By the time I got around booking my trip, it was pretty slim pickings within the national park boundaries.

I was fortunately able to snag a few nights here in Smokemont, but was unfortunately placed RIGHT next to the bathroom. While the bathroom is highly trafficked, it actually wasn’t that bad and I quickly realized that there is no privacy anywhere within this campground.

The campsites are really crammed with in there, so if you’re looking for an idyllic experience, this ain’t it. But if you’re looking for something relatively close to a lot of cool exploration points, this is perfect!

It’s about a 45 minute drive to Cades Cove and maybe a 30 minute drive to the town of Cherokee. There are also several trailheads at the campground.