Camp St. Malo

St. Catherine of Siena Chapel, also referred to as the Chapel on the Rock, is located in Allenspark, Colorado. The Chapel was built in the 1930s and donated to the Archdiocese of Denver, at that time it was renamed Camp St. Malo. The facility was used as a boys’ camp led by priests and seminarians. In the 1970s, Camp St. Malo became coed when girls joined the camper ranks. In 1984, Camp St. Malo closed to evaluate the facilities and consider expanding ministry opportunities. The facility reopened in 1987 as the St. Malo Religious Retreat and Conference Center. In 1993, during his visit to Colorado for World Youth Day, Pope St. John Paul II prayed and blessed the Chapel. He also hiked along the trails on the St. Malo Camp property. Later the trail was renamed the John Paul II Trail. Boulder County designated the Chapel a historic site in 1999. In 2011, a fire destroyed the retreat center, since then Camp St. Malo has remained closed. In 2013, 100-year rains produced flooding and mudslides, destroyed the natural terrain and property, including the historic Pope John Paul II Trail. The Chapel remained undamaged, but due to the surrounding landscape damage, it sporadically has been open to the public. The Archdiocese of Denver announced plans to preserve the beauty and rich history of Chapel on the Rock, the Pope Saint John Paul II trail and a new visitor and heritage center.