The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Cherokee. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Cherokee, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Cherokee camping trip.
$30 / night
"Very popular campground just inside the Park and not far from Cherokee NC. Clean, well maintained, easy access RV sites. The RV loop has no hookups, although generators are allowed during the day."
"About 10 miles from Cherokee, NC. A good Elk viewing area between Smokemont and Cherokee, NC. One camper saw a bear one morning but was not a problem."
$30 / night
"Right outside of Gatlinburg so plenty to do and see if you feel like exploring outside of the park."
"I had the most fantastic campsite right next to the river in Elkmont."
$26 - $37 / night
"Indian Creek offers the most relaxing creekside camping in North Carolina.
Every campsite is lush with greenery, private and well maintained after each occupancy."
"This worked out perfectly since you couldn't hear anything but the rushing water in the gorgeous stream next to us."
$50 / night
"The Deep Creek Campground is located just minutes away from the charming Bryson City with its shops, breweries, little cafes an other attractions such as steam train rides on the"
"Quiet with plenty of space between the RV sites, surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls. Tent sites are next to the river and in close proximity to one another."
"If I’m not mistaken, the one we were at this time was either the same cabin or one close to it. It is perfectly situated beside the river. "
"But if you’re a tent camper, be aware that the tent sites are located near the road (I will never understand why campsites do this, since we are the ones with no soundproofing)."
$35 - $258 / night
"The campground is surrounded by a little river so many sites have river views. Most are relatively spacious. There are also a few spots on the road side of the island.
The amenities were spotless."
"._
Greenbriar is located near the Greenbriar entrance of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, very near the arts and crafts district of Gatlinburg."
$50 / night
"Cosby is great if you want to explore the eastern section of North Carolina sections of the park."
"Cosby is about half an hour outside of Gatlinburg and worth every minute.
A16 was big and shady. There were a few steps down to it. Plenty of trees and distance to the nearest neighbors."
$30 / night
"This campground is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, close to Cherokee, and Maggie Valley. The sites are first come first service, which is great if you want to camp on a whim."
"The campground was nice and it was a fun drive in/out every time. Lots of elk! The bathroom did not have lights so if you didn’t go by dusk you’ll need a light with you."
$30 / night
"The North Carolina part has a slightly different feel. Less of a circus and less crowded and more laid back. Loving it! Beautiful. Just wish there were showers here....lol."
"This:
“Access to Cataloochee is via a narrow, winding, mountain road. A 3-mile stretch of gravel road contains many narrow, blind curves."
"Located close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is a private campground and has several types of camping opportunities. "
"Campground review: Located in Bryson City, N.C. on Deep Creek, this campground has around 50 sites with full hookups."
GuideClose to the road, the sites are set back into the woods but are very exposed to anyone driving g by. All sites are laid out differently with some pull through and others back in. A mix of tent and trailers were present. Lots of nearby trash. The o es I walked were just wooded trash, nothing special, but nearby there were lots of people parked at the heads of several trails. Good bathrooms. Nice quiet campground. Has a beach on a swampy lake.
TravelerHave to reserve ahead of time. Stayed in a van. Restrooms clean. I reserved noon on day of check in and there were only two spots left.
ScoutVery compact space. Only good for a short stay or to visit the area attractions and only sleep. Not as nice as some of the bigger areas. I should have noticed from the photos.
Not right off the highway so. It is pretty quiet.
The employees are really friendly and helpful.
TravelerThe Staff was very friendly and helpful. The facilities were nice and clean. Our neighbors were respectful of quiet hours, but not so much of other camping etiquette. The sites are very narrow and on the weekend we were there it was very busy. There appears to be quite a lot of permanent residents. We did have an attractive, clean creekside view. Overall we enjoyed our stay, just would have preferred a little more space and privacy.
TravelerMore a long-term RV/permanent living in very old campers. The area has no cell service in the area. During the stay, the wifi was in and out. But when it was working, sreaming videos was very poor, always buffering. The owners are very nice and are working to update the property.
GuideWe traveled in a Class C, so I chose this CG because the bus stop is just outside the CG. Unfortunately, the bus route was suspended due to a lack of drivers just 2 weeks before we arrived. (Not the CG's fault, but it did complicate our trip a bit.) The CG is nice, sites are regularly spaced somewhat close to each other but level. There are many seasonal campers here. Restrooms are clean, laundry is convenient. There are many things to do in the CG, pools, arcade and lots of kids. There is a gas station/convenience store on the property. Staff in the office can answer questions about the area.
We would stay here again if the bus is running.
ScoutWe stayed at Site 1 and it was lovely. The rushing water (mini waterfall?) is the highlight of the site and our stay. There is much privacy between sites and the hosts visited and made us feel welcome. The obvious tent site is quite sloped and if we stay again, we will set up closer to the road to find a more level spot. The tree canopy by the water allowed us to enjoy a bonfire even in a light rain. The composting toilet is a bit of a walk so we mostly took care of business at our site in our luggable loo. There did not seem to be a trash receptacle on site so we took our garbage home for disposal. Apparently this site is also listed on Hip Camp and there seems to be a reservation integration challenge. They were double booked for the site on the second night but the second party was accommodated by a space in the pasture.
ScoutNice clean and very quiet.
TravelerHorse cove was a gorgeous campsite. There are two “areas”, the campground near the check in station and dispersed camping along the road. We stayed in May 2025.
We chose to camp in the campground. It had a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern poles. It was a rainy weekend so we didn’t have many neighbors which made it perfect. The campground use to have two sections to camp but one has been closed down for quite a bit of time (there have fallen trees). There were only about 6-8 campsites all close to each other on the campground along the river.
The other option is to find campsites along the river. There were maybe 3-4 rv friendly sites from the campground to the boat dock (mostly tent options). There’s probably more past the boat dock but we didn’t check.
There’s probably river was loud but beautiful. No electric. There was a water pump but I didn’t see if it worked. There was an abundance of firewood in the campground and along the road. We decided to go hike Joyce Kilmore Forest which was a small trek from the campground. Felt like we were camping in a rainforest!
Toilet: enclosed toilet with thin toilet paper just like a porta potty. Smelled bad.
Camping near Cherokee, North Carolina, offers a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors while soaking in the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. With a variety of campgrounds to choose from, you can find the perfect spot for your next adventure.
Camping near Cherokee, North Carolina, is a great way to enjoy nature, make family memories, and experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Whether you're in a tent, RV, or cabin, there's something for everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Cherokee, NC offers a wide range of camping options, with 644 campgrounds and RV parks near Cherokee, NC and 58 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cherokee, NC is Smokemont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a 4.3-star rating from 52 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 58 free dispersed camping spots near Cherokee, NC.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 28 parks near Cherokee, NC that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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