The Vix Camps take place at Wooten Woods Retreat in Only, Tennessee. The grounds cover nearly 150 acres and border the Duck River. Music and nature programs give the stay a clear focus. The Lee and Gould Furnace near Only adds a historical perspective. For your planning, you can first decide whether a camp program, local history, or a combination of the two is your priority.
Distinguishing Music and Nature Programs
The six-day Music/Nature Camp is for musicians of all instruments, styles, and skill levels. It combines music instruction with nature instruction. The two areas of instruction are explicitly connected, so the camp is not focused solely on music lessons. Its duration is a specific factor to consider if you want to include a longer program in your travel plans.
In the Animal Tracking program, Victor Wooten teaches the fundamentals of tracking. The focus is on tracks and other signs found in Wooten Woods. This gives the program a different emphasis from the Music/Nature Camp: here, the focus is on the basics of tracking and signs in nature.
The Jam Camp is shorter than the six-day Music/Nature Camp, lasting two days. It includes several jam sessions, which participants can attend as much or as little as they choose. The formats therefore differ both in duration and in the type of participation described: music and nature instruction at the Music/Nature Camp, and several sessions with flexible participation at the Jam Camp.
Another program with a specific timeframe is the Inside:Outside Retreat. This summer camp is for saxophonists aged 17 to over 70 and takes place at Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature in Only. It was held for the eighth time in summer 2026. This refers to that past edition and does not give any future dates.
Getting to the Camps
For most camps, Vix Camps offers a paid shuttle to and from Nashville International Airport (BNA). Availability varies by program. Before traveling, check the current official transportation information for the specific camp so you can plan airport transfers alongside your program choice.
History at the Lee and Gould Furnace
The Lee and Gould Furnace is located near Only. Built in 1833, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Only a small remnant remains today. The furnace is located along the route of Benge’s Trail of Tears; in 1838, a party of 1,200 Cherokee passed near the furnace. These details connect a surviving structural remnant with a specific historical route.
The Lee and Gould Furnace is privately owned and is visible from I-40 at the Bucksnort exit on TN Highway 230.
Accommodations and Your Stay
Made in the Shade RV Park has a pool, a fishing pond, walking trails, showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities. These listed amenities give a concrete sense of what the park offers guests. They are quite different from the camp programs, which focus on music, nature instruction, jam sessions, or tracking.
Choosing your stay involves two distinct decisions: which program and its duration and content interest you, and what type of accommodation suits your travel plans. Camp durations range from two days for the Jam Camp to six days for the Music/Nature Camp; shuttle availability, meanwhile, varies by program.
Discover more destinations: Centerville.
Return to the broader travel guide: Hickman County.
