Facilities

Retreat Facilities Chart

Village Cabins

In keeping with the gold mining tradition of the Dahlonega area, our cabins include steeply-pitched tin roofs and rough-hewn siding. The porches are reminiscent of the shelters miners would build directly over their mine shafts to protect them from weather while working in the mine.

Village cabins offer single-gender, dormitory-style lodging. Each heated cabin sleeps 14 people.

The interior includes wooden plank floors and ceilings. Wall-mounted light fixtures mimic the hand-held lanterns which gold miners would use to illuminate their dark mine shafts. Each cabin offers comfortable, modern bath amenities.

Ivie Lodge

Ivie Lodge is our newest retreat lodge, offering dormitory-style, air-conditioned accommodations for up to 44 people. A separate, private leader room is also available. Ivie also has its own small field and separate parking lot.

The Lodge includes a large gathering room with a large stone fireplace (above), two smaller gathering rooms, a catering kitchen and a large rocking chair porch overlooking Cane Creek (located behind fireplace in above picture).

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Sparowwood Lodge

Sparrowwood Lodge was constructed in 1984 - we celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2009. It has recently undergone structural renovations, received a brand-new heating and A/C system, and had wood panel ceilings installed. During the summer, it is home to our Sparrowwood campers -- children, youth and adults with mild to moderate developmental disabilities.

For retreat groups, Sparrowwood Lodge offers air-conditioned, dormitory-style accommodations for up to 42 people, meeting space, a catering kitchen, and a large rocking chair porch overlooking beautiful Cane Creek (pictured to the left, just below the sun).

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The Bob Cagle Program Center

Constructed in 2003, the Bob Cagle Program Center is our most modern meeting facility for retreat groups. The Cagle Center offers one large, partitionable, exhibit/meeting room with multimedia capabilities.

In keeping with our architecture reflecting the gold mining tradition of the Dahlonega area, the Cagle Center is modeled after a stamp mill.

In addition, there are two smaller meeting rooms, a catering kitchen, elevator access to all three floors and a patio overlooking beautiful Cane Creek Falls.

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The Chapel

Built in 1950, the Chapel has long been the spiritual center of Camp Glisson. Every year, summer campers and retreat participants feel the very real presence of God during worship moments in the Chapel.

Originally built as an open-air structure, the Chapel is now heated for year-round use by retreat groups in the fall, winter and spring, and can seat over 200 people.

The path of silence and surrounding benches offer a place for groups to prepare for worship or break into small groups afterward.

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Challenge Course

At 55 feet tall, the Alpine Tower is great for retreat group team- and confidence-building activities.  Glisson's "climb-by-choice" philosophy means you climb only as high as you are comfortable.

The Challenge Course is facilitated by trained Glisson staff, who will teach your group about safety equipment, safety features, and methods of communication between climber and belayer.

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Archery, Ball Field, Campfires

During the past few summers more and more campers have enjoyed the opportunity to learn the basics of archery. We can provide the course, the bows & arrows, and the staff so that your retreat group can do the same.

The Glisson ball field is large enough for most any outdoor game, right in the middle of camp.

What says "camp" better than a campfire? Ask about using one or more of our campfire sites for campfire worship and/or roasting marshmallows for s'mores.

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Pool, Creek Hikes, Trails

Our brand new swimming center opened in 2008, replacing the original pool built in 1969. It includes new bathhouses, water jets, wide stairs for ease of entry and exit, a water slide, and a solar-powered water heating system.

The pool will be open for retreat groups in August/September 2009, then will re-open for spring retreats in April 2010.

Take a hike: Last summer our campers went nearly everywhere on trails--not roads. To do this, Glisson staff added even more trails on our 380+ acres. We can provide guides for either trail or creek hiking.

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The Holland Building

The Holland Building is our multi-purpose gymnasium. This heated space works well as a gathering space for large groups, particularly for groups planning active, indoor group activities.

A stage at one end of the gymnasium helps to facilitate presentations, performances and musical groups.

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Swofford Landing at the Lake Hale Amphitheater

Swofford Construction Company, of Douglasville, Georgia, has created Swofford Landing at the Lake Hale Amphitheater. The Landing runs the full 42-foot width of the Amphitheater, and extends 26 feet out over the edge of Lake Hale. It provides a beautiful, serene setting for private reflection or group activities.

A fire pit was added more recently to provide for evening fireside worship and group activities. The amphitheater accommodates 200+ campers during summer camp's opening campfire, as seen above.

Above, Owner Ken Swofford accepts a plaque from David Stubblefield, Glisson Maintenance Director, in gratitude for this very generous gift of time, effort and love for Glisson.

Here, the Swofford Construction crew poses for a photo during construction in October 2007.

Lake Hale can also be reserved for kayak use, however, there is a minimum amount of time and participants required for booking. For more info, email info@glisson.org.

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Additional Meeting Spaces

"Down Under" is pictured above with a before-and-after comparison.  This is a newly-renovated, very comfortable meeting space for up to 100 people now, and is conveniently located directly under the Dining Hall.  The renovation included the replacement of vertical structural supports down the middle of the room with horizontal steel beam supports across the ceiling.  This renovated space also includes improved windows, doors, lighting and carpeting in addition to substantially improved accoustics.

The Front Porch of the Dining Hall can be used as an outdoor, covered meeting space. This is especially helpful as a "rain plans" location. The porch features a large fireplace.

The Squirrel's Nest is a medium-sized meeting space for up to 25 people located right in the middle of camp near the Boys' Row cabins and a short walk from the Dining Hall and Chapel.

Additional medium/large meeting space is available in the Old Rec Hall (above) - typically used as a rain plan location.

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The Outpost - Host A Wilderness Retreat

Outpost offers retreat groups the chance to enjoy a wilderness camping experience.  Single-gender sleeping arrangements in either Adirondack shelters or platform tents.  Groups can also pitch their own tents as well.  Cook your meals over a fire-heated cooktop/grill, enjoy your meals under the open-air dining pavilion, worship in the open-air chapel and even take showers in our spring-fed, cold-water showers.

Cane Creek runs right through the Outpost site.  There are plenty of hiking trails and opportunities to enjoy God's creation all around you.  
 
Outpost offers plenty of space for your group to spread out and enjoy the outdoors. The Dining Pavilion provides covered cooking and dining space. There is room for feeding more than 50 people, as well as an enclosed food storage area and solar-powered food refrigeration units. (Tents pictured not included.)

The four open-air Adirondack sleeping shelters will sleep up to 14 individuals each on the covered, upper platform, with lower levels for meeting and activity space.

Outpost also has its own outdoor chapel right by the creek.

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