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Ages 10 to 18
The Discovery session kicks off the season with an action-packed week full of adventure where campers will ‘Discover’ all that SMAC has to offer. Adventures include a hike up to Max Patch (over 4,600 ft) for a field day, and an opportunity to test out your skills on ropes course. It wouldn’t be summer camp without water sports! Campers will go swimming and tubing in mountain streams and rafting down the nearby Pigeon River. There will be nightly campfire programs with traditional SMAC songs, ‘Thorns-and-Roses’ and ‘Ding-a-Ling’ awards, several low-ropes challenge and team-building activities, scavenger hunts, hikes, archery, Indian lore, and more. Finally, finish off the week with ice-skating at Ober Gatlinburg, and a celebration downtown before a final campfire and saying good-byes Friday morning.
Ages 10 to 18
The Explorer session takes a deeper dive into some of our favorite adventures. Campers will spend 3 days ‘Exploring’ the Smokies as we set up a tent-city in the beautiful and rustic Cades Cove. From there campers will spend their days tubing the Little river, exploring the Cades Cove valley and surrounding mountains, and climbing and rappelling off an actual rock face. Evenings are filled with night-hikes, campfires, open-fire cooking, and ranger-led activities. Back at base-camp, campers will get to take their shot at several low-ropes and challenge activities, participate in a demo with a real Blacksmith, have a SMAC style movie/karaoke night, explore a local water fall and more before White-Water Rafting the class III & IV rapids of the Pigeon River, and heading to Gatlinburg for ice-skating and a night of celebration before saying our good-byes at the final campfire Friday morning.
Ages 10 to 18
The Discovery II session offers a unique action-packed week full of new adventures where campers will ‘Discover’ even more about SMAC. Adventures include an exhilarating horseback riding trek through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, an opportunity to test out your skills on a 60+ foot climbing wall, and a white-water rapid expedition down the near-bye Pigeon River. It wouldn’t be summer camp without water sports! Campers will go swimming and tubing in mountain streams. Following the SMAC tradition, we’ll have a nightly campfire featuring SMAC songs, Thorns-and-Roses, and Ding-A-Ling awards. As always, there will be amazing in-camp experiences including camp challenges, scavenger hikes, archery and camp games. Movie nights and Karaoke are always a hit. Finally, we’ll finish off the week with ice-skating at Ober Gatlinburg, and a celebration downtown before a final campfire and saying good-byes Friday morning.
Ages 12 to 18
A Saturday to Saturday high-adventure session, and our leaders’ favorite week of camp, for the outdoor enthusiast who wants to immerse themselves in the ‘Great Outdoors’. Kick the week off with a White-Water Rafting trip down the class III & IV rapids of the Pigeon River. Then after getting to know each other through some low-ropes team-building challenges, we will divide into small groups of 8 to 12 (campers + leaders) and embark on a 4-night backpacking/canoeing/kayaking trek, where campers will learn back-country protocols and etiquette, for hiking, paddling, camping, cooking, and more. Plan to hike 6 to 10 miles on some days. But don’t worry, we will provide all the gear you need, including backpack, tent, and food/cooking utensils, plus a packing list of appropriate clothes and gear that you probably already own. The groups return to base-camp to exchange stories, and relax at a pool party before the final day of zip-lining, and the SMAC traditional ice-skating and Gatlinburg celebration.
Campers who attend both the Discovery I and Explorer Session will go on an overnight backpacking trip where they will learn backpacking basics and etiquette while seeing parts of the park that very few have the opportunity to see.
Campers who attend both the Explorer and Discovery II sessions will spend Friday night crawling through and sleeping in the Lost Sea Caverns. On Saturday, it’s swimming and canoeing around Lake Loudon before heading back to base camp to meet the new arrivals and prepare for the backpacking/canoeing/kayaking trek.
Campers who attend both the Discovery II and Trail Blazer sessions will spend Friday night camping and horseback riding near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.