Elkmont Group Campground, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a fantastic choice for larger gatherings, offering ample space for family reunions or group retreats. Set within the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this campground provides a unique blend of natural beauty and historical charm, with remnants of a former town adding character to your stay.

The campground features spacious sites that can accommodate groups of around 20 people, making it perfect for setting up multiple tents or a large family tent. Visitors rave about the picturesque Little River running through the area, which is ideal for a refreshing dip or some fly fishing. As one camper noted, “The river is beautiful and for the most part was very quiet.”

Amenities include a camp store where you can grab essentials like firewood and ice, and well-maintained restrooms that make your stay comfortable. While there are no showers, the facilities are generally clean, and the friendly staff is quick to address any issues. Campers appreciate the ranger programs available, which offer educational experiences for all ages.

With numerous hiking trails nearby, you can easily explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Smokies. Just a short trolley ride away, Gatlinburg offers additional attractions and dining options. Whether you're here to relax by the river or embark on an adventure, Elkmont Group Campground is a great base for your outdoor escapades.

## Overview

 Situated in the stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this site offers an ideal setting for group camping excursions and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds.
## Recreation

 Visitors can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the nearby Little River and countless other streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance. 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 Elkmont Campground, including the popular Laurel Falls Trail, which leads to spectacular 80-ft. waterfall. The Elkmont, Little River and James Creek Trails are also accessible. Hiking and fishing are not the only reasons for visiting the Smokies: Picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are popular activities. With around 1,500 bears living in the park, it's not uncommon for a visitor 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.
## Natural Features

 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 mountain culture, Great Smoky Mountains is America's most visited national park. At 2,150 feet elevation, Elkmont Group Camp 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 prehistoric Paleo Indians to early 19th-century European settlements, the park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes and artifacts that tell the stories of the people who once called these mountains home. Elkmont is also known for its historical and cultural significance as a former logging community and summer resort getaway. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Gatlinburg, one of the Smokies' famous tourist towns, is located about 9 miles from the site, offering 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.

Elkmont Group Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Gatlinburg, Tennessee is known for two things: selling touristy t-shirts and being the main entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you can imagine, the best camping near Gatlinburg, TN is located in the park itself.

Since Gatlinburg is so closely associated with the park, the surrounding areas offer plenty of camping options and amenities. Whether you’re looking for privately-owned campgrounds or some souvenirs, you’ll be able to find them in Gatlinburg or any of the surrounding cities. If you’re looking for something more substantial, your best bet may be to pass Gatlinburg and head towards Pigeon Forge. You’ll find plenty of RV campsites there, and it’s a larger city. That being said, you can’t pass up a trip to Gatlinburg’s Space Needle observation tower or the Ober Gatlinburg ski resort in the winter.

Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Gatlinburg, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Gatlinburg, TN. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

The Best Camping Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Went here on a work retreat. Modern facilities made roughing it easier for the first-time campers. Close to all the tours and touristy things in Gatlinsburg, also good for a diverse group. Very wooded, small river on site, also some trailheads here. I’d recommend this for any group. 
Saw a bear!! 

Big site in GSMNP 

Elkmont used to be a small town within the limits of the national park. The residents tried to hold out before being kicked out of their homes. When I went., there were signs saying "Save Elkmont". It was kind of creepy, but cool. 
But, the campground is nice and big and close to a lot of awesome hikes in the park. It's also a little farther in than other campgrounds so ot feels a little more wild. 

A campground with history

**Elkmont is a big busy campground in the Smokies. This is the group site for when you have at least 20 people in your group. You still have access to all the amenities and ranger programs in the main campground, but this one gives you some privacy. You must reserve in advance. Great for family reunions, work retreats, scouts, etc.**

**Yay: this is a fairly typical big national park campground in many ways. There is a camp store with firewood (you are required to buy it from an authorized location!). Nice roomy campsites with a lot of plant cover letting you feel like you have a private area. You can hike some trail from right on site. Rangers have almost nightly programming for all ages.**

**Nay: given the traffic it is well maintained but can still be a little behind in restroom cleanliness. We’ve stayed here many times and how clean the campsite and bathrooms/facilities are can vary a lot. The staff are all excellent though and are happy to hop to it and solve any issues you may have with the facilities. Also bring tons of bug spray! No showers.**

**Surprise: cool little ghost town nearby for neat photos.**

Groups only. 

I stayed at Elkmont on the regular camping side designed for smaller families, solo travelers and such, but while there I wanted to see just what the big differences were in the solo camp and the group camp. I was so impressed with the amenities, the feel and the layout of the camp I was staying at, and it quickly became one of my favorite campgrounds in the Smoky Mountains.

The group site did not disappoint! Same vibe just bigger spaces. The spaces are about 3 times as large as the single sites and are available for larger groups of around 20 people. You can set up multiple tents int his space or one of those mega tents. While there are not a lot of these sites available, they are sectioned off from the other sites and perfect for groups. I could see this being really fun for a trip with friends.

The tree coverage in this area is great for keeping the early morning rays from beaming in so strongly and makes for a great peaceful feel when there is a slight breeze blowing through.

I loved the amenities of the campground which included well maintained bathhouses that were large and supplied showers, flush toilets and warm water which was great, especially considering it can be a bit chilly in the mornings in the mountains.

Also, this site was located very close to one of the many visitor stops which had an interpretive center, a National Park Information Video, interpretive programs for all ages and of course hiking.

TIPS:

*   Book in advance, this location stays booked more than any others I found!!
*   Stop in town to get supplies, there are no stores in the campground itself which offer all the things you need.
*   Remember to use common sense when it comes to animals. There are bears in this area so keep all food items locked away.

Great Camping For Groups Too!!

We have stayed at Elkmont on several occasions. It is operated by the National Park Service. Amenities are limited but the restrooms and camp store are very good. You can run a generator during the day to charge batteries but not at night. The river is amazing and there are hiking trails there. Synchronous Fireflys in late May / Early June. Wonderful campground. Highly recommended. You can reserve 6 months in advance. Fills up quickly in the summer.

Amazing place

This group camp was perfect for our needs big enough for the family and  friends to join us. They have a trolley that comes and will take you to Gatlinburg if you want to go that way.There plenty of trails and sites to see within a short distance. The Little River runs down through the middle of it and is perfect if you want to fly fish or if you just want to go get your feet wet and get a little cool. Very picturesque!!

Great Group Camp

You can get wood and ice right in site. Also a lot of logs cut by rangers from fallen trees. The river is beautiful and for the most part was very quiet. 

Photos of Elkmont Group Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Real photos from real campers