Tennessee State Parks Encourages Young Tennesseans To Experience the Outdoors at Camp Tanase This Summer
Tennessee State Parks encourages young Tennesseans to experience the outdoors this summer at Camp Tanase, an overnight week-long camp for boys and girls ages 10-14 at Montgomery Bell State Park. The camp will be held July 12-18, 2026. Registration is open and organizers encourage parents to register as soon as possible. Openings are expected to fill quickly.
The mission of Camp Tanase is for young campers to become passionate ambassadors for our beautiful state parks. Campers will hike scenic trails, paddle and swim in lakes, practice outdoor survival skills, and learn what it takes to be a leader. Each activity is designed to strengthen self-confidence, spark curiosity, and build lifelong friendships. Campers develop real-life skills, connect with nature, and leave with a greater understanding of Tennessee’s state parks, wildlife, and conservation.
The camp is led by Tennessee State Parks rangers and seasonal interpretive rangers. The campers’ safety is the top priority. Each park ranger is a trained paramedic and emergency medical technician.
Campers are placed in small groups of about 10, each led by two to three trained counselors to provide attentive supervision and personalized support throughout the week.
Camp Tanase gets its name from the Cherokee word Tanasi that means “meeting place.” Each group of campers takes on the name of one of the seven Cherokee clans.
The price of the camp with early bird registration is $799.99. The price beginning Feb. 16 is $849.99, and beginning April 1 $899.99. For those who lack the ability to pay, full and partial scholarships are available. Applications for scholarships are due by May 15, 2026, and scholarship recipients will be announced by June 1.
- Please register online
- Registrations will be taken until the camp is full or by June 30.
Participants can also sign up for the Camp Tanase email list to be the first to receive updates, camp announcements, photo galleries, and helpful tips for preparing campers for the camp experience.
Montgomery Bell State Park is 40 minutes from Nashville in Dickson County.