Summer Camps

Fort Bluff Camp is a Christian camp and retreat center in Dayton, Tennessee, north of Chattanooga. Its website puts it about six miles northwest of Dayton, on 68 wooded acres at the edge of Dayton Mountain with a view over the Tennessee River Valley. According to its website, the camp has operated since 1976 and runs summer camps, sports tournaments for Christian schools and retreats for churches and groups. The site has pages for housing, activities and sports facilities, and worship and meeting space. The camp also lists rental options on its site, including Lake Haven Cabins, The Bluff House and The Bluff Cabin, along with off-campus lodging information.

Audubon Acres is the 130-acre home sanctuary and headquarters of the Chattanooga Audubon Society, split down the middle by South Chickamauga Creek. About five miles of trails run on both sides of the creek, connected by a swinging bridge, through forest, wetland, meadow and hilltop habitat. History is part of the visit. The grounds hold the restored Spring Frog Cabin, the site of Little Owl Village and trees labeled for a Cherokee Arboretum, with names written in the Cherokee syllabary. The Visitor's Center has a gift shop and exhibits, including a timeline museum and a bird egg collection. According to its website, the creek is open seasonally for paddling, swimming and floating, picnic tables and a fire ring are available for groups, and pets are not allowed. The society, which its site says was formed in 1944, also runs field trips, group visits, camps and facility rentals here.

Camp Vesper Point is a camp and retreat center at 3216 Lee Pike in Soddy-Daisy, on the Tennessee River. It is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, and its website says the camp has operated since 1954 on a 135-acre property. The summer camp serves campers in 3rd through 10th grades, with high school and college-age counselors. The site describes a Christian program that mixes worship, fellowship, recreation, skill building and cabin life. Outside of summer, the site says groups of 30 to 200 can stay overnight, and day groups of up to 200 can book it for retreats and conferences. Facilities listed include a large dining room with a fireplace, a meeting space and rustic cabins with bunk beds. The site also lists summer registration, a photo gallery and a camper resources section.

Cohutta Springs Youth Camp is a Christian summer camp on 800 acres in the North Georgia mountains near Crandall. Its website says the camp was chartered in 1980, runs during June and July, and shares its grounds with the Cohutta Springs Conference Center. Sessions are split by age: Cub Camp for ages 7 to 9, REG Camp for 10 to 17 and RAD Camp for 13 to 18, plus DiscipleTrek and a Family Camp open to all ages. Campers choose a morning activity at registration and rotate through others in the afternoon. The activity list is long, with archery, horsemanship, paintball, BMX and mountain biking, model rocketry, drama and music. The grounds include a 50-acre lake, a cable wake park, a high ropes course, a zipline and a waterslide, and registration is handled online.

Tours of a natural limestone cave with passageways, waterfalls, canyons, tunnels & abundant fossils.

Camp Woodmont is a co-ed overnight summer camp on Lookout Mountain in Cloudland, Georgia, for campers from 1st through 12th grade. According to its website, the camp was established in 1981, and campers stay in cabins in a wooded mountain setting with phones and screens left behind. The site lists more than 40 activities. Land options include horseback riding, archery, rock climbing, a zip line, a high ropes course and hiking, and on the water there is swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing. Drama, arts and crafts, music and dance fill the creative side, with campfires and themed games in the evenings. Older teens can apply to the LEAD program, which has Leaders-in-Training and Counselors-in-Training tracks for rising 11th and 12th graders. The camp offers several session options, registers campers online and runs fall tours for interested families.