Experience a Summer in the Smokies at Tremont

Kids age 9 to 17 who love the outdoors can spend five or 10 days in the Great Smoky Mountains.   Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont offers a variety of overnight programs “geared towards our mission of connecting people and nature,” said Meredith P. Goins of the institute’s public relations office.   Tremont rests just outside of Townsend, Tenn., within the boundaries of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  “We like to say we have a 522,000-acre outside classroom,” Goins added.”

First-time and younger campers are a perfect fit for the Discovery Camp, which involves a lot of searching for salamanders, collecting insects, swimming, hiking and exploring along trails.   This camp is open to kids age 9 to 12 and will be held June 8 to 13 and 22 to 27.  The cost is $455.

Smoky Mountains Naturalist Expeditions Camp: Kids ages 11 to 13 spend their days exploring the mountains with researchers and experts in their field.   Tracking the movements of bears and other inhabitants of the mountains is a big part of this experience.  This program will be held July 13 to 23.  The cost is $915.

Teens aged 13 to 17 have several options available to them at Tremont:

Wilderness Adventure Camp: This offers this age group a chance to be “a lot more involved out in the wilderness and the high country,” said Goins, as campers backpack through the Smokies for four days and three nights.   Two Wilderness Adventure Camp sessions are offered this summer, one June 8 to 13 and the other June 22 to 27.   The cost is $480.

Field Ecology Camp: This throws participants into the world of a field scientist involved in hands-on studies within the national park.  The program runs from July 13 to 23 and costs $915.

Or maybe the Teen High Adventure Camp – a longer (seven-day, six-night) backpacking excursion that culminates with a white water rafting trip – has your child’s name on it?  It will be held July 13 to 23 and cost $915.

Backcountry Ecology Expedition Camp: This camp allows campers to experience the wilder section of the park.  The program blends the science of the Field Ecology Adventure Camp with the thrill of Teen High Adventure.  The program runs from June 8 to 13 and costs $480.