ACA, Rocky Mountain Fall Conference

Date

November 12-14, 2025

Location

The Nature Place
Florissant, CO

Register Here!

Cost

Registration details below.

CECs

8.75

Whether you're decompressing after a whirlwind summer or planning for the year ahead, this regional gathering at The Nature Place, November 12–14, offers space to reconnect, recharge, and refocus.

Here's what you'll gain at the Rocky Mountain Fall Conference:

Unpack the summer – Celebrate wins, reflect on challenges, and swap solutions with peers who truly get it.
Plan for the off-season – Dive into collaborative sessions on marketing, staffing, risk management, programming, and more.
Connect with your people – Build relationships, spark new ideas, and return home re-energized and supported.

This event is designed for camp professionals at all levels — directors, leadership staff, and anyone looking to grow in their role. Expect a dynamic keynote, relevant breakout sessions, an exhibit hall, and meaningful moments of connection in a beautiful mountain setting.

Please check out all the details below for all of your needs, including registration, scholarships, how to nominate someone for an award, and why your boss should support you and this professional development opportunity.

Attendees outdoors at The Nature Place in 2024.

We’re now accepting session proposals for the ACA, Rocky Mountain Conference!

The Rocky Mountain Planning Committee invites you to submit your ideas for engaging, relevant sessions that inspire and support fellow camp professionals. The Call for Proposals is open through Friday, October 3.

Check out the guidelines and submit your proposal using the form below. We can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to share!

Call for Proposal Form

Register early to get the best deal! Early Bird pricing is the lowest available and includes lodging, meals, and all programming. Prices increase beginning Tuesday, October 7, so don't wait!

Register Here!

This is a bargain—and we mean it. Your conference registration covers everything you need for a meaningful, refreshing, and fun professional development experience:

2 nights of lodging at The Nature Place—these aren’t just bunk beds! Think hotel-style comfort with a camp vibe.
6 delicious meals, starting with dinner on Wednesday and wrapping up with lunch on Friday.
All educational content, including workshops, keynote presentations, TED-style talks, panels, and facilitated discussions.
Access to the exhibit hall—meet vendors, explore new gear, and get outfitted for the year ahead!
Evening socials & networking time—because great conversations happen after hours too.
Connection, reflection, and inspiration alongside incredible camp professionals from across the region.

For the cost, it’s one of the best professional development investments you can make all year.

Type	Early-Bird (Ends 10/7)	Standard (Ends 11/3)	Final Wave
Member	$425	$475	$500
Nonmember	$475	$525	$550
Commuter Member	$325	$325	$325
Commuter NonMember	$375	$375	$375
Speaker	$300	$300	$300

Standard registration includes shared lodging in double or triple-occupancy rooms. A limited number of single rooms are available upon request.

To inquire about single room availability, please contact Anne Izard at [email protected] or 765-349-3537.

Why Registration Costs Go Up

We encourage you to register early—not just to save money, but to help us plan the best possible event!

As we get closer to the conference, our team is busy finalizing meals, lodging, room setups, materials, and more. We’ve contracted with our host site in advance and must submit our final participant numbers well before the event begins. Late additions are always welcome when possible—but they add extra complexity during an already busy time.

Registering early helps us serve everyone better—and ensures you get the full experience without the scramble. Thanks for helping us make it all happen smoothly!

Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!

Each Local Council of Leaders (LCOL) in the ACA Western Region has set aside funds to help make our Fall 2025 events more accessible. These funds are intended to make professional development more accessible by offsetting registration costs—which, for many events, also include meals and lodging.

Scholarship Form

Eligible Applicants:

ACA members who live or work in the Western Region (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY).

ACA membership is required unless you are a currently enrolled student.
If you’re not yet a member, you can sign up for a free one-year membership at acacamps.org/membership/individuals. Once you receive your membership number, you can return and complete this form.

Previous recipients of Western Region PD scholarship funds are welcome to apply, but first-time applicants may be given priority.

Application Deadlines: Scholarship applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority deadlines listed below. We encourage you to apply at least 4 weeks before your event to ensure full consideration.

Northern California Campference (Oct. 14–16): Apply by Sept. 16
Southwest Campference (Oct. 22–24): Apply by Sept. 23
Cascadia Campference (Nov. 3–5): Apply by Oct. 3
Rocky Mountain Fall Conference (Nov. 12–14): Apply by Oct. 14

Applications submitted after the priority date may still be considered if funds remain available. Applicants will be notified a week after the deadline if not before.

Application Tips:

Please complete all questions in the application form.
Be thoughtful and thorough in your response to why you want to attend. This answer carries the most weight in the review process.
Scholarships are meant to support your professional growth and connection within the camp field—don’t hesitate to let us know how this experience will help you lead, learn, and thrive.

Scholarship Form

2025 Rocky Mountain Conference Schedule

***We are still working out the details of this schedule. Please Stay Tuned***

Wednesday, November 12

10:30 a.m.-- 1:30 p.m. | Pre-Conference Gatherings
- Emerging Professionals in Camping Workshop
- Colorado Camps Network Meeting
2:00 p.m.-- 3:00 p.m. | Registration + Move-In
3:00 p.m.-- 5:30 p.m. | Opening workshop + Kick-off!
5:15 p.m.-- 6:30 p.m. | Happy Hour + Awards
6:30 p.m.-- 7:30 p.m. | Dinner
7:45 p.m.-- 9:00 p.m. | Evening Activity (Games + Campfire Chats)

Thursday, November 13

7:00 a.m.--8:00 a.m. | Morning Yoga + Nature Walk
8:00 a.m.--9:00 a.m. | Breakfast + Affinity Groups
9:15 a.m.--10:45 a.m. | Opening Keynote by The Flourish Lab
11:00 a.m.--12:15 p.m. | Workshop 1
12:15 p.m.--1:15 p.m. | Lunch + Table Topics
1:30 p.m.--2:45 p.m. | Workshop 2
3:00 p.m.--4:15 p.m. | Workshop 3
4:15 p.m.--6:30 p.m. | Exhibit Hall
6:30 p.m.--7:30 p.m. | Dinner
7:45 p.m.--9:00 p.m. | Fall Conference Fun

Friday, November 14

7:00 a.m.--8:00 a.m. | Morning Yoga + Nature Walk
8:00 a.m.--9:00 a.m. | Breakfast + Pack-up
9:00 a.m.--10:15 a.m. | Workshop 4
10:30 a.m.--11:45 p.m.| Closing Exercise
11:45 p.m.-1:00 p.m. | Lunch & Departure

We’re excited to bring back the Rocky Mountain EPIC (Emerging Professionals in Camping) Preconference! This free, half-day gathering is for newer camp leaders across all roles—a chance to connect, reflect, and build your community before the main event begins.

Free EPIC Preconference:
🗓️ Wednesday, November 12 — 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Just before the Rocky Mountain Conference kickoff. (registration coming soon)

Colorado Camps Network Meeting:
🗓️ Wednesday, November 12 — 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Just before the Rocky Mountain Conference kickoff. (more details coming soon)

Stay tuned for more details on additional preconference offerings.

The Nature Place is a year-round conference facility and educational center located one hour west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It offers a unique combination of modern facilities amid the splendor of pine and aspen forests. Housing will be in studio apartments, each with a fireplace, sitting area, work station with wireless internet, and full bath.

It’s professional development with ROI.
This isn't a fluffy retreat—it’s targeted growth. Attendees gain practical tools, strategic insights, and peer-driven solutions they can bring directly back to camp operations, staffing, risk management, programming, and more.
It’s incredibly cost-effective.
For just one price, registration includes high-quality workshops, a keynote, rich discussions, all your meals, lodging, social and networking time, access to vendors, and time in a beautiful location. It’s an unbeatable value for meaningful professional development—and a smart investment for any organization.
It helps retain great staff.
Want to keep passionate, talented team members? Invest in their development. Giving your staff space to connect, learn, and be inspired increases loyalty, motivation, and creativity.
It’s a think tank, not a lecture hall.
This isn’t another conference where you just sit and listen. This event is built for collaboration and real-time problem-solving. Your team member will return energized and ready to lead new ideas.
It’s time to debrief after the busiest season of the year.
Let’s be honest—summer is intense. This gives camp pros the space to reflect, recalibrate, and plan with others who understand what just happened. That kind of processing leads to better strategy, fewer burnouts, and stronger planning for the year ahead.

Support the camp community while showcasing your brand to engaged youth development professionals from across the region. To learn more about this specific event, click here.

Exhibit Hall Schedule | Thursday, November 13, 2025