Camp Ba-Yo-Ca

45.0 mi

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

View behind main dining hall

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Ranch Residents

SOAR

(2 reviews)

39.6 mi

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

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Wesley Woods United Methodist Camp

1.0

(2 reviews)

6.4 mi

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.

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Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

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.

I'm taking the Piecing and Dyeing community class at Arrowmont with Megan Koeppel. And I'm…read morethoroughly enjoying it! The textiles room is well-equipped, with all the equipment and supplies I could think to need and more! Megan is great! She brings her personal experience with natural dyeing and piecing, and a boatload of patience for our many, many questions. She also adapts her lesson plans to the interests of the group, and the strengths and weaknesses of the students in the group. I'm really pleased that Arrowmont had these community classes for those of us who can neither afford the time nor the prices for the national classes. Thank you, Arrowmont!

Fabric dyed with natural dyes

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Perpetual Motion

4.0

13.5 mi

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

Smoky Mountain Gymnastics

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Smoky Mountain Gymnastics

Camp Chatuga

(4 reviews)

66.7 mi

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!

Welcome sun, how fun is this?

Making their name tags

Camp Map!

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Tate's Day Camp

26.8 mi

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!

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The Island

4.1

(543 reviews)

8.5 mi

The island is always a wonderful stop for everyone. My son…read moreloves Dino's and they currently have the dinosaur experience going on. Our big girl was finally big enough for the harness adventure here. Mom and dad got to do a moonshine tasting.

I came to the Island a couple of different times during my vacation and I really enjoyed it…read more First, the parking lot is huge! You can definitely walk to the Island but it's a little bit of a trek. It's probably easier to take the tram, which seems to run pretty frequently. Parking is free. Once you finally arrive, there is tons of stuff to do! Shops, rides, restaurants, and bars are everywhere. It's all very walkable and it's got a good vibe. Overall, I'd definitely recommend that people check out the Island at least once if they're in the area.

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Carter Swimming Pool

3.3

(3 reviews)

20.0 mi

Yesterday, #NoCopAcademy brought a group of almost 30 young Black and Brown people to Carter…read moreSwimming pool, a public pool outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. We paid money for our entrance and were immediately greeted with blatant disrespect, dehumanization, and racism. Many of the white folks started getting out of the pool when we got in. One child wanted to have fun with us, and his guardian quickly gathered him in fake concern for our folks, saying "I hope he isn't bothering you" when we were all clearly welcoming him. When a white woman started to swim with us, the lifeguard told her to stop. The pool staff continuously came over to us and gave us rules that they were not enforcing on the white swimmers. They began with telling us we could not swim in the deep end, and yet when white folks got in the deep end they said nothing. They then continued to criminalize our activities by telling us we couldn't splash each other, or horse around. A staff member higher up kept monitoring us coming back and forth and even set up a chair to sit. They would only engage with the white adult present, refusing to recognize or speak to the youth or adults of color. We noticed this behavior and began singing "what side are you on my people? What side are you on? We on the freedom side." This chant was met with extreme responses from many people at the pool. One lifeguard called the police on us- she is pictured here and is currently training to become a cop. The officer who arrived is her uncle. They later informed us that the police were called because we were "singing racist songs." Some of the responses we heard from the pool staff were: "We aren't racist, and I wont shoot you, but they (the police) will." "It doesn't do any good to stir the pot." "These songs could get you killed." "It's good that the youth learn their heritage, but the civil rights movement was 50 years ago." Once the police arrived and we attempted to leave, a cop told a young person in our group "keep walking nigger," and threatened other young people in our group with arrest and physical harms. While the Civil Rights Movement was 50 years ago, anti-blackness (in the south AND the north) is alive and well. We paid to go there to have fun, and were met with racism and threats of violence of our people.. some as young as 12. This is unnacceptable, and we implore the pool in question to fire the lifeguard who called the cops unprovoked, and seriously interrogate their practices as a safe space for young people. Life guards should guard life.

This pool is community based and supported. It has been a…read morepopular summer hangout in the Carter community for many years. Proud of the families and people who have worked over the past few years to get this pool back up and functioning. Thank you for your hard work!

Adventures Outdoors

4.3

(6 reviews)

34.9 mi

My husband and I called and set up an intro kayak safety lesson. The owner met us and took us…read morethrough a comprehensive session. He was knowledgeable, personable, and an overall great guy. We highly recommend this business

We rented two two person kayaks yesterday and had a great time. The new owner was a big help…read moretelling us where to go and see things. Great location. He was very easy to work with and we would definitely rent from him again.

Mountain View on Melon Hill Lake

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Phoebe W.

28 days ago

my experience at Camp Ba Yo Ca has been nothing short of amazing! the community you build through this place gives high school and college aged youth and young adults the opportunity to find lifelong Christian friends. as a former camper, counselor, and 4th year staff member, i CANNOT recommend this place enough! the Lord has moved and changed lives in this place since 1958! :) read more

Ashlan P.

28 days ago

my experience working at Camp Ba Yo Ca has been nothing short of amazing! the community you build through this place gives high school and college aged youth and young adults the opportunity to find lifelong Christian friends. as a former camper and a 4th year staff member, i CANNOT recommend this place enough! the Lord has moved and changed lives in this place since 1958! :) read more

Hadley H.

28 days ago

This will be my 4th year working at camp and I love it! I have made countless memories here and have enjoyed every second spent here! The staff has always been kind and welcoming, especially when I was a new counselor. I am so thankful for the opportunities I've been given here! read more

Camp Ba-Yo-Ca - summer_camps - Updated July 2026

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This school is over all pretty awesome. I have two daughters that have attended here for about 3…read moreyears now. I've never had any issues with the teachers or parents aside from the occasional fight or two that all kids get in as they grow up. Security here is A1 as well. You have to pass Biometrics and then a separate door with a passcode on a keypad. They do pick up from about 5 or 6 schools around West Knoxville and my daughters happened to go to one of those so that is very convenient. They have a specifically labeled bus. They also have a pretty cool summer program for kindergarteners and above filled with field trips and educational items. It is conveniently located and off the street of Kingston Pike in the Farragut area so anyone in West Knoxville will be happy. I definitely recommend this to any parent looking for a place but I know they are rarely free and always filled up which I suppose is a good thing. Kids won't stop and neither will this staff. The head director is pretty involved and asks me what we are doing daily and I know you don't always get that from staff at a childcare location. Highly recommend

I have called the director multiple times with no answers. I paid a deposit of $335 that they…read moreguaranteed us a spot and the first week of care. They told us we could have our son come in the fall with no specific date and I called and the director was always on a bus route or not in office with no call back. I called in spring no answer and now it is almost end of summer and I just want my money back. We did not get a spot nor would I send my kid to this facility. I have now spoke with the director twice this week but she keeps blowing me off saying she need to speak to admin or name isn't in there database and it's always "I'll call you tomorrow." They have probably spent my money and this is ridiculous!!

The Goddard School of Farragut

We chose to send our daughter to The Goddard School back in 2013. she was 10 weeks old and I had…read moreto go back to my daily office work schedule. It was terrifying to leave such a tiny baby with complete strangers. As the weeks and months passed, I saw that my daughter was not only in "good hands"...but she was truly loved and cared for in a way that I am so thankful for. Four years later, our 2nd daughter joined the school at 12 weeks and we had the same amazing experience. We have been at The Goddard School for a full 8 and a half years up until the girls have both now started their journeys in Elementary School. I cant describe the kind of appreciation that I have for all the staff and owners of The Goddard School for not only taking care of my daughters, but loving them and starting them with an impeccable early childhood education. I would, and do constantly, recommend The Goddard School to anyone who desires to leave their children with individuals who care, love and will teach their children so many fundamental lessons so early in life!

Ijams Nature Center

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Ijams Nature Center is decent. There is a $5 parking fee. They allow leashed pets on the property…read morehowever they are not allowed in the nature center. There are trails to walk. They were okay. I got bored with them and didn't stay long. They do have a a high ropes course that looked neat if you are into that. I would have been okay to pay the parking fee if I would have stayed there longer.

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GymTek Academy

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This gym was great until it wasn't. My daughter was enjoying her classes and we enjoyed her love…read morefor the sport. Until one day GymTek dropped the ball. We had been having wonderful, one day a week classes with a great coach. We went on break for Christmas (the gym was closed during this time) and when we returned (we missed one class), my daughter had a different coach and her entire class was with a different coach. My daughter's new coach is not in shape, sits on her phone and is teaching them nothing. My daughter is devastated. If you are looking for a gym that truly cares about fostering the love of the sport of gymnastics then I would keep looking. GymTek clearly has the money in mind and not the students. FYI parking is a nightmare & there are not enough spaces.

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