Longview Ranch was such a treat to visit with our youth group!…read more The venue is the perfect size for groups under 125. It is located in a much forgotten about area of beautiful East Tennessee, tucked away just a few miles off the interstate. Multiple times on the drive there (about 1:15 from Knoxville) my breath was taken away at the scenery and gorgeousness of the farm land and mountains. The staff at the retreat was TOP NOTCH. It was clear they train and plan very effectively to meet the needs of the groups they are serving. The cabins we used were spacious and very clean. There were 8 bunk beds in each room with a full bathroom. I did not see them, but I understand they have very nice housing quarters for people like guest speakers, etc. The food was fantastic and exceeding all of my expectations for "camp food." I hope we are able to return here for many more years to come!

From the owner: Long View Ranch is a non-denominational Christian summer camp in the foothills of the Smoky…read moreMountains. Horses, Paintball, Water Skiing, Fishing, canoeing, and tons more! Our program is designed to provide an absolute blast, while also being a fun and safe place that earns us the opportunity to challenge campers with Biblical truth. Our property is made up of beautiful open fields surrounded by deep rich forest. The woods provide a wonderful playground for trail rides, our team-building challenge course, paintball, and more. There are several trickling streams and an Old Fashioned Swimmin' Hole located on our 130-acre property that sits parallel to the Nolichucky River. We have four air conditioned and heated, log-siding bunkhouses that accommodate over 100 guests with wooden bunks and comfortable mattresses to rest your head. Our 3000 square foot dining hall/multipurpose meeting room has a large wrap around porch facing the Smoky Mountains. You will enjoy amazing home cooked meals wh

Best summer camps & academy!!! People who genuinely care about kids & their overall well being…read more From the directors down everyone is super supportive & very helpful. The kids come away with a better understanding of who they are & what they can do. Things they never thought they would do ever become things they do on a regular basis. I have experienced this miracle first hand. So check them out if your child needs a different kinda of summer camp or school experience.

Dear Camp Soar, Thank you for helping my daughter Mykayla…read morework on steps towards fulfilling a valuable learning experience at Camp Soar. The way that your agency provides guidance towards leadership, personal goals, life skills, and skills to help promote people skills has been very helpful. Every time my daughter comes home from camp, she is so personable, displays leadership, self-love, and better life skills towards being independent. The way that your camp help provides tools to help with decision-making and building confidence is wonderful. As we know children on the spectrum struggle with confidence and self-love which is hard to take on as a parent. All I can do is continue to help her with the understanding that she is wonderful and a gift that I am so grateful for. Your staff always has an open heart and mind. Which helps my daughter embrace new things that she would typically fear such as jumping in the deep end, petting, and riding horses. This helps her further enhance her knowledge and capabilities in life because of your amazing staff and program. Thank you Camp Soar for helping Mykayla believe in herself. We are hoping that she is able to attend camp this year. We appreciate you all so much! Love, Mykayla and Yolanda

I went to Wesley Woods as a 12 year old and many years earlier. And I didn't think they were very…read morenice to me. They treated some of the other campers like they were God's gift to the earth. But, they very clearly weren't nice to me. I went there several years because my parents thought it was a good camp. One time I was in one of their caving trips and they were taking such good care of some of the other cavers. But, my being 12 they were not being mindful of my safety 100 feet down in a cave. I lost my grip and fell back on my helmet (which would've been my head) and they acted like they didn't give a darn whether I fell and broke my head or not. There are more examples. But, these are clearly not empathetic Matthew 25 Christians. They're more like Old Testament vengeful God Christians. And their showers smell like mold.

When I was in the fifth grade, my class took a field trip to Camp Wesley Woods and I can honestly…read moresay that the last day of this particular field trip was one of the most miserable and humiliating experiences of my entire elementary school career. As a ten year old who had been terribly afraid of heights since I was in early grades, I'd planned to tell the instructor that climbing the rock wall at the camp wouldn't be an activity that I was interested in and that my fear of heights would cause the activity to be completely unenjoyable. When we arrived at the rock wall, which was our last stop of the day, I was ready to plead my case to the instructor but he didn't even give us time to say anything before he was giving us instruction. He quickly informed us that this wasn't "sit around and do nothing camp" so we'd all be required to at least attempt to climb the ladder leading up to the wall and touch the first two steps of the wall itself. It was raining fairly hard that day and the wind was blowing pretty badly. The ladder was swinging rather than being planted firmly on the ground and I was crying before it was even my turn on the wall. A few parents that were chaperoning the trip had attempted to calm me down but the instructor completely failed to notice that I was distressed at all. From the moment I set foot on the wall, I began crying and begging the instructor to let me down. The instructor completely ignored me and told me to at least touch the first two steps on the wall. I was crying in front of everyone in my class group and I was completely humiliated and terrified. No matter how much I begged the instructor to allow me to quit climbing, he continued to ignore me and "encourage" me to complete the climb. I was practically shouting at him over the rain and wind and he was still completely refusing to let me down. After being up there for a while and finally mustering up the courage to climb up to the steps, the instructor finally let me down. He pulled me over and told me how proud he was of me which didn't solve the fact that I'd just cried and begged in front of my classmates and that I was humiliated. This felt like a way to try to justify making me continue to climb the wall after I'd begged him to let me down, so this only made me angrier. As a fifth grader, I didn't feel comfortable demanding the instructor to let me down, and he made it seem like it actually mattered if we were able to climb a rock wall. To be blunt, there is a difference between encouraging a child to face their fears and forcing them to do something that they're so completely afraid of and that they are clearly telling you they don't want to do. As a high schooler now, I still remember this experience as one of the worst experiences of my entire school career. I'm also still afraid of heights and wouldn't climb a rock wall to this day so if the director thinks he accomplished anything that day, the only thing he managed to do was ruin my opinion of the camp and my respect for him. I would never recommend Camp Wesley Woods to anyone. I would never allow any children I have in the future to visit this camp and will forever remember my experience there as a miserable one.

I've now been to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in multiple capacities (from a day workshop,…read moreto a week-long retreat), and can honestly say I cannot wait to get back. What they are doing, in the heart of Gatlinburg of all places, and the folks they have as instructors, is bar none a must for anyone in the art realm. They have such a wonderful space of respite and grounds that make you truly feel immersed in an artist's community. Their equipment and studios and excellent, and pliable to perform how you need it to. I love just walking the grounds. You'd never expect it to be so quiet, considering it is in the heart of a tourist city.

Dorm style rooms with two twin beds and a shower. Not large, but still comfortable. The cafeteria…read morehad a different selection each day, with a number of drink options and options for gluten free and vegetarian dietary restrictions. The workspaces were thoughtfully put together with sinks and power sockets. The staff were helpful and friendly.

They were amazing to accommodate my daughter last summer as a guest member so she didn't lose any…read moreskills over our summer break at her grandparents.

From the owner: The beginning: The Perpetual Motion Gymnastics actually began in 1972 as a Maryville College…read morecommunity outreach program initiated and directed by Gary Thibodeau while he was an instructor within the Maryville College Physical Education Department. The move from Maryville College: Perpetual Motion was established by Gary in 1976. The Business originated in a downtown building owned by Dr. Bob Profit and located near the Maryville Daily Times. Bob was a major help in those first few establishment years. We will always be grateful for his initial encouragement and assistance. It was during this initial period, that Perpetual Motion added its second major program a full time educational preschool. Our current location: In 1979 Perpetual Motion purchased the Brown School Property from the County. This building became the home of our full time preschool ages 1 through 5. We then immediately built the 7,000 sq. ft. gymnasium to house our childrens gymnastics program. Our national gym

I have fallen in love with this camp from the moment I contacted them. I received an information…read morepacket and follow up; all of my questions were answered and I felt like a priority from day one. My children have always attended camp where I worked so it was a stretch for me to send them to camp without mama. Camp chatuga made it a breeze; the little touches are fantastic. Weekly emails and a countdown calendar explaining to the campers what to expect at camp. I loved the online activity sign up; I was able to sit and work with my children to help have a fun day filled with new experiences and some do their favorites. Everything the camp does it top notch. My children came home and haven't stopped speaking about the fun they had, the people they met and asking me when they can go back next summer!

My son has been going to this camp for five years and loves every minute of it. The staff and…read morecounselors are nothing short of amazing. This literally is the quintessential definition of a traditional fun summer camp. Wood cabins, camp fires, lake swimming, lots of activities, children running around barefoot & fancy free... living their best life!

My 4 yr old son just finished his first week at Tate's Day Camp, and he absolutely loves it. The…read morecamp is well organized and the staff is amazing. There is a different fun theme each week. At the end of the day he is worn out (in a good way) from the outdoor play, daily swim lessons, zip-lining, and other fun activities. Tuition is pricey compared to daycare, but the experience is well worth the investment. If you want your child to enjoy an active summer without screen time, I highly recommend Tate's Day Camp!