The best camping near
Gray , TENNESSEE

Being right on the Parkway was awesome and provided some great driving and hiking close by.  The staff were very helpful.  We camped at C13 which was right across from the large playground in November.  No noise issues, but it was dark by 6:30pm.  May be different in the Summer.  My daughter had a blast and we could keep an eye on her while we worked/played at the site.

This is the highest elevation east of the Mississippi. Very great views with lots to do. Hiking, camping and more. Great place to watch the sunset and sunrise.

This amazing campsite it at the base of Big Tom. It’s a moderate hike to and from the campsite with great views. There’s fire rings and lots of sites to choose from. I recommend packing in enough water for your stay because there is not a water source at the site. Also no cell service.

We camped in mind-September and had a great time. These are the cleanest bathrooms we’ve ever seen. The on-site store is a life saver and the hosts are very helpful. We will return.

You really can’t pass this one up. If you are road tripping from Great Smokey to Shenandoah this is the perfect one or two night way point. We opted for two nights and were stunned with the views from the hemlock loop. We booked before the site filled up and got the best site of the loop — site 006. I don’t know if we’ll ever be back because it was a bit out of the way for us.

It is primarily a boat/fishing recreation area in Cherokee National Forest, but it works as a perfect get away. Similar to other NF campgrounds the sites are huge and offering full or partial shade. We lucked out and got there during peak autumn colors. Being that we booked a month out we didn’t realize the campground would close the other loops our weekend causing our loop to be full the whole weekend. The atmosphere was respectful.

We did a day trip to Asheville, NC since we are not boat ppl and got to experience a great day in the city.

These are largely primitive sites, but offer some great amenities regardless. Very big picnic tables, shared water, bathrooms, and a boat ramp.

Alcohol isn’t permitted but it seemed like everyone ignores that rule. Bring your own firewood as what they were offering needed to be chopped. We didn’t bring our axe so we had to run out for some wood at a gas station.

Also the road into the campsite has several switchbacks and blind turns. Locals breeze through it, but if you are hauling an very large trailer/RV be prepared. It would be tough to make some of these turns in a vehicle the size of a greyhound.

Sunset is worth it. If we can come back, we will.

Weather was far from good so I quickly decided this site would work. It was pretty level, had a nice fire pit. It was very foggy all day with off and on rain. My mistake was not paying attention to where the runoff was. This morning I had a small stream running through my camp. This site had plenty of room however.

For my first time camping, we got a great location. The tent site we got, we could hear the running water from the stream. Bathroom and shower are clean and has heated water. Our came site had a lot of rocks so it was hard to sleep at night. Would recommend talking a air bed.

Didn't have the issues others had here. Our site was secluded, very clean and quiet. In fact, all facilities were clean and well maintaned. Lots of trails to hike, nice camp store, friendly employees. And, everyone was social distancing. This will definitely be on our "do it again" list!

Primitive camping and a perfect uphill 1.9 mile hike to the top of the world! If you're going in the winter I recommend hiking poles for hiking in the snow.

Cushy campsites with electric and water. Rent a canoe here and take it out on the lake! Or hike the Boone Fork Trail, a 5 mile loop right across the parkway. Beautiful anytime of the year.