The first Adventist camp started in Australia in December of 1925, followed soon after by the first North American Division camp in Michigan. Since then, summer camps have become powerful centers for youth evangelism — often called “sacred playgrounds” — where lives are transformed.
In the Southern Union, summer camps have been central to youth ministries since the 1930s. Early programs were held in state parks or rented facilities, but conferences soon saw the value of owning dedicated campgrounds, and began purchasing land for long-term ministry.
Camp Thunderbird, established in 1950, is among the longest running in the Southern Union. It began near Nashville, Tennessee, later moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it operated in rented facilities, reaching youth from South Central Conference and beyond. This year, they are joining with the Southeastern Conference to offer Camp Soar at Camp Hawthorne in Hawthorne, Florida.
Camp Kulaqua in High Springs, Florida, was purchased by Florida Conference in 1953 for $18,000. It has since grown to more than 800 acres, and now serves more than 50,000 visitors annually. It is known as the largest operation in the Adventist camp world. Its summer camp program hosts about 1,000 campers in three weeks, employing approximately 150 young adult staff.
Indian Creek Camp in Kentucky- Tennessee Conference was established in 1959, on the shores of Center Hill Lake near Liberty, Tennessee, after many years of offering a camp program at Montgomery Bell State Park, west of Nashville. Their summer camp program features not only youth camp, but four weeks of family camp.
Camp Hawthorne was purchased in 1960 for the South Atlantic Conference, as a site for Camp Meeting and summer camp. When the conference divided in 1981 to accommodate the rapid growth, Hawthorne stayed with Southeastern Conference and South Atlantic Conference secured River Oaks Camp in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Both facilities have a rich youth program that runs during Camp Meeting and hosts other youth activities throughout the year.
Alabama was one of the first southern states to start a summer camp program for their youth in the 1930s. The Alabama-Mississippi Conference (now Gulf States Conference) secured their land at Camp Alamisco in 1968. The worship area offers a picturesque view of Lake Martin, a place where many have made decisions for Christ.
Carolina Conference ran summer camps at multiple locations until they purchased Nosoca Pines Ranch in Liberty, South Carolina, in 1971. Their first summer camp program ran in 1974, and campers were in tents at the time. The cabins were then built through the sweat and toil of church members.
Although Cohutta Springs Youth Camp (est. 1980) is one of the youngest campgrounds in the Southern Union, Georgia-Cumberland Conference was one of the first to run a summer camp program dating back to the 1930s. One unique offering at Cohutta Springs is the wake park where campers can practice skiing and wake boarding using a cable system.
The impact of summer camp remains strong. Last summer, nearly 150 young people were baptized at our Southern Union camps. Approximately 500 young adults were employed, 300 of which were awarded scholarships at our Adventist universities for doing so. For many staff, camp is where they discover their calling into a life of ministry.
As the Southern Union marks this milestone, summer camps continue to provide meaningful opportunities for spiritual growth, community, and fun. Check out the camps’ websites to see how you can get involved.
Southern Union | June 2026
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