is filled with the best music and event line-ups! Of course, we have Red Rocks Amphitheater, which is less than an hour away, but among the many other venues the Front Range has to offer are the numerous outdoor concerts that pop up in local parks in the summer (and most of them are free). Besides concerts, there is always a farmers market or a large scale event, like Pride, that is sure to happen on one of your days off.

• Epic Outdoor Activities: If hiking doesn’t quite scratch the adventure itch, the Front Range is full of choices when it comes to outdoor sports and adventures! Take your pick from horseback riding in the mountains, rock climbing in Boulder Canyon, or even tubing down Clear Creek in Golden (and so many more!).

• Mountain Town Exploring: With Boulder being only 40 minutes away and Denver being 50 minutes away, any necessities are easy to pick up on time off, but some of the best towns to explore are the smaller mountain towns. Visit Breckenridge to experience an off-season ski town surrounded by 12,000 ft peaks, Nederland for a quirky and historic town nearby, or Estes Park for delicious eats and views of Rocky Mountain National Park.

• Shopping and Dining: For shopping, you can expect all your normal standbys in both Denver and Boulder and extensive options for outlet malls. Whether you’re in the big city or a small town, the thrift store scene is rich with secondhand outdoor apparel and options for Fancy Friday at camp. Colorado has become a melting pot for cuisine and has award-winning restaurants and lots of local staples that offer a wide range of options to fit every flavor profile and dietary need.