## Overview

 Situated in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this sunny group camp offers an ideal setting for camping excursions. Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian culture, this is America\'s most visited national 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, with a number of those trails, including The Smokemont Loop Trail and the Bradley Fork Trail, accessible from the camp. But hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies: Fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are also popular activities. Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance. The nearby Bradley Fork River provides a great place to splash in the stream or fish for trout. Wildlife viewing is a popular pastime, and with around 1,500 bears living in the park, it\'s not uncommon for visitors to spot one. From the big animals like bears, deer, and elk, down to microscopic organisms, the Smokies have the most biological diversity of any area in the world\'s temperate zone. 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, including houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools and grist mills, have been preserved or rehabilitated in the park.
## Facilities

 Smokemont Group Camp offers an unforgettable outdoor experience with the added convenience of flush toilets, drinking water and sinks. The campsites can accommodate up to 20 guests and provides tent pads, grills and fire rings. There is also a flat, grassy area that is perfect for group activities like football, volleyball or simply soaking up the sun.
## Natural Features

 Smokemont Group Camp is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges, blanketed in wildflowers during the spring and bursting with vivid foliage in the fall. At 2,200 feet, Smokemont provides a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural history of Southern Appalachia. From the pre-historic Paleo Indians to early 19th century European settlers, the park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes and artifacts that tell the stories of the people who once called these mountains home. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The adjacent Smokemont Campground provides additional camping facilities for smaller groups. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Indian Village and Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, located six miles away in Cherokee, North Carolina, provides cultural and historical information about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Cherokee also provides grocery stores and fuel.
## Charges &amp; Cancellations

 Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night\'s use fee.

Smokemont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We spent several nights driving through GSMNP and this was where we spend our final night. The campsite was quiet (mid-May) in terms of people but full of life. So many butterflies and other cool nature nuggets.

The sites are a nice size, more than enough room for little tent campers like us. The sites are crushed gravel with nice fire rings and plenty of shade. This is a pristine spot along the Blue Ridge and worth spending a night (or more).

Another Gem in the Smokies

The Smokemount Campground is awesome! A small rivulet (Bradley Fork) passes through it and  offers a pleasant respite in the otherwise very humid and constantly soaked in rain environment. The campground is close nearby to many of the attractions in the area - the Cherokee village and museum are to the south of it. The campground is also fairly close to Clingman's Dome (the highest peak in Tennessee), Cade's Cove - a beautiful, secluded valley with many well-preserved historical houses, Gatlinburg - a touristy town with too many visitos and at least two dozens of waterfalls. What is the best about the Smokies though are the bears! With some luck you may come across them several times. 

It was raining cats and dogs... and bears. 

With so many choices of locations to camp you have to consider what you want to do in the Smokies to choose you best spot. If you are planning to hike Mingo Falls, visit the Mountain Farm Museum and the Cherokee Museum/village in Cherokee then this is the camp for you. Not nearly as crowded as some of the other sites deeper in the park. Easy access to Balsam Mountain and the falls around Deep Creek.

On the edge of the park.....

This site is a bit different than your other NC campgrounds.  It is definitely larger, which means more people and at times more noise.   A little closer to Gatlinburg than Cataloochee and Balsam campgrounds so if you want to be a little closer to the  TN side and head into Gatlinburg for a night this might be a better bet geographically.  Great hikes and vistas here too, its all about where you want to be and be around.  

A little more going on but still very beautiful

Even though it is larger the Cataloochee and Balsam campgrounds on the NC side, it has a dfferent feel than the larger TN campsites.  I dont know what it is.  I like this campground a lot and its close even to Gatlinburg than if I get the hankering to go into "town"  I dont feel like its so far away, less than an hour.  Great hikes in the area, love the Great Smokies!

Larger but better

Smokemont is a nice option for camping deep into the Smokies. There's still good proximity to area towns if you need something, and you're right around the corner from Mingo Falls - a must-see spot. The area view just cannot be beat, and the facility is kept up well.

Gear Review: I had the opportunity to take along my new Smith Sunglasses on this adventure, and they did not disappoint. I actually had not heard of this brand before and am pretty sure I only took them off in the shade for 5 straight days. Best feature: the nose piece. They rest nicely on my head without getting caught in my hair and don't pinch my nose. The ear piece ends were a little tight the first few times I put them on but loosened up quickly. I love the look and color and everything about these!

Ranger Review: Smith Colette Sunglasses at Smokemont Campground

Beautiful site next to river, a lot of hiking options. Ice available a short bike ride or hike away at horse stable. No internet available so check weather forecast before leaving the visitor center

Just gorgeous 

This campground was great. Lovely location on the eastern side of GSMNP. Easy access to many trails and spacious sites enabled a great getaway. No electricity, no cell reception means great, meaningful time with friends and family. Site B32 means you're falling asleep to rushing creek water every night. Be prepared for rain, it's what makes the Smokies beautiful. 

Great Semi-primitive

Great, quiet spot to pitch a tent. A beautiful trail up the side of the mountain leads to great views and starts right at the campground.

Beautiful location 

On the most crowded of days sometimes you just find something that makes you happy and in my pursuit of a waterfall, that is how I stumbled upon Smokemont. I had thought it was a group only camp from other readings, but then discovered it was this great place with wide spaces big enough for RVs or tents.

The sites were pretty flat and even and made for my tent night comfortable. Facilities were well maintained and this being my first campground in North Carolina, it left a very good impression on me to say the least!!

I did find this campsite to be less crowded than the two major camps on the Tennessee side the Smoky Mountain entrance.

The campsite I had was only $21 when I visited and was pretty standard with picnic table and fire ring. They do ask you only use heat treated wood and not bring in woods which might contain little critters not native to the area. This was the only real warning they gave me when I checked in.

Welcome To North Carolina, the Smoky Mountain Way!

We stayed for one night, on a weeknight in early December. The campground was completely deserted (one other camper came in the evening, there were only two of us there!). Most of the campground is shut down during that time. Bathroom was open, with cold water. Water was available at the spouts. Sites are very close together for the most part, typical of most National Park Service car camping campgrounds.

Campground is along a creek, and there were some sites right along the water. Nice little trail across from our site that we explored. You must buy heat treated wood locally (we found some easily in nearby Cherokee).

Campground is close to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and we had the luck of seeing a heard of Elk in the field at the center on our way in! The road through the park shut down the night we were there due to snow and ice in the higher elevations, so keep weather in mind when visiting in the colder months; if you are planning to drive all the way through the park, you might not be able to. Same goes for the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, which was still shut down in many areas for clearing after an ice storm a week or two before we got there.

Smokemont Campground - National Park in the off season

Despite having rained for a week, staying at this campground wasn’t half bad. Building a fire was next to impossible. I think there might have been thirty minutes without rain, so pictures are limited. Being in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you need to be prepared for rain since it is a temperate rain forest. I had brought Boy Scouts to this campground years ago and wanted to go back. This time, we did not stay in the group camping area. Since it was at the beginning of the week, it wasn’t too crowded, although there were two Boy Scout groups in the group camping area. There are several camping areas, and the one we were in allowed generators during the day. I think I heard one, but it was not so bad. Unfortunately, there are gravel tent pads, which is bad news for campers with tents you have to stake down. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. As a tent camper, I hate gravel tent pads. Being in the national park, the amenities are about the same as the other national park campgrounds. However, I was surprised that the bath house had an electrical outlet to be used for blow dryers and shavers. I don’t remember any other Great Smoky Mountains National Park campgrounds having that luxury. But like the other ones in this national park, the bath house does not have showers or campsite hookups for water, sewer, and electricity. There are several trails in the area, but the ones that originate from the campground is the¾ mile nature trail and the Bradley Fork Smokemont Loop. When my son and I hiked this trail, we had to watch out for and step around horse poop. Since this trail is also used by horses, there was lots of it. Fortunately, the nature trail didn’t allow horses. My granddaughter loved walking over the log bridges and skipping rocks at the campground while it wasn’t raining. I think that was her favorite part. As with most of my camping trips, I want to explore, and there is plenty to explore around this campground. Being in the national park, there is a wide variety.  

Fewer than three miles down the road, there is an old mill (Mingus Mill), the Oconaluftee Visitors Center (which has the Mountain Farm Museum), elk, wild turkeys, etc. Within the boundary of the campground I discovered something at the campground that I never knew existed. There was an old church at the campground that was built before Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established. We were able to go into the church for me to take a few pictures.  It was first constructed in 1836 and rebuilt in 1912. Not too far from the campground is the Appalachian Trail, the Benton MacKaye Trail, and the Kephart Prong Trail. This campground is also one of the largest campgrounds in the national park that I have been to. Although it is not an equestrian campground, Tow String camping area is“next door,” and it is an equestrian campground. The horseback riders pass beside the campground on route to the Bradley Fork Trail. Overall, this was one of my better experiences with national park campgrounds except for the rain.

Large National Park Campground Close to Historic Structures

Smokemont Campground-Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherokee, NC-

\-site 25($25 nightly). 

  

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232486 

  

Nestled in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park at 2200 feet, close to crystal clear mountain streams, great hiking, and right down the Ridgeway from Clingman’s Dome. 

  

There are far too many outdoor activities to list that are a short drive away. So the location is prime.

  

(Disclaimer: My perspective comes from a tent camper that prefers privacy and solitude...so take my ramblings with a grain of salt...and I ordinarily fly by the seat of my pants without reservations). 

  

Even during the week in late October, there were only four available sites left right near the entrance. Campground Rangers in the office and walking the grounds were very friendly and helpful. All sites are line of sight...and though at capacity, campers were politely quiet. 

  

Tent sites have a gravel pad that you must utilize...firepit and picnic table. An all non-electric, non-generator campground. You won’t get cell service either...you must travel to the nearby visitor center for that convenience.   

Bathrooms are modern, no showers. 

Water is available throughout the campground. 

  

The park’s visitor center, roughly a mile down the road usually have local herd of elk grazing in the adjacent fields where tourist stop to take photos. A few gobblers joined the elk during my visit. Warning signs and Rangers on foot, keep photographers from encroaching onto the fields...but the visitor center parking lot is usually filled and vehicles are parked along both side of the roadway. 

  

Clingman’s Dome is a highlight. Realize that though you get to drive most of the way up the mountain, you must still walk from the parking lot to the summit and up the ramp for the birds eye 360 view.(\*\*Pit latrines are in the parking lot only...not in the tiny visitor center, nor at the summit) Note: while the walkway to the summit is paved, it has a fairly steep pitch. Tip: earlier in the day has fewer clouds, afternoon tends to see more view-obscuring cloud cover. The wind is strong and several degrees cooler than the parking lot.

  

 Final Thoughts: Smokemont Campground is a quiet, comfortable, conveniently located campground for short stays in a wonderful setting...but realize it is extremely popular and fills up nightly.

Conveniently located for all things outdoors

Smokemont is located a few miles up Newfound Gap Rd from Cherokee, NC and the Oconaluftee visitor's center and farm. You'll have a head start on driving to Clingman's dome to watch the sunrise and you're not far from places to explore on the east side of the Smokies. 

  

Smokemont is one of the few campgrounds open year round, with loops A &amp; B available in the off-season. I stayed here in early April and there were plenty of open sites. You can make reservations online or take a chance at first-come, first-served. With the exception of two sites offering electric for medical equipment, there are no utilities available. Firewood is available at nearby Towstring Horse Camp. Bathrooms are basic, with flush toilets and running water. Sites are good sized, most with square tent pads; it may be difficult to fit some of the larger tents on these pads. 

  

Loop F is across a bridge and for RVs only. Some of the sites on the outer edge of the loop are on the river; i liked the looks of sites F34, 35, 38. Sites in the middle of the loop are more open.  None of the other sites in the campground are directly on the river, but they're just across a road and you'll fall asleep to the sound of babbling water and be able to wade in it during the day. D loop sites are largely pull-through sites, great if you have a larger rig. 

  

If you have a longer stay in the national park, spend a couple of nights here and enjoy all that the area has to offer, then move to another section and explore that area as well. You'll spend less time on the road each day and enjoy your visit more! While here, check out the Mingus Mill, go into Cherokee and learn more about the tribe and its history, and visit the farm at the visitor's center. Keep your eyes open as you drive, esp. in the early morning or at dusk; you may see deer, bear, or elk.

Quiet in the offseason, great location

There are several camping options in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. I loved the Smokemont Campground. It's located next to a river, and is very peaceful. The sites are decent size. Great location to get to the trails.

Smokies!


We camped 3 nights at Smokemont in July 2020. Our site was C9, which is a tent only area. We loved our site because we were at the end of the tent rows and had plenty of room, and we were close to the creek! The campsite in general was quiet and most campfires were out by 10:30. The creek was great because it helped drown out any noise from other sites! We even had a big family with lots of little kids next to us and didn't hear a thing.

Campground was very clean. Bathrooms very clean. You cannot bathe in the creek nor dump any water at the sites - all has to be done at the Dishwashing station or in the bathroom sinks. Make sure you read all the campsite rules, they are very strict (for good reason, you're in bear country!) We saw 2 sites get violations. 

Wood was $7/bundle, ice $3, we needed fuel which was $7/can. Also have horseback riding available for booking, $35/hour or $80 for 2.5 hours. 

Campsite has multiple trails but we didn't do any of them. We hiked Alum Cave to LeConte (strenuous), Ramsey Cascades (strenuous), and Mingo falls (easy). The Mingus gristmill was an interesting place to visit too, and we saw lots of elk on the way! 

We felt very we-elk-omed ;) at Smokemont!

Busy campground in the Smoky Mtns, minutes from Cherokee. Can’t beat the location.  The pros are that there’s a creek running through the campground which drowned out any road noise and was lots of fun for kids to splash in, fish in, etc; the sites are decent size; and there’s a really good loop hike right from the campground—very scenic. Cons are that the bathrooms were dirty and smelly—two different bath houses were just as bad; no showers; many sites are pretty close together and not very private.  
As far as finding a cheap place to camp in the Smokies, this is a good choice —just don’t expect 4 star.

Decent campground in the Smokies

Although the campsites are close together they are quite large    Great Rangers and staffers   No showers but flush toilets and potable water   RV dump   Creekside sites   No cell service for either TMobile or Verizon   No pay phone-emergency phone only  mere ten minutes to the little town of Cherokee NC  great jumping off point for trailheads in Great Smoky NP

Has stream running through it and had a nice walking trail. You can go on a horseback ride through the trails here. 

Nice campground 

Spent three nights tent camping here and it was absolutely stunning. Most trails in the smokies aren’t dog friendly so we didn’t do any hiking but just driving around there were so many scenic stops! Campsite and rangers were amazing. If I had to complain it’s just that there are no showers. 

Stunning views 

Smokemont is a great campground in the North Carolina side of the Smoky Mountains.  It is a perfect base camp to enjoy this amazing national park.  About 1 hour away from Gatlinburg, but this side is less crowded.  The sites are plenty big, a little tight to back into, but not a big deal.  There is no cell service but this is also a great opportunity to disconnect.  Right next to the campground there are horse stables, really recommend an early morning horseback ride around the trails Mountains of the campground.  Definitely looking forward to visiting again! 

Peaceful mountain retreat 

Nice camp- stayed in the C loop- all sites are very close to bathrooms (toilets and sink, no showers). Spots are not private but still nice and roomy. Tent pad and picnic table for each. We arrived too late to pick up firewood but you’re allowed to collect dead fallen wood in the park. 20 min drive to a doggie day care so that we could drop our dog for the day while we hiked!

Listen to the flowing River as you sleep!

We stayed in an RV in site F32, which was super private and just amazing.  The F loop can be a little loud with generators if you are not using one but in 32 it was not so bad.  Gorgeous campground, River, so convenient to Cherokee and everything on the quieter end of the Smokies.  Water and dump station, very nice staff gave us great trail recommendations.  We will be back!!!

Great campground 

Smokemont isn't nearly as good a Campground as Elkmont, but not to say it isn't a really good place to stay.  It's clean and well kept.  Sites are close together with little to no privacy.  The river running through the campground makes up for it.  We always see a lot of wildlife in the fields near the Oconaluftee visitor center.  Bears this time around.  There was a reported bear attack up near the Cosby Campground while we were staying at Smokemont 

Love the Smokies! 

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.

Crowded, But Fine

We only stayed for 1 night but really enjoyed the campgrounds proximity to activities on the North Carolina side of the park. The bathrooms were nice and there is a little stream that runs by the park. From our site you could hear a busier road but I’m sure that’s not the case at other sites.

Great campground on the NC side

This is my third time visiting Smokemont campground, and while I love it for a multitude of reasons I highly recommend watching the weather. Our first night was amazing, clear blue skies, but when a front moved in we promptly had a river running through our campsite. The facilities are clean and well stocked, the camp sites are kept tidy with regular leaf blowing to clear the drive-ways. Approved firewood, ice, and s'mores materials can be found down the road at the stables. The campsite was very busy through the weekend with only two open slots left on Friday and Saturday, so be sure to make a reservation, and watch the weather.

Great, but watch the weather 

We stayed here for Fall Leaves in the Smoky Mountains in our van. It’s a basic campground. It has bathrooms with running water. No showers. No cell signal whatsoever. The sites aren’t private, which didn’t bother us. There’s a dump and fill station for RVs. Like I said, basic. But well situated. It has a stream running through the campground and there’s hiking trails too. 

Peaceful campground

My son and I went to this camp ground over memorial day.  It's a very big campground with a horse stables area separate from the camping area.  The horse stable offers horse rides starting at $40 bucks for an hour through the forest.  I asked if experience was needed and the worker said, no experience necessary.  I thought it sounded great, but my traveling partner did not (9 year old son).  haha

The campground is big, with a lot of  sites, but they seem closer together than some campgrounds, some are further out than others, our site was really close to our neigbhors and the creek was just across the road so we really drowned the majority of there noise.  I feel like the NPS campground are typcially close together so this was what I expected.

No running water at campsite, but plenty of water spouts around.  

No showers in bathrooms.  

Most of the sites are really shaded, but some do have full sun.  There was one near us that had no trees and I am thinking they wished they had some.    It seemed "dark" early as you are in a valley, which was a unique experience for my son.  

temperatures were cool in the evenings, so we didn't need any A/C which was nice sicne there is no power hook ups.  We didn't notice many generators running during the day.  I did imagine the people will only running to top off the batteries, but who knows.

We woke up and went to clingmans dome one morning and it really cold and really windy.  If you plan for sunrise, pack a warm jacket.  I wore a fleece vest and fleece jacket and was cold till we walked to the observation tower.  It's a short paved walk, but it is straight uphill, so be aware of it.   the experience is one that should be had if you are in the area.  When we arrived around 530 am the parking lot was about 1/3 full. but I've heard stories that this parking lot is always very full, which is why we went sunrise instead of sunset.  

There was a lot of people fishing the nearby bradley fork and lots of reports of trout caught.  I did fish one pool for about 30 minutes, and did not have any fish to hand, but I saw quite a few fish in the pool over the weekend.  the water temperture was 54 degress, but my son and some other boys swam in the creek everyday.  It was not hot, but kids have a different threshold for cold I guess, and the excitement of the moving water in teh creek is hard to resist.  I got in to my knees.   I would like to return without my son and do some adequate walking away from the campground upstream to get into some less pressured water.  It's on my list.

We went to cherokee but not the casino area.  It was the section right outside the park.  Which is a mixure of old stuff, new stuff, and things that are closed or being revamped, or who knows.  We ate lunch one day at a pizza resturant right there called wize guys and it was good pizza.   

My 9 year old son rated this campground as 10 out of 10.

Great --Great Smoky Mountain Campground

We stayed one night at Smokemont on a Saturday in September, and I was surprised how empty the campground was. It was rainy so maybe that deterred some campers, but we had a great time. We stayed in site D31, and it was perfect for the rooftop tent. None of the sites have electric, so you will hear some generators, that was really my only complaint. Other than that, the sound of the flowing River is wonderful. Was hoping to see some elk around, as they are plentiful in this area of the Smokies. Definitely will stay here again. 

Smoky Mountain Gem

Smokemont is awesome I love all the elk and other wildlife. 

Smokemont 

I tent camped at Smokemont campground in May 2023. It was nice but I give it 4 stars because the sites were cramped with little privacy and the gatehouse was closed the afternoon I arrived and the next day. There are some nice trails around the campground and I went for an evening hike and saw some elk that reluctantly budged from the trail. I also saw turkeys and a family of wild hogs. Overall a nice place. 