When I traveled to Tennessee I really wanted to explore the Smoky Mountains and all there was to offer. I had so many suggestions as to which campground was the best and which I needed to stay at that I had to take the time to see as many of these options as I possibly could. This one was at the top of the suggested campsite list because of the following river just behind many of the campsite and the proximity to the entry of the mountains from Gaitlinburg.

I pulled in and it was a bit crowded. And by a bit I mean really crowded. Spaces appeared to be closer together than I typically would like my neighbor to be. Maybe it was my time of visitation, maybe it was the site itself but it just seemed like it was going to be a getting to know your neighbor moment from the start. And that it was! Lucky for me my neighbors were nice and didn't have any random dogs running and barking like some of those across the way.

I had reserved an actual site with amenities of electricity and water instead of opting for the tent site which looked a bit more like general population. I needed the power for my devices and so I thought the cost difference was worth it. Little did I know when booking just how much that would be to my advantage when I arrived. Not only did this give me water right behind me but it. also kept me from having neighbors really on top of me like the general population seemed to be.

The facilities included very nice restrooms which quite frankly made me do a double take on if I was at a campground. Then there was the clubhouse which had a lot of things that no other campground I had visited thus far in the Smokey Mountains had. I guess this is what you get when you stay at a privately owned site versus a government owned and maintained facility. There were also volleyball and basketball in addition to a pretty nice playground for the kiddos. I was pretty happy this was here because it kept kids from running crazy through camp looking for activities like they had been at a few of the other stops I had made.

So what was the kicker?

THE PRICE! They have 3 seasons at this campsite High, Low and Holiday and each season has a different price point. You are by far paying for your access to those amenities. Like I mentioned before I chose an upgraded site which I paid $39 for versus the $29 they were charging for group site camping which was primitive. They also had some non water tent sits which were $35 and that was on the low side as opposed to the RV rates which were so high I would have never considered staying during high season in excess of $45 to $69.

This by far was one of the nicest camps I have been to on this side of the Mississippi but it also came with a hefty price tag!

TIPS:

• Chose your time wisely. During high season it is always busy, try coming during low season and on a weekday.
• Take full advantage of all amenities including the wifi and cable tv offered at each site! Mine as well if you are paying that much.