Do you enjoy camping but don't want to rough it? Glamping is a great option. Glamping near Oliver Springs, TN is a great way to go camping with the tastes of home. The Dyrt makes it easy to find glamping near Oliver Springs.
Over 2 million visitors annually come to enjoy the scenic beauty of Cades Cove and its many historic structures. Popular activities here include hiking, biking, touring the 11-mile Cades Cove loop road and observing wildlife. Whether blanketed in bright wildflowers in the spring or vivid colors in the fall, the scenery at Cades Cove never disappoints.
The Great Smoky Mountains are a hikers paradise and visitors to Cades Cove Campground love the 5-mile roundtrip hike to Abram Falls. From Cades Cove Loop Road, follow the signage at the turnoff for directions to the trailhead. Although Abrams Falls is only 20 feet high, the large volume of water rushing over falls more than makes up for its lack of height. The long, deep pool at its base is very picturesque. The trail to the falls traverses pine-oak forest on the ridges and hemlock and rhododendron forest along the creek. The waterfall and creek are named for Cherokee Chief Abram or Abraham whose village once stood several miles downstream. A nearby horse stable provides one-hour horseback rides as well as hay rides and carriage rides from March through October, offering recreational activities for the entire family. Campers can also 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.
Cades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park. Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bear, coyote, ground hog, turkey, raccoon, skunk, and other animals are also possible. For hundreds of years Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove but archeologists have found no evidence of major settlements. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821. By 1830 the population of the area had already swelled to 271.
The park 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, a few of which are easily accessible from the Cades Cove loop road. Townsend, located about nine miles away, offers full service grocery stores and fuel.
This location has limited staffing. Please call (865) 448-4103 for general information.
If you plan to arrive at a date later than your arrival date you MUST contact the campground office 865-448-4103 in order to avoid a cancellation to your reservation. If you wish to cancel your reservation the day of your arrival you MUST contact the campground office 865-448-4103 in order to receive a refund. Rules and reservation policies can be found at https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies
$30 / night
Located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Elkmont Campground is the largest and busiest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At an elevation of 2,150 feet, the area enjoys a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers.
The Little River runs through the campground offering visitors the option to camp waterfront. Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the Little River and countless other streams and rivers that snake through the mountains. 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. The nearby and popular Laurel Falls Trail leads to a spectacular 80-ft. waterfall. 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 visitors to spot one. From the big animals like bears, deer, and elk, down to microscopic organisms, the Smokies are the most biologically-diverse 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.
Generations of campers have returned to Elkmont year after year, drawn by the sounds of the river, the tranquility of the forest, and the variety of recreational activities in the Elkmont area. Little River and Jakes Creek run through the campground, offering easy access for fishing or cool summertime splashing. Trailheads for Little River Trail, Jakes Creek Trail, and Elkmont Nature Trail are located adjacent to the campground. Historic remnants of Little River Lumber Company's logging camp and old buildings from the Elkmont resort community offer campers a glimpse of life at Elkmont nearly a century ago.
Gatlinburg, one of the Smokies' most famous tourist towns, is located about nine miles from Elkmont and offers organized rafting trips, museums, restaurants, galleries, an aquarium, skiing and more.
$30 / night
$8 - $100 / night
$18 - $300 / night
This KOA campground in Pigeon Forge is perfectly located to take everything the Great Smokies has to offer. Spend the day taking in the local area attractions such as Dollywood theme park, Dolly Parton's Stampede, Wonderworks, or the Old Mill just to name a few. Pigeon forge is bursting with over 70 attractions the whole family will love. Gear up for an adventure of hiking, fishing, biking or driving in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The options here are endless! For a home away from home, try our fully furnished Deluxe Cabins or Camping Cabins. Park your RV at our Pull-Thru RV Site with KOA Patio®, all with free cable and Wi-Fi. Pitching a Tent? We have beautiful waterfront sites conveniently situated with picnic tables and fire rings. Whatever accommodation you choose, you can rest assured you will enjoy your stay in this beautiful location. Explore our abundant entertainment options such as the NEW Gravity Rail, pan for fossils and gems at our Gem Mine, play at the NEW Playground, rent bikes or play in the zero-entry pool complete with a Rain Tree. There's even a safe place for Fido to play within the Kamp K9® Dog Park. As your day winds down, settle in to watch a movie at the Outdoor Cinema, sit around the Community Fire Pit or relax in the Hot Tub.
Ranger
Large campground but had level, shaded, and private camp sites. Flush toilets clean but no showers. Traffic was a beast but there were good hiking trails from campground. I was on a loop that allowed generators but very few were in use. Nice creek runs through campground. Campground fairly close to visitor center and nearby hiking trails but wickedly crowded. Very strict rules regarding food storage and park has managed to control bears and raccoons. Dump station on site.
Ranger
Approx 20 miles from main visitor center. The scenic drive increases congestion and traffic. Camp store is near campsites. Also a ranger station. Several hiking trails are accessible from campground. All driveways shaded, paved, and level. Very pleasant place. Only negative is the requirement to check in between 9-10:00 am the following day if one arrived later than check in time, which caused me to change hiking plans.
Ranger
This place is a great place for camping had nice paved trails clean campground. The bathroom was clean. The shower was hot. Lots of friendly campers.
Traveler
Campsites are spacious with gravel campsites and paved rv parking at campsites. Water and electric at each site. Clean bathrooms with showers.
Scout
Visiting in 2 weeks
TravelerWe had an amazing time, the campground is beautiful and the park rangers were awesome. Hoping to come back soon.
TravelerIf you're looking for peace and quiet, then this is the place to be. Had numerous sightings of wildlife even in the campground. Note... Do not forget to remove the drip pan on the Blackstone!!!! Doing so just erritates the bears.
ScoutI prefer playing cricket for physical exercise rather than virtual games like Nulls Brawl. It's a great way to stay active and enjoy the outdoors, especially in beautiful locations like The Crosseyed Cricket Campground in Tennessee.
Traveler
We were there on a Saturday night in August and it was completely sold out. It's a very busy campground with close together spaces but that's to be expected at that time and place. The staff was awesome and it's a great facility, shockingly with that many people it was absolutely silent at night. If you want to be in that area at that time it's pricey but hard to beat; however, I have no desire to be in that busy of a campground. There is a good chance we would like to see it in the off season.
Scout
I highly DO NOT RECOMMEND this place. They completely do not respect their guests. I booked a half a year in advance and asked the question if they have a separate bed for each and they assured me they do. Unfortunately, my child ended up sleeping on the table. I tried to ask for an additional mattress or a partial/full refund but they didn’t want to hear me. They offered me to go to the store and buy one for myself. A complete disrespect I drove for six hours to be as disappointed as I had never been in life. Please, beware that coming here you’re going to sleep either on the floor or on the table and the staff doesn’t care about you or do not respect you. People, please do not come here.
Scout
Very tiny cabin, grass overgrown, far distance from pool. We paid in advance for 2 nights but checked out after 2 hours. Very gross, unkept. Because it’s pigeon forge I expected it to be good but it’s disgusting. The videos of JellystonePark show trampolines and water park like activities but this park had one small pool with no parking. Even my kids wanted to leave. Do not go here it is a Huge disappointment!
ScoutNulls Brawl likely offers a way to share game progress or resources with others. You could generate links or codes to give them access, allowing you to play or team up with friends more easily. https://nullsbrawlapk.de/
Scout
Nice place good quiet. Just would be better if they had water at each site. And a duping station too
Scout
Family oriented, clear & cold waters, beautiful views, peaceful thoughts, and convenient campsites. Great to visit with your friends and family.
ScoutBooked a place to stay for vacation and ended up having to cancel in enough time for a refund. They said they would do a full refund wait 10-15 business days. Waited the time frame and no deposit was made. Ended up calling and they told us to email someone, emailed said person and haven’t heard anything. Careful if you might end up canceling cuz they will take your money. Just seen another post where the same thing happened with someone.
ScoutIt looks so good so far. Thank you so much for sharing. Have a very good day!
RangerSites are level and pretty spacious, if not some a little tight together. My only complaint was that the restroom wasn’t marked on the map that I could see so I ended up being very far away from it. So more of an issue with recreation.gov than the campground itself. The restroom was nice and clean.
ScoutCampground did not follow advertised online information. No escort to spot, no dog park, no food delivery, just to name a few. It also appears that with the volume of rules you are required to comply with, your camp sites of individuals staying annually should also have to follow. Sites 64, 99 and 102 were a real disappointment to see each day when leaving. The camp spots were so small to be able to park our single vehicle. We were overall disappointed and our bi annual stay in the area, will not include Jellystone.
Guide
The name has changed to Smitty's Lodge & CG. I found this awesome campground close to the beginning of the Cherohala skyway in Tellico Plains. Includes picnic table, fire pit and some chairs (they also sell firewood), clean restrooms and showers, use of refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and super nice hosts. I highly recommend visiting this campground. I stayed in a tent, but they do have cabins for rent also. Campsites are level and spacious.
ScoutMy family of five camped three nights at Elkmont the last week of March 2024. High was in the 50's and 60's and low in the 30's. It was windy and cold at nights. I did a ton of research attempting to book a"private" site at this campground--but now I'll share what I have learned-- there are none! We had site A-7, which is"walk-in", but the walk is incredibly short and not far from your car. All of the campsites are extremely close together, and there is no brush to divide them. That said, the campsite is gorgeous and I do recommend it. Despite having no visual privacy, the sound of the rushing water masks all the sounds of talking, etc. and I slept great with the rushing water. Considering the walk-in sites are no more private than any other, I think my highest recommendation would be the B sites. Otherwise try to book any site along the river.
The bathrooms were adequate--sinks and toilets and cleaned daily (no showers). We did one of our hikes from our site--the Little River Trail to Cucumber Gap at it was beautiful. While the technical distance of that loop is 5 and a half miles, it was 7 miles total from our site. I recommend doing Little River Trail first, as it is a gradual uphill on a gravel road. While the wide road is not ideal, it is along the beautiful river. Cucumber Gap trail is single track with some nice views. The final portion of that loop, Jakes Creek Trail to the Elkmont Historic District is STEEP--so I was glad we were going down, not up.
GuideThis place may be seasonal and have limited hours but oh what a treat it is to make this part of your boating experience on Watts Bar Lake. They feature Monkey Towns local brews out of Dayton,TN. The view is worth the climb up the stairs from the lake to the dining area.
Scout
This is one of the best experiences I've had. My boyfriend and I decided to take a trip and wanted to have a peaceful getaway. I highly recommend this getaway as it was such an enriching experience. From the mountains to the bonfires to warm and welcoming company. Anthony and Barbara were so welcoming and offered us everything we needed and then some.
ScoutI was overly impressed with this camp site! We have a large 8 person tent and need water & electricity so we rent out RV spots instead of the typical tent spots. We were at spot 116, which was on a hill but wasn’t bad enough to bother us sleeping in the tent. We slept in gravel as well since if we went on the grass we’d be on the side of a hill. We had our two dogs with us as well which our spot allowed us plenty of privacy. Bathrooms and showers were amazing for a campsite, picture gym bathrooms and that’s what it is like. Hot shower was amazing in the morning. Everyone was so friendly and had haunted houses set up for the trick or treaters. They also had a bunch of activities, parks, and a restaurant inside the camp site. Will DEFINITELY be back!
GuideStayed here in the Fall of 2023. It was perfectly quiet at night which was great. The bathrooms are clean and there’s a dish washing room as well. Due to the amount of black bears in the area they’re very vigilant about keeping trash in trash cans (apparently bears break into the bathrooms… so there’s ZERO trash cans in the bathrooms and you have to walk your paper towels or other items to the big dumpsters)
Coming from the Rocky Mountains where black and brown bears are also very active, I was surprised to see that there were no bear boxes of any kind.
This minor complaint won’t affect most people. but to those who need a bear boxe to store items while away from their campsite or perhaps while they’re there, just keep that in mind. 😊
GuideElkmont is a big campground located on little river. I spent the weekend here, and had a great time with cool weather. Warm during the day and just above freezing at night.
I drove up to clingmans dome at sunrise and caught a brief amazing glimpse before clouds covered up the whole view. It was really interesting the way the conditions changed so quickly. I made a short youtube video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5LIvzDiSY4
I fly fished around the campground, but didn't have much luck until I walked a good distance upstream on the little river trail. It was a great afternoon, and all fish I caught were rainbows and about hand size. Nothing remarkable, but time well spent and very enjoyable.
I would love to bring my son here, and look forward to trying to get a spot next year to bring him here.
As a note, I drove through gatlinburg early morning and the traffic was awful. I turned left after gatlinburg and rather than having to head back through town there was a bypass, which was a huge time saver.
Traveler
Great location and the staff was friendly but that’s the pros. The Con is simple, I think politics can waiver your experience easily and us being a minority family camping there gave an unwanted vibe from other campers. Never noticed this in other states and sites but you just ignore it and have a great experience. Non locals were very friendly and spoke to us. People need to remember we are all the same, look the same, eat the same, speak the same… we just come in different shades and experiences. Camping is a great way to learn and meet a new neighbors even ones you might not have a chance to sit at a fire pit and talk to.
Traveler
We came with friends for Fall Break and shared a buddy site, it was wonderful! Fun activities (we did BINGO & Trivia), hiking, a very nice pool & hot tub with splash pad and walk-in pool entry. The shower houses & restrooms were immaculate! So clean! We were sad to see they were already booked for next fall break - if you’re considering, book well in advance!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Oliver Springs, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Oliver Springs, TN is Frozen Head State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 31 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 41 glamping camping locations near Oliver Springs, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
