For many successful musicians, achieving fame and financial security opens the door to extraordinary possibilities. Some purchase sprawling estates, luxury vacation homes, or private retreats where they can escape the demands of public life. Others invest in businesses, pursue new creative ventures, or simply enjoy the rewards of years spent building their careers.
But Grammy Award-winning country music star Zac Brown had a different vision for a beautiful stretch of farmland in Georgia.
He imagined a place where children who sometimes struggled to fit in could discover that they belonged. A place where young people with different abilities, backgrounds, and experiences could laugh together, explore the outdoors, build friendships, and develop confidence. And a place where military veterans facing the difficult transition back to civilian life could find understanding, support, and a renewed sense of purpose.
That vision eventually became Camp Southern Ground.
In 2011, Brown purchased approximately 400 acres of farmland in Fayetteville, Georgia, roughly 30 miles south of Atlanta. What began as a dream inspired partly by his own childhood experiences at summer camp developed into a nonprofit organization with an unusual and deeply meaningful dual mission.
During the summer, Camp Southern Ground welcomes children between the ages of seven and seventeen, including young people with autism spectrum disorder, learning and attention differences, social or emotional challenges, and children from military families and underserved communities.
For the rest of the year, the same property becomes a place of connection, personal growth, and transition support for military veterans and their families.
The veteran programs are provided at no cost to eligible participants, made possible through charitable contributions and organizational partnerships.
Mission, Founder & StoryCamp Southern Ground+2
It is a remarkable concept: one piece of land serving two populations whose experiences may appear very different but whose needs often overlap in meaningful ways.
Both children and veterans can benefit from encouragement, community, acceptance, and opportunities to discover strengths they may not fully recognize in themselves.
For children, the camp offers opportunities to develop independence and make lasting friendships.
For veterans, it offers structured programs designed to support their transition into the next chapter of life.
And for Zac Brown, it represents something far more lasting than a successful album or a sold-out concert.
It represents the possibility of using personal success to create opportunities for others.
A Childhood Dream That Became Something Much Bigger
To understand why Zac Brown created Camp Southern Ground, it helps to look beyond his career as a musician.
Long before he became widely recognized as the frontman of the Zac Brown Band, Brown was a child who understood the excitement and freedom of summer camp.
He attended camp when he was young and later worked as a camp counselor. Those experiences shaped his understanding of what can happen when children are given opportunities to step outside their ordinary routines, try unfamiliar activities, and connect with people they might never otherwise meet.
For some children, camp is simply a fun vacation filled with outdoor adventures.
For others, it can become a turning point.
A shy child may discover the courage to introduce themselves to a stranger. A young person who struggles academically may discover an unexpected talent for climbing, music, art, or teamwork. A child who feels different from their classmates may find a community where those differences are welcomed rather than treated as obstacles.
Brown believed these experiences could have an influence that lasted well beyond a single summer.
According to Camp Southern Ground's official materials, he dreamed of creating his own camp from an early age. The organization's 2024 parent handbook recounts that, when he was twelve, he told his mother he wanted to start a summer camp someday.
Camp Southern Ground+1
That childhood ambition did not disappear as his musical career developed.
Instead, it grew alongside his success.
As the Zac Brown Band gained recognition, Brown found himself in a position to pursue a project that required more than imagination. Building a residential camp on hundreds of acres would involve extensive planning, construction, fundraising, staffing, safety systems, and long-term financial support.
It would not be a small personal undertaking.
Yet the idea continued to develop because Brown saw the potential to create something that could serve generations of children.
His original vision also expanded to include another group he deeply wanted to support: military veterans.
What emerged was a model that combined the benefits of inclusive youth development with programs addressing the challenges of life after military service.
The result was not simply a summer camp that occasionally hosted veterans.
It was an organization intentionally designed around two complementary missions.
From Ordinary Farmland to an Extraordinary Community
The location of Camp Southern Ground is important to its story.
Fayetteville, Georgia, sits south of Atlanta, far enough from the busiest parts of the metropolitan area to offer a quieter environment while remaining accessible to families, volunteers, staff, and organizational partners.
When Brown acquired the land, he was not purchasing a completed retreat center with every facility already in place.
The project required transforming farmland into a campus capable of supporting residential programs for children and adults.
Over time, the organization developed facilities and outdoor spaces intended to encourage recreation, learning, teamwork, wellness, and connection.
Its published materials describe residential lodges, dining facilities, outdoor adventure features, trails, an organic garden, and other amenities.
Camp Southern Ground has also emphasized sustainable construction and environmental responsibility, including LEED-certified buildings and materials selected with long-term durability in mind.
Mission, Founder & StoryCamp Southern Ground+1
These details matter because the camp's mission depends on much more than the beauty of its surroundings.
A meaningful residential program needs spaces where participants can feel comfortable, where activities can be adapted to different needs, and where trained staff can provide appropriate support.
For children, the environment must balance adventure with safety and structure.
For veterans, it must provide room for reflection, group learning, physical activity, and meaningful conversation.
The camp's physical design helps make these different experiences possible.
During one season, the property may be filled with young campers participating in outdoor challenges, sharing meals, and developing new friendships.
During another, adults who once served in the military may gather in the same spaces to discuss career goals, relationships, personal identity, and the difficulties of navigating major life changes.
The buildings remain.
The land remains.
But the people who arrive, and the reasons they come, change throughout the year.
That flexibility is one of the most distinctive aspects of Camp Southern Ground.
Rather than using its facilities for a single population during a limited season, the organization has developed a year-round mission.
The property is not merely a place where activities happen.
It is the setting for experiences intended to help people move forward in their lives.
A Summer Camp Where Differences Are Welcomed
Every summer, Camp Southern Ground welcomes children from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.
Its inclusive approach is central to the program.
Rather than creating a camp exclusively for children with particular diagnoses or separating participants into entirely different environments, the organization brings together typically developing children and children with neurodevelopmental differences.
Participants may include children on the autism spectrum, young people with learning or attention challenges, children experiencing social or emotional difficulties, and children from military or economically underserved families.
The camp serves ages seven through seventeen through week-long residential sessions.
Camp Southern Ground+1
This model reflects an important idea: children do not need to be identical to learn from one another.
In fact, some of the most meaningful lessons of childhood come from discovering that other people experience the world differently.
One child may be naturally outgoing and comfortable speaking in groups.
Another may prefer quiet activities or need additional time to become familiar with a new environment.
