Established Camping
Cosby Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park
About
National Park Service
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Overview
Tucked in the mountains under a canopy of cool shade beside Cosby Creek. This group campground creates a peaceful and secluded environment for visitors, offering the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has to offer.
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 easily accessible from Cosby Campground, including the Appalachian Trail, just three miles away via the Lower Gap Trail.Hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies: Fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are also popular activities. White water rafting on the nearby Pigeon River. Top tourist towns of gatlinburg, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge are just 20 miles away. 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. 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. The park is a sanctuary for a magnificent array of animal and plant life, all of which is protected for future generations to enjoy.
Facilities
Cosby Group Camp provides campers with a secluded environment for traditional tent camping. There are three group sites (one accessible site) that can accommodate up to 20 visitors each. Tent pads at each site, along with fire rings, grills and tables, perfect for family meals and late night s'mores.The site offers modern amenities like flush toilets and drinking water. The nearby Cosby Campground offers reservable sites and first-come, first-serve sites for smaller groups or overflow.
Natural Features
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, Great Smoky Mountains is America's most visited national park. Whether blanketed in bright wildflowers in the spring or vivid colors in the fall, the scenery at Cosby never disappoints. At 2,460 feet, Cosby Campground provides a moderate climate, typified by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural history of Southern Appalachia. From the prehistoric Paleo Indians to the early 19th century European settlements, the park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes and artifacts, which tell the stories of the people who once called these mountains home.
Nearby Attractions
Cosby, Tennessee, located about five miles from the campground, offers convenience stores and fuel. Gatlinburg, a one of the Smokies' famous tourist towns, is located about 20 miles from the site, offering visitors tours, organized rafting trips, museums, restaurants, galleries, an aquarium, skiing and more.
Charges & 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.
Fee Info
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Big Rig Friendly
Quite and clean campground
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.
Beat The Crowds
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
An immersive rainforest location
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.
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Location
Cosby Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in Tennessee
Directions
From Cosby, TN, proceed south on TN 32 about 1.5 miles from junction with US 321. Turn right at Cosby sign. Group camp is another 2.2 miles.
Address
127 Cosby Park Road
Cosby, TN 37722
Coordinates
35.7527778 N
83.2061111 W