Katerpillar Kids Camp: Camper FAQ

Camp is free to participants. Katerpillar Kids Camp is funded by a grant from Variety – The Children’s Charity Of Eastern Tennessee. Campers, parents and guardians can focus solely on camp activities and the help that children and youth receive to process the loss of a loved one. 

Katerpillar Kids Camp is for children and teens in grades 1-12 who have recently experienced loss as result of the passing of a loved one. The loved one does not have to be a member of the child’s family. 

No. Camp times are:

Saturday: 7:30 a.m. (for 8 a.m. bus departure from Covenant Health West, 270 Fort Sanders West Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37922) until 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: 7:30 am – 4:30 pm (for non-bus riders) or 6 p.m. (for bus riders). 

Because of the outdoor environment and the acitivites we do at Katerpillar Kids Camp, all campers are REQUIRED to wear closed-toe shoes. Please watch the weather report as the weekend approaches. Each camper will be given a backpack to store jackets if an extra layer of clothing is necessary.

There is a phone at camp that we use for emergency situations. Cell phone service is unpredictable at camp, and we ask that campers leave their cell phones in their backpacks or leave them at home. In the event of an emergency, contact our staff to relay a message. Contact information is below.

Your camper can be dropped off for bus transportation at the Covenant Health West campus (formerly Fort Sanders West) just off Kingston Pike near Pellissippi Parkwesay on Saturday and Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. The bus will leave at 8 a.m. 

On Saturday, please pickup your camper at 6:30 pm at the Covenant Health West campus.

On Sunday, parents and guardians are welcome to join us for a closing ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. and concluding at 4:30 p.m. Following the closing ceremony, parents and guardians are welcome to take their campers home. 

If a parent or guardian cannot attend the closing ceremony, buses will return to Covenant Health West at 6 p.m. 

To ensure the safety of our campers and to be sure we do not overcrowd the limited capacity of the campgrounds, campers are not allowed to bring their own vehicles Katerpillar Kids Camp. Please use our bus transportation, or a parent/guardian may bring the teen to camp. 

Covenant Health West (formerly Fort Sanders West), is located at 270 Fort Sanders West Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37922. It is just off Kingston Pike near the intersection with Pellissippi Parkway, and is the ideal pickup and drop-off location for our campers.

Yes. We have a camp nurse onsite to handle any medical needs.

We group campers according to their current grade in school.

Many of the activities depend on the age of the campers. For example, older campers get to participate in high ropes courses, while the younger campers will canoe on a small lagoon.. 

Participation in these activities is not required but is highly encouraged. All campers will go on a hike and take part in other traditional camp activities. Campers may even participate in equine therapy with horses from Mane Support (all activities involve interacting with the horses while on the ground; campers do not ride the horses) or bond with HABIT (Human Animal Bond in Tennessee) dogs from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.