Organization · Trails
Colorado Mountain Club
The Colorado Mountain Club has been guiding families and young adventurers into the Rockies since 1912, offering youth programs, peak climbs, and volunteer trail work across the state. It is one of the oldest and largest mountaineering organizations in the country, with chapters from Denver to Durango ready to welcome beginners.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, profiles the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC), a nonprofit founded in 1912 that organizes guided hikes, peak climbs, youth education programs, and volunteer trail stewardship throughout Colorado. The page explains how families with children roughly ages 4 to 14 can join a local chapter, participate in youth programs like CMC Youth Education, attend family-friendly trips, and volunteer together on trail crews. Key facts include the organization's statewide chapter network, tiered membership options, and the range of skill levels accommodated on club outings. The page is intended to help parents decide whether the CMC is a good fit for their family's outdoor goals.
| Region | Colorado statewide |
|---|---|
| Season | Year-round, most trips May through October |
| Headquarters | Golden, Colorado |
| Best age range | 8 to 14 for youth programs; all ages on family trips |
| Membership required | Yes, for most programs |
What the Colorado Mountain Club is
Founded in 1912, the Colorado Mountain Club is one of the oldest mountaineering and hiking organizations in the United States. It is a nonprofit with a membership of several thousand people spread across chapters in Denver, Boulder, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins), Southwest (Durango), and beyond. The club's original mission was straightforward: get people into the mountains safely and keep them coming back. That mission holds today. The CMC organizes hundreds of trips every year, from half-day wildflower walks to multi-day wilderness expeditions. It also maintains a strong education arm, trains trip leaders, and partners with land managers to keep Colorado's high-country trails in good shape.
Programs built for young hikers
The CMC runs a Youth Education Program designed to introduce school-age kids to mountain travel, wilderness skills, and environmental awareness. Courses are hands-on and take place outdoors, covering map reading, Leave No Trace principles, plant and animal identification, and basic mountaineering movement on terrain that matches the group's experience. Some chapters also organize dedicated family outings where parents and children travel together under the guidance of a trained CMC leader. The club's youth programming tends to work best for kids roughly eight and up who can handle several miles on trail, though specific requirements vary by trip and chapter. Younger children often attend family-category trips alongside parents rather than in standalone youth courses.
How a family joins and gets started
Membership is the entry point. The CMC offers individual and family membership tiers, giving access to the club's trip calendar, member pricing on courses, and the chapter network near your home. Once you're a member, you browse upcoming trips through the online database, filter by difficulty rating and location, and sign up directly. Each trip listing shows the leader's name, the expected mileage and elevation gain, the physical demand rating, and any prerequisites. For families new to organized hiking clubs, attending a local chapter meeting or a beginner hike is a low-stakes way to see how the club operates before committing to anything more ambitious. The club's website lists chapter contacts for every region of the state.
Volunteering together on Colorado trails
Trail work is one of the most tangible things a family can do with the CMC. The club's conservation and trails committee organizes volunteer days throughout the warm months, clearing drainage, repairing tread, and removing invasive plants on routes across Colorado. Many of these projects welcome kids ten and older when accompanied by a parent, though some crews do set a minimum age for safety reasons. Working a trail with your hands alongside rangers and other club members is a different kind of outdoor education than a hike, and kids tend to remember it. The CMC also partners with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and other land stewardship groups on larger restoration projects, so volunteer opportunities can extend beyond the club's own schedule.
Who the CMC fits best
The Colorado Mountain Club is an especially strong fit for families who already live in Colorado or visit regularly and want a structured, community-based way to explore the mountains. It rewards families willing to invest a little time learning the club's systems, because the depth of the trip calendar and the quality of trained leadership are the real payoff. Families with kids who are curious, reasonably fit, and comfortable with early starts will find the most opportunities. The club is not primarily a drop-off program; parents are expected to participate on most family and youth trips. If your household goal is to reach a fourteener summit together, the CMC's peak-climb trips and mountaineering courses offer a clear, well-supervised pathway to get there.
After your first hike or trail workday with a club or group, write down one thing you learned from another person on the trail that you could not have figured out on your own.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Colorado Mountain Club have programs specifically for kids?
Yes. The CMC runs a Youth Education Program with outdoor courses covering hiking, navigation, and wilderness skills. Many chapters also schedule family trips open to parents and children together. Age requirements vary by program, so check the specific trip or course listing on the CMC website.
Do we need to be experienced hikers to join CMC trips?
No. The CMC rates its trips by difficulty and physical demand, ranging from easy walks to technical climbs. Beginner and easy-rated outings are a genuine on-ramp for families new to organized hiking. The trip database lets you filter by experience level before signing up.
Can our family volunteer on trail projects with the CMC?
In most cases, yes. The CMC organizes volunteer trail days throughout the hiking season and many welcome children ten and older when a parent is present. Some projects set a higher minimum age for safety. Contact your local chapter or check the club's conservation page for current volunteer schedules.
How much does CMC membership cost?
The CMC offers individual and family membership tiers at annual rates. Pricing is listed on the club's website and has historically been in the range typical for outdoor nonprofits, with discounts sometimes available for students and seniors. Membership includes access to the full trip calendar and reduced pricing on courses.