Cataloochee Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cataloochee is hit or miss. This year’s trip was awesome. Last year, we were run out of our site by pushy elk that had been emboldened by the Memorial Weekend campers of the previous weekend. It’s a crap shoot, but you can improve your chances of a nice experience by booking midweek and not within a few weeks following the holiday weekend. 

The drive up to the campground is super fun with its twisty, turny, dirt roads and pretty views that peek through the leaves. I can be a bit rutted and washboarded at times, but this year it was in decent shape. 

Sites are level, spacious, and easy to drive onto. Tent pads are well-maintained. Water is available throughout the grounds, as are trash bins and grey water dumps for dish water.

Bathrooms (women’s) were pretty nasty this time, and I don’t expect much. Smelled of urine. Floors were wet even though it was neither humid nor raining. Not pleasant. 

Fellow campers were chill and respectful.

The river that flows near several of the sites is a highlight. It’s beautiful, frigid, and crystal clear. Takes a bit of a scramble to get down to the shore, in some places, but it’s worth it.

Plenty of great little trails within a stones throw. Lots of mildly technical things that ambitious young (mine are 9 and 11) hikers will enjoy. Creek crossings and little scrambles and whatnot.

I have stayed at this campground before, and it was as peaceful as I remembered before. The sites are level and shaded. The river is close, and it makes for a restful night. When I was there this time, it was not as crowded. However, that didn’t really matter since there is a little more privacy between the campsites than a lot of large privately owned campgrounds and RV parks. As far as facilities, there are no sewer, electrical, or water hookups. However, water is available. The bath house has not changed since I was there before. There are still no showers. The main reason people come to this campground is to see the elk or the historic structures. The valley is a peaceful place, and there are a lot of day dwellers in the valley. There are also lots of trails and great places to fish along the creek. During peak season, you will not be able to get a site unless you book ahead of time since it is a popular destination. To get to this campground, you have to drive over ten miles on narrow, curvy roads with steep drop-offs, which is partly paved and partly gravel. Overall, I recommend it highly. It’s pretty obvious since I keep going back.

The campground is quite secluded and only has 27 sites. On our stay during a holiday weekend, we learned that many of those were "locals" that have been coming for years and say it's the best campground around. The roads are rough to get there no matter which way you come, however a fair number of RV's still make it on the gravel, narrow, winding roads. While the campground doesn't have the mountain views of the smokies, we came for the elk which we saw tons of. There's multiple hiking trails near by as well as historical structures to visit. So there is plenty to do while camping here even though it's far from any services (be sure to get wood, ice, etc. before coming). 

Almost any of the sites on the outer portion of the campground are great (except for maybe site 19 next to the bathroom. The sites in the middle don't really have any privacy. The campground is completely level but sites still have a tent pad. 

Bathrooms are clean. Camphost was very knowledgeable. There are bears in the area, so all items need to be cleaned and put away overnight.

Full Video With Drive Through Of The Campground CLICK HERE

When visiting the smoky mountains you might be tempted to try something a little bit more off the beaten path. Sometimes the path being rocky and windy makes the campsite all the more worth it. As is the case with the Cataloochee campground. 

I took a trip to this campground in hopes of finding something spectacular I had heard that the elk in this area around freely and that on a crisp day you could hear the water which runs along side the camp even at the furthest campsite. As I drove down the winding road I noticed that the twist interns grew narrow the bumps grew frequent and then encountering a motorist was a hairy experience. I had been told that large RVs we're not permitted however I saw one precariously going down the mountain side. 

The roads suddenly turned from dirt and gravel to a paved section of highway and I was slightly confused. 

Just a short distance after this occurred I found the Cataloochee campground jetting off to the left-hand side of the road. It welcomed me with open arms and tall trees casting gorgeous shade that seem to be dancing in the sunlight. I pulled in to speak to the Ranger on duty and then quickly found my campsite. It was something unlike any other campground I had found in the area completely removed from the comforts of community and distanced intentionally from the creature comforts. 

This campground is one for making memories and enjoying truly the outdoors. Hiking trails depart from this campground and lead to some of the most historic areas of the great Smoky Mountain National Park including several structures which ones were the homes of some of the first residents of the Smoky Mountains. 

Each site was large enough to spread out in with a small camper or a tent. Tent pads are large and size allowing for even the largest of tents. Each pull in was large enough for a large vehicle, though I could see an RV being an issue. Campsites came standard with lantern hooks and picnic tables in addition to a fire ring. 

Centralized restrooms and trash receptacles were available in addition to a spigot. These restrooms are very basic however do have a wash sink area in a common area as well to avoid restroom clean up for dishes. There are no showers at this facility. 

Since this area is widely regarded for bear sightings in addition to other wild animals, you can find bear safety at the kiosk and locking trash bins. I would advise brushing up on your bear safety before a trip to the Smoky Mountains for a camping trip in general. 

Sure enough after settling in this campground was a peaceful and idyllic setting. At$25 per night the waterfront sites more than justify the price point. However, I will say reservations are required for this campground as it is more remote and also more limited on availability. 

This campground is frequently effected by weather so planning in advance is a must!!

This is the second time I have camped at this place, and it was even better the second time around. I say this because I explored more of what this area has to offer. The main reason people come to this area is to see the elk. Thousands upon thousands of people come here for that reason. However, there are many trails in this area as well with a lot of old structures—barns, houses built during the 1800s, an old church, an old schoolhouse, etc. I specifically wanted to hike the Boogerman Trail, which I had heard about for years. The trailhead is about a hundred yards from the campground, but more about that later. This campground has a washhouse with toilet, sinks, and a dish wash station, but it does not have showers. The campsites are level and well-shaded. There are no water or sewer hookups, but the sites are relatively private. You can still see the other campers easily, but the sites are not on top of each other. Reservations are REQUIRED since the drive to the campground is a ten mile curvy road with about four miles of it being gravel.(By the way, it was revealed last week that the road to Cataloochee Valley, including the campground, would be closed for repairs until sometime in May.) The Boogerman Trail is often wet, especially after rain, and it is a moderate climb. However, you walk by at least one tree that is HUGE. You will pass by a stone wall and an old homestead. You will also have to cross Caldwell Fork(creek) several times before getting back to the trailhead. Rough Fork Trail, which is at the end of the dirt road through the valley, leads you to the Woody house. It is a pleasant one mile walk. Big Fork Ridge Trail is another trail, with the trailhead being just before you get to the end of the dirt road. It is a much longer and steeper trail. I love this campground, not just because it is a pleasant camping experience, but because there is so much to explore.

• We stayed at site #26 in tents. It was small but all the trees were great since we had to put up tarps for the rain. We were able to set up 2 -4 person tents and 1 large 10 person tent as well as a screened canopy over the picnic table. Plus you can hear the river from our site so that was pretty pleasant =)
• I walked the campground and my personal favorite site was #7. The fire pit and picnic bench are in the front and the tent area is further back near the river. Very large space.
• The drive up goes from road, to dirt, to road. Yes it is very narrow (especially since I drive a Suburban), but just drive slow and be careful on turns and you'll be fine. Any turn I couldn't see around, I honked as a heads up to oncoming traffic (which is a total of like 6 cars). 
• Make sure to get firewood/supplies prior to driving up the mountain. It's about a 30 minute drive up and there is no firewood/ice/or any supplies anywhere on the mountain.
• The woman's bathroom had 2 stalls. One large and one small. No soap dispenser, but someone left a hand soap pump which was pretty nice of them. Electric hand dryer. No showers. Sink for your dishes is attached to the restrooms. It got pretty dirty and muddy, but in the morning it was cleaned up.
• We didn't see any wildlife besides 1 squirrel. But there is some massive spiders (look like red daddy long legs) and had a few bees. Lightning bugs were hardly there, but the mosquitoes were hardly there too.
• We walked the closest trail, very muddy. The creek/river was super pretty but it was super cold. Not much scenery on the trail besides the fun wood bridge at the beginning. We ended up driving an hour to the big creek section of the Smokies. We went on the Big Creek Trail which led to Midnight Hole (which is a beautiful swimming hole). Its at another campground that also has white water rafting.
• There is an old church next to the campground that is open and very lovely. 
• There's also a look over stop. Its 100% worth stopping at.
• Overall, we enjoyed that everyone at the campground pretty much went to bed around 11pm. The campground seems like its taken care of. Personally I'd rather stay at a campground with a little more adventure (and maybe showers). The campground is very small so it'll only take up to 5 minutes to walk the whole place.

Tent Camping specific: Cataloochee is my favorite campground in the great Smoky Mountains national Park. It’s secluded, on the small side, and quiet. It’s very much a family campground, and there seem to be a lot of regulars that camp here year after year. I know our family does.

As a tent camper, I look for campgrounds where there are not going to be a plethora of large RVs. The last thing I want to hear when I’m out camping is somebody’s TV playing at full blast and the generator going all night. I’ve never had this happen at Cataloochee. Yes, some people use generators, but it usually tends to only be for an hour or two during the day which I can handle. What keeps out the large RVs? This:

“Access to Cataloochee is via a narrow, winding, mountain road. A 3-mile stretch of gravel road contains many narrow, blind curves. Though many campsites will accommodate large rigs, motorhomes over 32' and trailers over 25' in length are not recommended due to the access road. “

The road is quite the trip just in a car, and I can’t imagine driving a large RV on it. There are two approach roads. There’s one that goes from Big Creek Campground to Cataloochee. I would recommend this one because of how scenic it is, but we once got stuck behind a tractor trailer on the small gravel road and had to sit there for an hour in order to get going again.

The campground specifics: there are flush toilets and there is drinking water, but that’s it. No electrical hook ups. This is bear country, so put your food up, along with any scented health and beauty items. Tent pad is 16‘ x 16‘. You can collect the dead wood, but please don’t bring firewood into the park unless it’s been specially treated.

Reservations are highly recommended, but it is possible except on the busiest weekends to occasionally snag one of the not so prime sites. And even the not so prime sites are still wonderful because of this campground. Just keep checking Recreation.gov to see what comes available.

There’s great fishing, great hiking and a lot of historical buildings to explore. There’s an area of the stream where little kids can easily play which is important because I have a three-year-old. Lots of people bike throughout this area of the park because there’s not a lot of traffic. Fishing is great, just do your research on what is effective on the trout in this area and what the rules and regulations for fishing in the park are. And there’s elk! They have their babies at the beginning of June and mid September through October is their mating season, so you can hear their strange whistles.

Site specific: Sites 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are located along the stream. 1, 2, 4 & 6 are across the the road from the waterfront sites. Sites 11-15, 17-19 are on the outside of the loop. Sites 20-27 are located on the road that bisects village. The best sites? 5 & 10. They are really nicely sited with the tent pad quite a distance from the gravel road around the campground. All of the other waterfront sites are great. Site 11 is not waterfront, but it’s spacious and private. The worst sites are those on the road that bisects the Loop Road.

LET ME BE VERY CLEAR: any campsite at Cataloochee is worth reserving. They’re all nice. You can hear the water from any of them. They are paths that lead behind the campground to the river so it’s just a matter of walking a few more feet. Your neighbors might be a little close, but with the ambience of this campground, it won’t feel like that.

I’ve stayed in Cataloochee every year for the past six years. I’ve stayed at almost every other campground in the park. Cataloochee is just fantastic. To prove that point, we have three stays reserved this year for our family. So go! You won’t regret it.