Pride Summer Camp
Pack your bags and leave the real world behind—Pride Summer Camp is calling!
This is not your childhood camp experience (unless your childhood camp had a cuddle puddle tent, body painting, and glamping under the stars).
Pride Summer Camp is held at Redfern Glamping Experience in South Pittsburg, TN—just 45 minutes from Downtown Chattanooga. Pride-Camp’s 21+ adventure is all about embracing your queer joy and making unforgettable memories. Whether you’re tearing up the trails on four-wheelers, getting crafty with arts & crafts, or cooling off in the lake with swimming and kayaking, there’s something for every happy camper. As the sun sets, we’ll gather around the bonfire for stories, s’mores, and whatever shenanigans the night brings.
Wash off the day with hot water while you relish the cool night breezes and botanical mint-lined showers. Cozy up in a tiny cabin or glamping setup—or just dive into the infamous cuddle puddle tent for some wholesome queer connection.
Take pictures. Make art. Get married! Bring home a memory to treasure with the help of our professional friends.
About us
- Pride-Camp Naget Rutledge — Pride-Camp Owner/Event Organizer
- Redfern Kelli McGuffey — Redfern Glamping Experience owner/operator
With sound provided by Tangled Cords.
Connection
- Connect to your chosen family with large campsites that can accommodate up to 6!
- Connect with local Tennessee BIPOC/LGBTQ+ resources.
- Connect with your inner child through safe play and exploration together.
- Connect to new social networks organically with fellow BIPOC/LGBTQ+ small business owners, organizers and artisans.
Our Proud Campers, organizers and volunteers have made and continue to enjoy meaningful lasting connections with the larger LGBTQ+ communities in the Southeast region and beyond. We are proud to succeed with collaborative effort to bring together our community members in solidarity and friendship.
Recover
Relax and bathe in nature using our clawfoot baths, starlit showers, community loungers, hammocks and outdoor furniture dotting the campground.
Hold your inner critic of outdoor bathing back until you’ve experienced our starlit experience. A simple task transforms at night into a kaleidoscope of sensory delights. Once you’ve stepped past the entrance into the open spiral shelter, you are guarded by 6’ privacy walls and you become totally hidden from outside view.
The live botanical garden that lines the path inward naturally repels common pests and fills the space with calm. Once in the large shower area, soft accent lights guide you towards a truly unique, exhilarating experience. Picking a sprig of live mint lining the shower walls in our botanicals is encouraged.
Take delight in the cool night breeze and steamy air dancing over your skin and experience unforgettable memories created by the sensory immersion that only nature can provide.
Dance the night
Join the fireside fun dancing to our rap, EDM, and country playlists, or make your claim to fame with Drag Karaoke, our most popular event! Every year we’re lucky to be graced by Chattanooga’s most iconic award-winning queens for an up-close and personal karaoke collaboration that will blow you away!
Upgrades available
Redfern offers a range of accommodations to fit your current camping skill and comfort level, including basic tent setup assistance, glamping tent rental with real beds, and our prized cabin rental, all featuring fresh linens, setup and takedown so you can hit the road without a worry.
Camping, done your way. Upgrade options also include electric, generators and RV hookups, with outhouses throughout the property.
Get your pass
Pride-Camp 2027 is Friday, June 4 to Sunday, June 6, at Redfern Glamping Experience. Passes are per person.
- Best deal Early Bird $55 Until February 28, 2027
- Proud Camper $65 From March 1, 2027
- Community $40 Honor system, for campers on a tight budget
- Pay It Forward $130 Your pass, plus help toward a free pass for another camper
Card fees are added at checkout. Glamping tents, cabins, electric and RV hookups are booked separately as upgrades.
Camper FAQ
What does a pass include?
The whole weekend, Friday to Sunday: a campsite spot for your own tent, all Pride-Camp activities and parties, Drag Karaoke, the bonfire and the makers market.
What should I bring?
Your tent and bedding, food and snacks, a water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, a swimsuit and your photo ID. Want to skip the tent setup? Book a glamping tent or cabin upgrade.
Are there showers and bathrooms?
Yes. There are hot-water starlit showers lined with botanical mint, a flush toilet setup for campers, plus outhouses throughout the property.
Is there wifi?
Yes. There will be wifi extenders placed at camp.
Do I need to be 21?
Yes. Pride-Camp is for adults 21 and up. Bring a photo ID to check in.
Unexpectedly can’t come?
Don’t sweat it! You can exchange passes for 2028 Pride-Camp admission or give/sell them to another person.
Please note: The new ticket holder must be 21 or older and you must notify us by e-mail at hello@pride-camp.com of all campsite claim/name changes needed.
What if there’s bad weather?
Be at ease—we have rain-check dates in the plan! For 2027, rain-check dates are June 11–13.
Can I get a refund?
Due to the nature of this event, there are no refunds available. Please make sure you have everything you wanted for your festival trip before checking out.
What are the rules?
No counselors. No rules, except respect and consent. No weapons are allowed. The campground gates close at 11 PM and reopen at 9 AM.
How far is it from Chattanooga?
About 45 minutes. Redfern is in South Pittsburg, TN, which is on Central time, one hour behind Chattanooga.
Can I volunteer instead?
Yes! Volunteers get free admission and swag. E-mail hello@pride-camp.com to sign up.
Merch
High-quality, limited-edition Pride-Camp merch, plus our makers market featuring local queer artists, educators, small business owners, shops and community resource organizations that we are proud of.
2027 Pride-Camp plans
- DJ-led dance party
- Morning nature walk with Kelli
- Drag Queen Karaoke
About Redfern
Founded in 2022 by Kelli McGuffey, Redfern Glamping Experience is a private campground and event space conveniently located in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. The 17-acre private property abuts Fiery Gizzard State Park, a vast forested wilderness featuring cascading streams, panoramic overlooks, extremely rocky gorges, gentle slopes and lush woodlands.
What makes Redfern unique is how it celebrates these natural features: its forested campsite area is managed to preserve and enhance the natural landscape.
“Redfern is the only Black woman–owned campground in the state and I’m honored to share it with you.” —Kelli McGuffey, owner/operator
Rated five stars: “I came for CaveFest & it was family friendly open to all ages, beautiful location, love the decorations, comfortable seating, fun atmosphere And love the botanical garden.” —Brittany Schurtz, Google review
- Redfern Glamping Experience
- South Pittsburg, TN
- Phone: (615) 957-0313
About Pride-Camp
“Pride-Camp’s mission is to be a connecting thread that brings together Southeastern LGBTQ+ communities and individuals from all backgrounds. We believe that while we each come from a different place and have a unique perspective, our best future is created together.” —Naget Rutledge, owner/event organizer
Located at Redfern Glamping Experience in TN, Tennessee’s only Black woman–owned campground, Pride-Camp can accommodate more than 100 campers. Planned activities and excursions, professional drag performers, face painters, professional sound, fireworks, and arts & crafts are all part of the fun! It’s the only Pride event in June in our tri-state area, and we keep it cool at the campsite with environmental control measures and water activities.
Volunteers: Volunteer with us for free admission and swag. We hook up volunteers for their time! E-mail hello@pride-camp.com or send us a message on Facebook to sign up.
“My friends and I started the only 21+ Pride Summer Camp in TN back in 2024, and we noticed that our attendance grew exponentially year over year, so we’re going with that and doing it bigger and better again this year.” —Naget Rutledge, owner/event organizer
Stay in the loop
Pride-Camp hosts events throughout the year. Follow Pride-Camp on Facebook for more information or register for our event newsletter below!
We’ll email you a link to confirm. Unsubscribe anytime from any email we send.
Sponsorship
Pride-Camp 2027 is going to be our biggest yet, and we’re looking for our first sponsors to help make it happen. Our social media reaches around 5,000 LGBTQ+ adults, and premium sponsorship is within reach for most businesses.
Interested businesses can reach out to:
- Naget Rutledge, Pride-Camp Owner/Event Organizer: hello@pride-camp.com, or message Pride-Camp on Facebook
- Kelli McGuffey, Redfern Glamping Experience owner/operator: (615) 957-0313, or message Redfern Glamping on Facebook