Best Campgrounds Near Gatlinburg Tn
Written by Colin J. McMechanNov 24, 2021
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws millions of visitors each year, making it the most visited park in the United States. Most visitors to the parkand its closest gateway, Gatlinburgseek opportunities to be active outside and soak up the benefits of being in nature. One of the most popular ways to satisfy these interests is camping. Campgrounds near Gatlinburg are plentiful and diverse. As you will discover, camping in this part of the world is like having a little piece of The Smokies all to yourself.
You might assume that you can waltz right into the park and set up camp wherever you want. Given their popularity and conservation values, all national parks restrict camping to designated camping areas. There are strict regulations, even when primitive camping in the backcountry, where there are no roads and services. Fortunately, there are four Great Smoky Mountains National Park campgrounds within an hour’s drive of Gatlinburg. These campgrounds are perfect for campers who are self-contained or sleeping in a tent.
When planning your camping adventure near Gatlinburg, one of the first things to do is reserve a campsite suitable for your needs. Given that Gatlinburg is on the doorstep to the Great Smoky Mountains, making an advance reservation is required to avoid disappointment. Find the best options with our list of the top campgrounds near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Roan Mountain State Park
Roan Mountain State Park is highamong the most beautiful places to camp in Tennessee during the winter.
Located at the base of soaring RoanMountain , the state park is a forested wonderland spanning fornearly 2,000 acres. In the winter, most of the trees lose their leaves, openingup already breathtaking views to even great distances.
Roan Mountain State Park has 107total campsites open for winter. 87 of these are RV sites with RV hookups whilethe remaining 20 are primitive tent sites. Modern cabin rentals are anotherpopular way to enjoy this Tennessee paradise.
Tent Camping Is Weather Permitting
One important thing to know about tent camping in the Smokies is that it is dependent on decent weather, which means you might want to have a backup plan just in case. Our camping island, the primitive, secluded area in our Smoky Mountain campground where you can pop your tent and enjoy some peace and quiet, is surrounded by the water of the Little Pigeon River. This makes for beautiful views all around you during nice weather days, but too much rain can make it difficult to get to the island. Not to mention camping in the rain makes it very difficult to stay dry, even in a tent. We do, however, have Smoky Mountain camping cabins that are available in any weather all year round!
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Pigeon River Campground Tn
Bigger isn’t always better, and this can apply just as equally to RV parks as anything else. If you’re heading to Tennessee, consider staying at Pigeon River Campground, a small but quaint RV campground on the banks of the Pigeon River. Here you have the choice of swimming in the river or in the on-site swimming pool the park also has a seasonal camp store, private restrooms, and a pavilion for group gatherings. Each site has full hookups with 20, 30 or 50 amp electricity, picnic tables, and fire rings, and is large enough to accommodate most larger RV units. When you get here, you can log into the park Wi-Fi and let your family and friends back home know
Overmountain Shelter In Roan Mountain
This is one of the most famous and iconic backpacking destinations in the whole of the state. If youre planning a long trip around the state, and are picking up many parks and natural locations and campgrounds this is a sight you cannot afford to miss. Although its not technically a tent camping site, we couldnt resist mentioning it.
Situated in the Appalachian Trail, and known affectionately by hikers as the barn, this structure operates as an Overmountain Shelter. This can sleep up to 30 people, and is a charming, although rustic, backcountry dwelling. If youre backpacking on your own in Tennessee, places such as the barn, and other similar dwellings like the rustic Roan High Knob Shelter , are a fantastic way to meet other cool hikers, who are just as adventurous as you are.
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Of The Best Places To Go Camping In Tennessee
Camping in Tennessee is a great way to explore the staggering amount of natural beauty the state has to offer.
With a wide variety of campgrounds to choose from, including rustic tent sites to RV parks with full amenities as well as free dispersed areas, theres a little something available for campers of all needs and preferences.
Here are 30 of the best places to go camping in Tennessee to help you plan your next trip!
Townsend / Great Smokies Koa Tn
When you Townsend. This popular KOA has been recognized with the Presidents Award, the Founders Award, the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, and the Kamp Green designation. The campground features a swimming pool, an outdoor cinema, fishing, a family activity area, a pavilion with a fireplace, and tube and bike rentals. Guests can also take advantage of a snack bar, a convenience store with firewood and propane for sale, and can enjoy planned activities and theme weekends too. Campground amenities include an on-site honey wagon pump, restrooms and showers, laundry facilities, and Wi-Fi. Pets are welcome, and there
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Pigeon Forge Koa Is Open And Taking Reservations
We are happy to be open and ready for you to camp. There will be some restrictions on amenities, please be sure to visit the recreation page for updates.
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Holiday
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.
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Holiday® offers the best camping experience of the great outdoors!Plan enough time in your trip to the Smoky Mountains to visit our neighboring campgrounds which include: the peaceful Townsend/Great Smokies KOA Holiday and the scenic Cherokee/Great Smokies KOA Holiday.
River Plantation Rv Park
Park your RV at the foot of the Smokies at this park located by the Little Pigeon River in a peaceful valley. With 297 sites available, you can take your pick among pull-through sites, shady spots and plots near the river. Concrete patio and full hookups are standard at this Big Rig-friendly resort, where amenities include two outdoor pools, hot tub, three bathhouses, two laundry facilities, and access to 50 cable TV channels. River Plantation hosts live entertainment most weekends during summer months as well as special events throughout the year. Also Cool: Nine cabins are available, too, some with kitchens and baths. Super Cool: Beginning Spring 2019, the owners of River Plantation will open an all new Ridge property that will offer glamping tents (with your choice of luxury or tiny, new RV sites with fireplaces, and an Internet Café.
River Plantation RV Park
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Adventure Bound Camping Resorts
Adventure Bound Camping Resorts is family owned and operated, and this campground is dedicated to family fun. During festive seasons such as Halloween, the resort hosts a haunted house and trick or treat every night of October!
Park your rig or pitch a tent on almost 230 sites throughout the property, which features two creeks. Site amenities accommodate a range of camping needs, including full-service hookups or water and electric only. A general store, laundromat, dump station, and propane fill station are on the property.
The large pool is a big draw for kids of all ages, and the 500-foot alpine waterslide is extra incentive to get wet and start screaming. The activity center with arcade games is always bustling with kids. When you have energy for more entertainment, head to Gatlinburg 13.5 miles away.
Location: 4609 East Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Official site:
Maclellan Island On The Tennesse River
This is one of our favorite options for camping in Tennessee and is an excellent example of a novelty camping spot. Located on Maclellan Island, a unique and stunning 18.8-acre wildlife sanctuary, in the middle of the Tennessee River, youd think that booking this tiny island all for yourself would leave you totally out in the sticks. But this couldnt be further from the truth! Even with the tranquility and exclusivity of sleeping on your own, private wildlife-sanctuary-island, youre still right in the heart of downtown Chattanooga!
This is an excellent option for those looking for a convenient, but unique and edgy, city-break camping experience, which feels like a backcountry campsite. However, this experience really is what you and your group make of it. Theres only one site, for up to 30 people, and you can only book this island as one group. Theres also no shower, kitchen or portable water facilities. Furthermore, you have to access the island with your own boat, or a rented canoe. So, if youre a group looking for a unique adventure for a celebration or a family getaway, wed recommend hiring canoes for a few days and calling this island your home. Seeing as it goes from only $25 per night, what have you got to lose?
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Camping In The Smokies Tn
Looking to spend time in one of the United States’ most visited vacation destinations, high up in the mountains of Tennessee? Camping in the Smokies lets you do exactly that. This amazing RV park outside of Knoxville to the north.
Camping in the Smokies campsites can accommodate tents and RVs. Cleanliness and privacy are important tenets of this family-friendly campground, so guests can expect spacious and quiet
Pickett Ccc Memorial State Park
If youre gearing up for wintercamping in Tennessee, there are few better options than Picket CCC MemorialState Park.
Part of the larger Picket StateForest and adjacent to the expansive Big South Fork National River andRecreation Area, its one of the best places to explore the outdoors in theentire state of Tennessee. In addition to much smaller crowds, winter alsobrings with it nearly unbeatable darksky viewing opportunities.
Winter camping is available in 31campsites in the main campground. These all have basic amenities, includingwater hookups. 20 of the sites also have electric hookups. A handful of cabinrentals are also available .
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Camp Leconte Luxury Outdoor Resort
The finer things in camping life are assured at Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Resort. Set within the town limits of Gatlinburg, this campground is next to the modern complex that hosts the Rocky Top Sports World, Gatlinburg Public Library, and secondary school. In addition to 20 RV sites and five primitive tent sites, the resort rents accommodation in treehouses, European safari tents, and 1960s retro camp trailers.
All RV sites feature concrete pads and grassy areas. They come with full-service hookup , cable, Wi-Fi, picnic tables, and fire pits. In a shaded grass area for tents, sites include a tent pad, fire pit with a grill, and small picnic table.
The Pavilion houses a bathhouse, store, and access to the outdoor saltwater pool. A covered games gazebo includes table tennis. The Gatlinburg Trolley to downtown stops beside the Pavilion to whisk you away to downtown attractions.
Address: 1739 East Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Smokemont Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Smokemont Campground is 28 miles from Gatlinburg. It’s located on the south side of Old Smoky of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Nearby is the Oconaluftee Visitor Center for information on trails and hot spots for viewing wildlife, such as elk herds.
The campground has 142 reservable campsites on the banks of Bradley Fork River. Campsites are flat, and some sites are paved for RVs. In addition to a picnic table, fire ring, grill, and lantern post in each site, the campground has drinking water, restrooms with flush toilets, and a dump site.
Location: Campground Road A, Cherokee, North Carolina
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Cherokee / Great Smokies Koa Nc
When you are looking for RV rentals in Swain County, you may want to check out Cherokee/Great Smokies KOA. This campground has been recognized with the KOA Presidents Award. It is convenient to Asheville, NC, Gatlinburg, TN, and Pigeon Forge, TN. The campground features a tour shuttle, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, fishing, an outdoor movie theater, a playground, a jump pillow, a game room, a pavilion, a snack bar, and a store with firewood and propane for sale. Other amenities include restrooms and showers, laundry facilities, and Wi-Fi. Bike rentals and golf cart rentals are available. Pets are welcome, and there is a dog park. Themed weekends, campfires, and activities are held throughout the year.
The campground
Eastern Highland Rim Adventure
Just one hour from Nashville, located in the lower Appalachians at the Upper Cumberland Plateau, this campsite is where primitive camping gets a new makeover. This family-run campsite surrounds you with 360-degree views of relaxing forests, spring-fed creeks and streams, a ledge waterfall with a 20-foot drop, and a rock shelter formation. You are also within close reach of some incredible hiking opportunities, like the Appalachian Trail.
This campsite has marketed itself perfectly to the person visiting from the city. One of the things that these people search for when getting out into nature, is to finally be able to stargaze, a long way away from the pollution and smog of the city. The Eastern Highland Rim Adventure campground has wide open pastures for stargazing, meaning you can truly be humbled by the magnitude of nature.
There are also many activities to be enjoyed at this campsite. You can go fishing in the nearby Centre Hill Lake for largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, spotted bass, and the list goes on. You can also head off on one of the designated miles of trails in the familys acreage and beyond. They keep a couple of well-maintained hiking trails that go past natural destinations such as a ledge waterfall with a natural oak shelter, creek exploring and cascades.
- 2 sites
- Restrooms and showering facilities
- Only two small campsites, so you can avoid the crowds, and really get in touch with nature
- Kitchen facilities
- No RV sites
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Clarksville Rv Park And Campground
Another one of the best RVcampgrounds in Tennessee, Clarksville RV Park and Campground is extremely cleanand convenient for exploring Tennessee as well as nearby Kentucky.
It has over 65 RV sites with fullhookups. The vast majority of these are shaded thanks to large, leafy treesplanted throughout the park. A pool, clean bathrooms with showers, free Wi-Fi,and an on-site general store are additional amenities. Shaded tent campingsites and modern cabin rentals are also available.
While enjoying your stay at Clarksville RV Park, dont forget to check out nearby Mammoth Caves and Lake Between the Lakes Recreation Area, both just minutes away in Kentucky.
Rock Island State Park
Rock Island State Park is great toexplore at any time of the year, but its a truly special place for wintercamping in Tennessee.
It has two campgrounds but just 20 total campsites in the main campground are open year-round. The year-round campsites all have full RV hookups, although they can also be used by intrepid tent campers. Several cabin rentals are also available for those that prefer glamping in the winter.
One of the best reasons to camp atRock Island State Park in the winter is for the silence and solitude. In thecoldest part of the winter, theres even the chance to see frozen waterfalls.
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Lotterdale Cove Campground Tn
When you are planning a trip with a campervan rental near Greenback, Tennessee, youll need a place to call your temporary home. You may want to check out the Lotterdale Cove Campground. This is part of a three-campground complex on Tellico Lake. The security-gated campground offers a beach with a swimming area, boat ramps and a boat dock, a mini convenience store, and an on-site resident manager. Jet skis are available for rent.
There are wooded and lakefront campsites at Lotterdale Cove Campground. Sites offer electric and water hookups and fire rings. Service is 20/30/50-amp. Campground amenities include restrooms and showers, three bathhouses, a waste disposal and water station, and WiFi. The campground is family-friendly and pet-friendly.
There Are Amenities Included
Even though tent camping is the most primitive form of camping, that doesnt mean that you have to go completely without modern amenities. Youll be tucked back in the woods for the private feel youve been craving, but when you need a little touch of civilization, our Smoky Mountain campground has charcoal grills for enjoying a cookout with your friends and family, a bathhouse close by so that youre never too far from a toilet or a shower and we even have laundry facilities in case you need some clean clothes for your ride home!
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Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg Koa Tn
In the heart of one of Americas most beloved vacation destinations, close to the countrys most visited national park, Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA stands head and shoulders above the competition, giving you an RV park where you can stay and relax. When you Pigeon Forge serve as nearby destinations where you can shop or eat, adding to its appeal as