Cades Cove Campground

Approx 20 miles from main visitor center. The scenic drive increases congestion and traffic. Camp store is near campsites. Also a ranger station. Several hiking trails are accessible from campground. All driveways shaded, paved, and level. Very pleasant place. Only negative is the requirement to check in between 9-10:00 am the following day if one arrived later than check in time, which caused me to change hiking plans.

If you're looking for peace and quiet, then this is the place to be. Had numerous sightings of wildlife even in the campground. Note... Do not forget to remove the drip pan on the Blackstone!!!! Doing so just erritates the bears.

Cades Cove: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 3 Price 2023: $15 w America The Beautiful Usage during visit: Packed. Site Privacy: Tightly packed. Site Spacing: Most sites are close Site surface: Blacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Low Road Noise: None. Not near main road Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At toilet facilities. Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Yes. Flush toilets Showers: No Pull Throughs: some Cell Service (AT&T): Setting: Open with some woods. Not pretty in my opinion. Nearby driving loop w trails is well worth the stay over.
Weather: 70s and low 80s Bugs: Not bad Solar: There are enough trees to interfere w fixed roof panels. Host: Around. They do no regulate offenses as tightly as I’d expected. Sites: B+ (door side more private w thick shrubbery & pretty private back: 68, 80, 83, 43, 45,46 47,48,50 , 16. 4, 5, 21

B- (door points to corner but shrubbery is open, and private in back) 70 , 18, 42,1. - still better than most sites .

C. Back of site a bit more private: 72,81, 84, 85, 44, 60,62,

Most others are at least semi private to rear only

Cades coves was a good campground for our first visit to the smoky mountains. The sites were pretty close to each other but the store was convenient and awesome proximity when we biked the loop. Far drive from all of the other hikes and adventures we did.

My dog and I enjoyed 4 nights here! The sites are well spaced and the tent pad is nice and even. The bathroom could use an update but I’m happy they were flush toilets because that means no smell! There is no cell service with T-Mobile, so have a good book, downloaded shows, crossword book, or what have you. Cades Cove Loop is very close and I saw turkeys and bears every day on the loop- I heard a turkey in the campground but never saw him; also heard coyotes every night.

Clean, quiet campground with bike rentals available. The loop is extremely close by and offers lots of wildlife and nature to take in.

Absolutely no service with Verizon so be prepared with a good book or downloaded shows if you need.

Great place to take the family to enjoy nature. Plenty of trails and wildlife to see. 15 minute drive Townsend. Very quiet at night so you can hear the night owls and coyotes at night.

Very close to nature

If you’re wanting seclusion, this isn’t the campground for you. But if you want accessibility and lots of things to do this place is great.

I was going to give 5 stars but then I thought of a few things that brought it down 1 star.  Rangers / camp store is only open 9am - 5pm.  Period.  When you check in you're on your own.  Signage to sites was not the best - if you are trying to find it in the dark... good luck.  

BUT - Smoky Mountains!!!! It's pure magic, and if you go to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge you will be SO HAPPY to get back to your peaceful campsite.  

I will come back!!!!!

We camped in our multi-purpose enclosed trailer. We stayed in the ‘C-section’ which is generator free, so a bit quieter than the B-loop. We camped 3 nights and saw coyotes and deer in/around the campsite every day. The last day, Sunday morning, as we were packing up to leave, a mother bear and her two Cubs visited the campground - two sites down from ours. I was happy that we didn’t have anything she wanted, but my grandchildren got to see her and the Cubs.

We had a great time at Cades Cove and liked the convenance of being able to grab firewood and ice at the campground store. There is a lot to do near the campgrounds as well- Visitors Center, Loop, Horseback Riding, hikes, and a small stream to explore. The bathrooms were clean an nice. We arrived on a weekend and there were neighbor children ready to play with ours which was nice. They lost a star only because the sites don’t really have any screening between them or allow for any privacy from the road or neighbors

I camped here with friends and our dogs. I've been to Cades Cove many times before. We mainly camped here to start early to hike the loop (from May till September, cars are not allowed to drive in the loop on Wednesdays). The campsites have the standard amenities... picnic table plus bench and a fire pit. There are no hook ups or water spigots. The sites are very close together, so it can get loud, especially at night. The bathhouses are ok. They are old but definitely clean. There are no showers at all. It is just a short walk to the main parking lot. There is a big souvenir store, that sells snacks and icecream as well. Cades Cove is just a very beautiful walk. The mountains look spectacular. But be aware. It is very crowded. I think I would camp here again but probably not longer then one night.

Great for a night so you can enjoy the drive or bike around Cades Cove. Go midweek and enjoy a morning bike. No showers and older bathrooms but good sites with nice flat drives and tent pads. Probably only need a night or two here.

While our site was not private, we felt like there was plenty of space. We were close to the creek and restrooms. We really enjoyed driving Cades Cove Loop, but plan on several hours to complete it. The hikes in the area are beautiful.

10 🌟!!!!!!!!

  Cades Cove was amazing.  Our only regret was we were only able to stay one night. The 11 mile loop was a great little drive. 
  We found it to be a very clean campground with close access to all the trails. Waterfalls you can play in, and every amenity I could imagine. 
  I don't have easy access to share all the pictures but will get a couple on here. (After my wife and I got married).   
  

Campground fills up so made reservations. The 11 mile loop is awesome but get there when they open. I saw lots of turkey and deer.

Unreal and must visit Smoky Mountain destination. Awesome automobile loop scenic drive and several other hiking paths we took. All sort of wildlife and abandon cabins and farm houses.

Great smokies campground. Nice walking trail and beautiful scenic loop to drive. Along the drive there are historic buildings and cemeteries. Tent sites were too close together. Not enough privacy

Campsites are perfectly spread apart. They do a fantastic job on keeping everything neat and orderly. Plenty of places to hike and if you want to have a picnic there is a picnic area right next to the creek where the kids can play. The loop around Cades cove just takes you back in time to much simpler time. You can rent bikes if want to take it slow.

Pros:

• beautiful and scenic
• Near great trails
• lots of wildlife - saw a bear!
• clean and quiet campground
• camp store nearby
• easy enough to get to with an RV
• reserved same day

Cons:

• campsites are kind of close to each other
• no dogs allowed on trails (I know that’s pretty common for national parks, but it’s still something we look for)

The campground is right off loop road. Spots are a little close, and not very private, but you cant beat the location in the park. We saw 3 bears, a red wolf, and numerous dear and elk during our stay.

We are glad we stayed at Cades Cove Campground. Thanks to Jay at the bike rental, we were able to ride the famous Cades Cove loop (11 miles) on the last day of the season that the road was closed to vehicles. We also folded the 6 mile hike in and out of Abrams Falls in the middle of the bike ride. It was a fun day, beautiful views, wildlife (turkey & deer). The campground was crowded. Every site was full. The sites are markedly close together, with minimal privacy between. Our site was C61, generator free (that part was nice). But we were on the end of a row, with two sites on one side, and a larger site on the other- all occupied, with just feet between each set up. Other than the tightness of the sites, we really liked everything else about the park.  We traveled from the park towards the Blue Ridge Parkway by going directly through the Great Smoky NP. This was an incredible experience! Highly recommend it!

We spent the weekend there on two sites. One was tent only and one allowed for small trailers. It’s well shaded, which in our case blocked the breeze we found along the valley in the motor loop. It was a bit muggy during the day but was great at night.

The staff were awesome and helpful. The store sells firewood and ice but they ran out of firewood Saturday morning. It’s about an hour round trip to the closest place in Townsend to stock up, so I suggest bringing in your own.

Stayed here July 2020 for a couple of days. We were in site C-16 which was towards the back of the campground and only 2 sites away from the bathrooms and a bear proof dumpster. The bathrooms do not have showers but the restrooms were kept very clean. And the dumpsters don’t smell so that’s always nice :)

There’s a camp store by the check in office that sells firewood, etc. they close at 5pm.

We stayed a Thursday-Saturday and friday was much louder compared to Thursday night. People kept locking cars and shining bright lights/playing music until midnight. I definitely preferred the weekday over the weekend.

Our campsite was nice and big enough for our 2 tents and a hammock. We built a fire every night and it was nice! Not as secluded as other campsites in the campground but still lovely!

Townsend was only 20 minutes away so we went there for coffee and WiFi at the coffee shop and the IGA to grab firewood since we missed the camp store the first night. We didn’t have cell service at Cades Cove Campground (Verizon and spring) so it was nice to check messages in Townsend as well.

Haven't been there in a couple Years. But I will return.  The Campground is very shaded, and sites can be close, but the area is absolutely Heaven on earth.  Not long drive to higher elevations or back to civilization with shopping galore.  Both Pidgeon Forge and Gatlinburg in close driving.

We had ten people, so we opted for a group site. We had plenty of room, weren’t far from the bathhouse, and had shade.

There are black bears, so be prepared for this and keep your food stored properly. We even saw a momma and cub on our way down the mountain.

Cades Coves Loop was awesome. So much history, trails, and creeks to play in. The view can’t be beat and the pictures don’t do it justice!

Always a little crowded, but a well maintained popular spot. Cades cove is a great site to see if you've never been there. Plenty of wild animals, historic sites, and wonderful views

I love this place, no matter if we are tent camping or trying to fit our camper into the spots. Yes the spots are a bit tight but it is great place to camp. They updated the campground store and now have a huge selection of items. If you ever get a chance to go for the night hike don't pass it up. The stars are amazing out in the fields at night. One thing to do is make sure you keep your campsite clear as wildlife is all over the place. Yes bears will walk through camp.

Very convenient