Cosby Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cosby Campground sounds like a gem for those seeking a peaceful yet adventure-filled getaway in the Great Smoky Mountains! The mix of serene camping, hiking access to renowned trails like the Appalachian Trail, and proximity to tourist towns like Gatlinburg makes it a great spot. With opportunities for fishing, wildlife spotting(1,500 bears– wow!), and rafting on the Pigeon River, it offers something for everyone. Plus, its rich history and biodiversity make it an even more unique experience. Definitely worth checking out for anyone craving both nature and nearby attractions!

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This was a good campsite for the Uppermiddle class to bring their families and RV to say they camped. But nothing really to do but hike.

It was a bit of a drive to the park and depending on traffic it could take a while. Otherwise it’s a clean and decent campground.

This place is awesome!! There is something like 150 sites but there was only 12 sites filled when we got there. We were in A20 and we had that whole side of A loop to ourselves. There is a stream that runs through the back of the site that our kids loved. One downside was that a assertive mother bear and her three cubs showed up at dinner time and would not leave. Despite yelling and banging pots she repeatedly came into our camp. Everything was perfect up until momma bear invited herself to dinner

Lovely quiet campground. Note to car campers: the RV spots are NOT RV spots. You park on the road and walk up the side of the hill for tenting and the fire pit. There are very few actual RV spots.

Visited here in early may and let me tell you theres nothing like being immersed in the smoky mountain rainforests. The Cosby campground its self is very secluded in the northern part of the park and has a lot of different plots for people to pick from. The bathrooms are somewhat clean and the plots are a little close together although there are some that are farther away from each other. I highly recommend this campsite to all who want to be immersed in what the smokey mountains has to offer. It is also probably a 15-20 min walk to the Appalachian trail.

Arrived late, and our same day reservation had not gone through yet, so no tag awaiting us at the gate shack on arrival. Camped anyway in reserved spot and took care of the paperwork in the AM. Available water was not on site but at nearby restroom building at outdoor sink. Clean restrooms.

By far my favorite campground i have stayed at! It is quite the drive into the mountain with no cell service, but there are clear sign posted on where to turn. One of the only downsides in my opinion is that there isn’t any trees or anything separating each site it’s all very open. There is the stream that runs right along the campground and it makes the most peaceful white noise at night. Also went on the most breathtaking hike of my life just 15 min from the campground. Highly recommend!

For visiting during the off-season in April I wasn’t expecting it to be so popular. Most people were quiet but there isn’t much privacy between sites. Only a handful of RV sites in loop A so hope you don’t get next to the generator happy RV campers like we did. Bathrooms are nice and cleaned daily. Showers, ice, and wood can be found at a little store up the road.

For visiting during the off-season in April I wasn’t expecting it to be so popular. Most people were quiet but there isn’t much privacy between sites. Only a handful of RV sites in loop A so hope you don’t get next to the generator happy RV campers like we did. Bathrooms are nice and cleaned daily. Showers, ice, and wood can be found at a little store up the road. I suppose it is more relaxing and quiet than some of the other campgrounds closer to Gatlinburg.

Clean, well maintained campground, spots are a little closer together than I prefer but still a nice campground. Clean bathrooms, lots of trails to explore.

I love the Smokies, but I can’t stand the throngs of tourists. Cosby campground solved this conundrum.

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. Backs up to a creek, but if you want a spot where you can play in the creek, choose A20.

Bathroom (no showers) and dish sink were an easy walk over.

Cute 1-mile trail for kids. Longer, more interesting ones if your travel companions aren’t whiny.

This place is great! It was very quiet and clean and peaceful. There was a good amount of space between the different campsites, and the bathrooms were very nice! This was my first time camping, and I'm sure a first trip can make or break it for a lot of campers, but I will definitely be venturing out again soon! This campground also has ♿ sites, which I somehow accidentally booked, so I can tell you it has a since smooth paved surface all the way up to the tent pad, the fire pit, and the bathroom. The picnic table has a section of seat removed from one side so a wheelchair can be wheeled up to it. Other sites have hills or steps between the tent pad, fire pit, and vehicle areas.

Beautiful, spotless sites. Quiet and peaceful, surrounded by trees. Bear country- they are very strict about keeping food inaccessible- park rangers will fine up to 1,000 dollars. Enjoyed the local hikes, very close to Appalachian trail.

I wish there were showers, but Smoky Mountain NP has so many good hiking trails and some of them start in this campground. Even the easy 1 mile Nature Trail was beautiful.

I lucked out and found a spot here for a night after arriving in Gatlinburg without a plan.

The corner kitchen just down the road had an excellent pulled pork sandwich on my way through.

Really cool hike up to Low Gap and onto the AT from the campground.

Campground itself had small restrooms and the tent sites were either above or below your parking spot (slight walk).

The Nature Trail had some beautiful spots to sit and relax right on the creek!

This was our first trip to the Smoky Mountains and what a beautiful way to see it. Beautiful grounds, friendly and quiet neighbors, and the sites were secluded. Trails all around!! We did a trail run in the early morning and came upon a rattlesnake at the top so just...like...be careful.

Sites are spread out nicely, beautiful trees all throughout. Plenty of trailheads to discover that have creeks and views very close (perfect for kids). Bathrooms amongst the cleanest I’ve seen at a campground. Plenty of wildlife around campground: fireflies, turkeys, moths, AT hikers, etc.

B loop is certainly better than A loop if you’re tent camping. I think all tent campers can agree that the further from those noisy RVs you can get, the better. RV sites listed on Recreation.gov

I was surprised when I showed up. I didn’t realize there was not a private pad to park a vehicle. If you plan on using a rooftop tent be prepared to park in the road. Facilities were nice and well maintained. Buy firewood beforehand. They do not sell it at the campsite. Hiking trails were awesome. Plenty for everyone including our almost 2 year old. Weather was nice, chilly at night.

Cosby is a less-well-known campground in SMNP. Most of the sites are tent-only, with a few, like ours, for trailers and no tent pad. The campground is laid out on a mountain slope, so the loops switchback up the hill. Even though you can see your neighbors, the varied terrain and trees help give some privacy. Our family loved the nearby 1 mile nature loop that followed a beautiful creek through tulip poplar groves. The bathrooms were tended nightly by rangers and stayed fairly clean, though no hot water or showers. We loved that the campground stayed fairly quiet so we could really enjoy being in nature. Our site was within easy distance of the toilet facility and dish washing station. We could see our neighbors left to right, but the loop above the hill from us was mostly blocked from view by a line of trees.

Spent 1/2 day hiking the trails and through the campground here. Observed Super camping sites in this less accessed entry point to the Smoky Mountains. I have this down for an actual stay here. Many wooded spots and close to waterfalls and phenomenal hiking. 40 minutes from Gatlinburg

My husband and I have been camping in the Smokies and surrounding areas for years. This is our favorite spot. Much quieter than the other campgrounds in the park. Several wonderful hikes right out of the campground.

We had no immediate neighbors at our site which was great but the bathroom closest to us was closed so we had a bit of a walk down the road to the next one. Felt really private with only a rv across the way and a few other tents through the wooded median. The tent pad was perfect and one of the rangers stopped by in the morning and gave us some great hiking suggestions!

After a careful amount of research I selected this campground as my destination and home for a couple days as I got acquainted with the Great Smoky Mountains. The campground itself is pretty immaculate. The NPS personnel are friendly, helpful, and professional. The trail right by my campsite leads directly to the Low Gap Trail, which is apparently the most difficult trail in the entire park (which I learned from a ranger on the way DOWN).

The park and staff are very serious about bears, for good reason. I can say I didn’t personally experience any sign, sight, or sound of one while I was there. I did come across someone on my hike who ran across one while hiking the day before. They’re definitely out there, so bone up on your preparedness and come equipped. I was alone, so I had a bear bell at my waist, ringing with every step.

Cosby is a neat little town. The prices at Janice’s Diner are crazy low, just make sure you bring cash.

Stayed here last year for a quick getaway and it was perfect for our needs

We had an great time. Several hiking trail heads start in the campground. The AT is also just a short walk from the campgrounds. Beautiful trees and wildlife! We met a bear. Would be 5 stars except for how far it is from Gatlinburg and the main areas of the National Park