Camp Nakanawa

Camp Nakanawa Since 1920, Camp Nakanawa has offered a program designed to enable each camper to acquire skills in

Mission:
To educate and empower girls and young women through outdoor experiences enabling them to reach their potential. Vision:
Camp Nakanawa develops the potential of girls and young women in a nurturing environment to discover their own excellence while developing lifelong friendships. We fulfill this vision by cultivating character, confidence, courage, kindness, and leadership. For over one

hundred years, Camp Nakanawa has educated girls and young women through outdoor experiences in an overnight summer camp so that they gain confidence and reach their full potential. For 40 of those years, Ann and Pepe Perron have faithfully stewarded Camp, ensuring that it remains a magical spot for young women to truly grow into the best versions of themselves. In honor of their legacy, and in conjunction with the arrival of Camp’s Fourth director, Karen Rathgeber Hale, Camp Nakanawa is transitioning to a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational institution. This transition enables Camp to seek the philanthropic gifts that will preserve its legacy, while better accommodating future generations of campers.

What does it take to guide a 9-year-old up a climbing wall for the first time?At Camp Nakanawa — a 106-year-old all-girl...
06/13/2026

What does it take to guide a 9-year-old up a climbing wall for the first time?

At Camp Nakanawa — a 106-year-old all-girls summer camp on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau — our counselors don't just teach activities. They teach girls how to trust themselves.

Our program is built on the belief that "outdoor girls are happy girls."Thirty-plus activities, from fencing to sailing to archery, are taught by young women who model what courage looks like in action.

This summer we've hiring counselors who want to build the next generation of bold, ready women.

If you believe in the transformative power of camp, we'd love to hear from you.

📍 Crossville, Tennessee | Sessions June–July 2026
✉️ Contact us through campnakanawa.org

Where Brave Begins:At the archery range, we watch it happen in real time. A girl who has never held a bow picks it up, d...
06/12/2026

Where Brave Begins:
At the archery range, we watch it happen in real time. A girl who has never held a bow picks it up, draws back, and finds something steady inside herself she didn't know was there.

Save and share this post with a mom who's wondering if her daughter is 'ready' for overnight camp. (She is.)

Campanion is your little window into life on Lake Aloaloa and the Cove. Once you’ve downloaded the app and logged in, yo...
06/12/2026

Campanion is your little window into life on Lake Aloaloa and the Cove. Once you’ve downloaded the app and logged in, you can view photos, read news, and send letters right from your phone.

Two-Week Session 1 ends today and the joy was overflowing on Lake Aloaloa. 💙❤️For families new to Nakanawa: our Two-Week...
06/12/2026

Two-Week Session 1 ends today and the joy was overflowing on Lake Aloaloa. 💙❤️

For families new to Nakanawa: our Two-Week Session 1 Junior Camp (ages 8–11) is a two-week introduction designed to ease first-time campers in gently — with experienced counselors, structured activities, and an unmatched community of girls who look out for each other.

Founded in 1920, we've been doing this a long time. And these smiles? They never get old.

📍 Cumberland Plateau, Crossville, Tennessee

Parents: drop a ❤️ if your daughter is in Session 1! Alumnae: comment your tent row year below and tag your best camp friend.

Put your foot on the loud, loud, bang, bang pedal... Tent Row 1971 is here! Nakanawa girls are friends for life and thes...
06/11/2026

Put your foot on the loud, loud, bang, bang pedal... Tent Row 1971 is here! Nakanawa girls are friends for life and these ladies got together to keep camp spirit alive.

TR ‘71 , right to left Mary Mile Loveless, Lee Taylor Boyd, Helen Hunter Ruffin, Leslee Shapiro, top row, Alice Armstrong, Adrian Winship Pressley, Susan Gore Brennan

Junior Session 1 gets to enjoy this sunset over Lake Aloaloa in their last week. Nothing better!
06/10/2026

Junior Session 1 gets to enjoy this sunset over Lake Aloaloa in their last week. Nothing better!

Camp is in full swing and our counselors are pouring their hearts into every CB. Parents are asking parents to help stoc...
06/09/2026

Camp is in full swing and our counselors are pouring their hearts into every CB. Parents are asking parents to help stock the CB with snacks, fruit, and drinks so they can keep cheering on your girls all session long?

Sign up here to claim a slot and send nut‑free, individually wrapped treats their way: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D45AAA729A2FD0-64231372-nakanawa #/ Your generosity keeps the Nakanawa spirit shining late into the night.

Camp Nakanawa is hiring a part-time, primarily remote Director of Development to help grow our annual fund, major gifts,...
06/05/2026

Camp Nakanawa is hiring a part-time, primarily remote Director of Development to help grow our annual fund, major gifts, and long-term support for campers today and tomorrow. If you (or someone you know) have fundraising and non-profit development experience and a love for empowering girls, we would love to hear from you.

Interested candidates should submit a resume or contact Executive Director, Cindy DuBose, at [email protected]

06/03/2026

The tradition continues at Lake Aloaloa. Our 2026 Counselor Staff Page is now available, featuring the next generation of Nakanawa women who will be guiding campers, leading activities, and carrying on the spirit we all remember so well. https://campnakanawa.org/current-counselor-staff/

We invite you to visit the staff page, see their faces and hometowns, and join us in encouraging these young and returning counselors as they prepare to make this summer unforgettable for a new generation of campers.




"Friendships bloom anew" The first day of camp and we already have new friends meeting in the Nature Center.
05/31/2026

"Friendships bloom anew"
The first day of camp and we already have new friends meeting in the Nature Center.

Address

1084 Camp Nakanawa Road
Crossville, TN
38571

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

931-277-3711

Website

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