Established Camping
Balsam Mountain Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park
About
National Park Service
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Overview
Balsam Mountain Campground is located in a relatively remote part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The secluded setting offers visitors the ability to enjoy a multitude of recreational activities without the crowds which are sometimes common in other parts of the park.
Recreation
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker's paradise, with over 800 miles of maintained trails ranging from short, leg-stretchers to strenuous treks. The Balsam Mountain area features several trails that are less heavily used compared to other areas of the park. The campground offers a short nature trail located beside site 43. The hiker only Flat Creek Trail is a pleasant walk through a hardwood forest. For the adventurous hiker the Hemphill Bald and Rough Fork trails provide a 14-mile loop hike, with outstanding views and old growth trees. Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains. Anglers will agree that some of the best trout fishing in the area can be found along the Balsam Mountain and Straight Fork Roads, some of the most remote sections of the park. Fly fishing is particularly good during spring months when aquatic insects hatch in large numbers. Wildlife viewing is a popular pastime, and with around 1,500 bears living in the park, it is not uncommon for visitors to spot one. The park is a sanctuary for a magnificent array of animal and plant life, all of which is protected for future generations to enjoy. The park also holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Over 90 historic structures have been preserved in the park. For the auto touring enthusiast, the 14-mile Heintooga Round Bottom Road, a one-way unimproved gravel drive, offers spectacular scenery with mountain vistas and the occasional bear or elk sighting. Buses, motorhome, vans longer than 25' and any vehicle towing a trailer are prohibited on this road.
Facilities
Balsam Mountain Campground offers 42 campsites for a traditional outdoor camping experience with the added convenience of flush toilets and drinking water. There are no hookups or showers at the campground. No lights are available in the restrooms at this campground. For campers' safety use of a flashlight, lantern or headlamp is recommended when accessing these facilities after day light hours.
Natural Features
Balsam Mountain Campground is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges and pristine mountain streams. Elk are common in this part of the park during the spring and fall. Located at 5,310 feet elevation, Balsam Mountain's daytime temperatures rarely exceed 70 degrees F and night time temperatures may dip into the low 50's.
Nearby Attractions
Nearby attractions include: Maggie Valley, NC, Cherokee, NC, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the Mountain Farm Museum, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Nantahala Outdoor Center, the Bryson City Railway and Asheville, NC
Fee Info
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonGood
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
Not a Busy Area Some Nice Sites
Balsam Mountain- Smoky Mountain NP:
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer)
Overall Rating: 4 - this would be a 3 except for the altitude and thus relief from the heat in lower elevations. Only a few of the trailer sites offer a degree of privacy. These are VERY nice. 4.5. This portion of the park is not nearly busy as other areas, so a big plus -
Price: $15 with senior discount in 2023.
Usage during visit: high over the 4th. Still quiet. 60 - 70 % full mid week.
Site Privacy: Most sites have very poor privacy.
Site Spacing: Varies.
Site surface: Blacktop - recently resurfaced.
Reservations: Yes.
Campground Noise: Very quiet
Road Noise: None - maybe a little in sites 1 and 2. But there is not much traffic on the park road in this location.
Through Traffic in campground: Not an issue.
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: No
Potable Water Available: Yes
Generators: Allowed 8 AM to 8 PM.
Bathroom: Very clean. Flush toilets
Showers: Nope.
Pull Throughs: All sites except one are “pull overs”. There is no island between
Cell Service ;AT&T: Minimal.
Setting: Sort of on a wooded ridge with a drop off behind most sites. Nice.
Weather: Lots of clouds, rain and thundershowers during our stay.
Bugs: Some mosquitoes.
Solar: For fixed roof , not good. Folks have portable panels on the blacktop behind their trailers.
Host: Very active…..
Rig size: Not too big. Under 22’ for most sites I guess. Don’t fudge much from website posted size limitations for each site.
Sites: Most are “pull over” sites. The absolute best is our site, # 23 - It is also the only back-in site. Others that offer an acceptable degree of privacy, in my opinion, and in rough order beginning with the best are: 6, 7, 2,3, 40, 39, 37. I only evaluated the trailer sites.
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Remote Location
We were booked here for 2 nights on site 14. I read the reviews about how close the campsites were, but the picture didn't look too bad. When we arrived we loved the remote location, however, when you say close together, they are very, very close together. We have 3 dogs and they would have never rested because there is absolutely no privacy between the sites in the back of the loop and only feet from one tent pad to the next. We decided to stay somewhere else for the night. Campground host was awesome, I didn't use the restrooms, but I would imagine they are spotless like the rest of GSMNP.
A great place to camp
We visited this campground during the Memorial Day weekend through mid-week. The campground is wonderful. It is small, but the sites are well-kept with some of the cleanest restrooms I’ve seen at a campground. We stayed in the tent-only area and were the only ones there for 3 of the 4 nights. Don’t miss the sunsets from the overlook just a short walk from the campground. We will be back to this one!
Location
Balsam Mountain Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in North Carolina
Directions
From the North: From I-40 take Exit 20 Maggie Valley, NC and travel US-19 towards Cherokee, NC. Access the Blue Ridge Parkway at Soco Gap and continue South to mile 458.2, turning right onto Heintooga Ridge Road. Enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Black Camp Gap and continue 9 miles to Balsam Mountain Campground. From the South: Follow US-441/US-23 North. At Dillsboro merge onto US-74 West/US-441 North. At exit 74 merge onto US-441. Continue on US-441 through Cherokee, NC and into the park. Access the Blue Ridge Parkway traveling North to mile 458.2, turning left onto Heintooga Ridge Road. Enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Black Camp Gap and continue 9 miles to Balsam Mountain Campground.
Address
253 Smokemont Campground Road
Cherokee, NC 28719
Coordinates
35.5655556 N
83.175 W