Countdown to Great Smoky Mountains

🌟 STEAM in the PARK 2025 🌟  
🏕️ Great Smoky Mountains Adventure 🌲
August 11-15, 2025

​​Travel to and from camp is the sole responsibility of each camper.
Camp cost: $800 per camper

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Overview:
🌟 Get ready for an unforgettable STEAM in the PARK adventure at Great Smoky Mountains National Park from August 11-15, 2025, as we return for our third year at Tremont! We will dive into hands-on learning from wilderness survival skills to surveying salamanders in the pristine Middle Prong River. Evenings will be filled with the magic of storytelling at the Council House. A highlight of the week will be a full day at Cades Cove, where we’ll explore the rich history of the area and hopefully spot black bears, deer, wild turkeys, and much more in this breathtaking valley!

🌟 Highlights of the Week:
Biodiversity in the Smokies

• Discover the park’s incredible biodiversity, home to over 19,000 documented species, including salamanders, black bears, plants, fungi, and insects.

Stream Ecology

• Learn about the health of the park's streams, studying aquatic species like trout and macroinvertebrates while exploring water quality.

Wildlife Monitoring and Conservation

• Learn how to track local wildlife such as black bears, elk, and bats, and participate in conservation efforts for threatened species.

Fungi and Decomposition

• Study the role of fungi in forest ecosystems and how they contribute to decomposition and nutrient cycling in the Smokies.

Wilderness Survival and Outdoor Skills

• Develop essential survival skills, including navigation, shelter building, and safe hiking practices in the mountainous terrain.

Accommodations:

• Campers will stay in comfortable dormitories with air-conditioned and heated living quarters. (Bunk beds and shared bathrooms)

​Costs:

• $800 per camper
• The program fee will cover food, accommodations, program fees, supplies, and equipment for all activities.

​​Travel:

• Travel to and from camp is the sole responsibility of each camper.
• Nearest Airports:
  McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) - Knoxville, TN
  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) - Atlanta, GA
  Nashville International Airport (BNA) - Nashville, TN

Beginning & End

• Registration is 2-4:00 pm on Day 1
• Checkout by 10:00 am on Day 5
  

Important dates:

• January 31, 2025: Application deadline
• February 5, 2025: Camp acceptance/rejection notifications sent
• February 15, 2025: $100 nonrefundable deposit deadline
• May 1, 2025: FULL STEAM in the PARK payment deadline
• May 15, 2025: Full payment is no longer refundable