TN Potable water is available at spigots near each restroom; use of hoses is not allowed. I camped at Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the very first day they were open for the 2016 season. 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. This is campsite K8. The Gatlinburg Trolley has a National Park route that runs between Gatlinburg Mass Transit Center (which is at Ripleys Aquarium) and Elkmont Campground. In fact, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the busiest park in the nation. Quiet hours are from 10:00 PM-6:00 AM. The fire rings usually have a grill attached. Firewood may not be brought into the park unless it bears the USDA-APHIS-PPQ or state certification that it has been heat-treated. Browse cabins with pet friendly policies. But I am a bug magnet and always suffer from mosquitoes. Have younger kids look for #5 as it was built as little girls playhouse. The campground is still open and is a popular place for visitors to come for the annual synchronous fireflies spectacle. Bears and other wildlife frequent the area. Campground with huge trees, lots of space between sites, sites laid out in interesting pattern rather than parallel rows. The ice cream vending machine is a perennial kid favorite. Quiet hours are in effect from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Lots of wild turkeys in the area. Food safety is strictly enforced-- no food or even water left at campsite or in tents when not actively cooking or eating. Bring headlamps and a jacket even in summer. Or is glamping more your style? The inner sites of Loop A are the worst for this. You have successfully signed up for the monthly newsletter. There are basic bathrooms with outdoor sinks for dishwashing, but that is all. RVs should stop at Sugarlands before checking into their site to dump and to stock up on water. Temperatures usually range from the mid-40s to the high-20s. Is harvest host and Boondockers Welcome the same? Impress your family with new vacation ideas and creative travel insight gleaned from our quarterly mashup. The nearby and popular Laurel Falls Trail leads to a spectacular 80-ft. waterfall. The campground has cabins ,tiny homes, RV spaces, glamping tents. One of the most popular trails in the park, this is an old logging road/railroad bed so it is wide and fairly flat, at least for the first few miles. It has 2 tent areas on opposite sides of the picnic tables and tons of room. Sites are nicely spaced apart, and even though we weren't on a river, there were plenty of river access spots. Fee: $40 per night Dates Open: May 13 - October 30, 2022 Directions to Smokemont Campground Smokemont Campground is in the southeastern area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about six miles from Cherokee, North Carolina. Its close to great trails, the popular Cades Cove, has plenty of good restaurants, and its still close enough to Sevierville if you want to visit Dollywood or shop at the outlets. And that's a bit of what you'll find if you need to go camp shopping at Elkmont Campground! I asked the information desk at the visitor center where it was. Pets are not allowed on trails. Daisy Town is the small collection of cabins and the Appalachian Club that are the closest to the campground. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - A bear ripped into a tent at a popular campground Saturday, prompting Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials to warn against tents and soft-sided shelters at the campground until further notice. The Little River is a great place to fish for trout and smallmouth bass. It's really nice to set your chairs up and have a beer and just watch the river run. Skateboards, scooters, and roller blades are prohibited in the campground. We enjoyed Little River Trail near Elkmont and Gatlinburg trail near Sugarlands visitor center. There are 200 tent/RV campsites, 20-walk-in sites for tents, restrooms and more. From Cherokee, NC: Take Tsali Boulevard (US 441) past the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. This is a wonderful camp with some great sites along the river. The weather in the winter is unstable in the park. Heads up- There are potential affiliate links below. Recreation.gov is your gateway to explore America's outdoor So whats a local to do? Open year-round, Cades Cove Campground borders wild meadows where turkey and bear strut their stuff. That will end badly (personal experience talking here). Most sites are very wooded, so solar collection is limited. Browse all Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg condos. Younger kids seem to get more out of it than older but everyone likes the underwater shark tunnel. Elkmont Campground is the largest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Campground road has large potholes, so be careful. 2. Even outside of the official festival, people drive themselves to the Little River and Jakes Creek trailheads to see the fireflies so it can be surprisingly busy even late into the night on the Little River Road during these times. Elkmont used to be open year- round but is now only open April/ May- Oct/ Nov. They are quite close together so get a group and reserve both. GP 04 is a great group campsite in Elkmont that is large and away from the other sites. These sites have wide concrete driveways, raised fire rings, and wheelchair accessible picnic tables. Upon the creation of the national park in the 1930s, most of Elkmont's cottage owners were given lifetime leases. While GPS directions may route you to Elkmont via Line Springs Road and Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area, RVs and towed trailers are NOT allowed over the bridge at Metcalf Bottoms due to a narrow bridge with weight and length restrictions. Proceed 4.5 miles to the Elkmont entrance and turn left at the Elkmont Campground sign. 4.5 miles. If you have forgotten your assigned site, check the Arrival List posted on the bulletin board at the kiosk for your name and site number. February 7th, 2022 The park is open from March 13 to November 28, which will give you plenty of time to enjoy the area. No restrooms right now. as well as all water containers, MUST be stored. One group campsite holds 15 people, two hold 20 people, and one can sleep 30. No phone sig The fireflies are best viewed in late May or early June. All Rights Reserved. - Lottery Closes April 29th at 8:00pm - Results Announced Friday, May 10th Our site was level and well-maintained. Some of the people either don't read the hours or don't care about the hours. Why was the town of Elkmont Tennessee abandoned? It's really nice to set your chairs up and have a beer and just watch the river run. Cost of fire wood is around $6. So there is still some demolition debris around. Elkmont Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Recreation.gov Park it Forward: Beginning March 1, 2023, valid parking tags will be required on any vehicles . 434 Elkmont Rd Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Get directions Edit business info Amenities and More Good For Kids Private Lot Parking No Bike Parking Ask the Community Ask a question Yelp users haven't asked any questions yet about Elkmont Campground. Nine of Elkmont's campsites are wheelchair accessible ADA sites. Nice ranger at check in. I asked her if it was frozen spiritual water. And you cant leave your pet unattended so dont stash it in your RV while you go for a hike. Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. It's an excellent home base for a fun weekend any time of year. There arent bear lockers at each campsite as you are expected to use your car. Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. 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. We were just passing through in July 2021 from Ohio back to Louisiana. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. This was the first campground we have been to where the firewood would actually burn and wasn't overly priced. Facilities that remain open in the off-peak season November-April have some first come, first serve sites available. 7-year-old Georgia girl dies when tree falls on tent at Elkmont Campground, rangers say. (If coming from Pigeon Forge, take the Bypass into the park.) You can put up hammocks as long as you stay within your campsite and dont drill anything into the tree. more. Nine campsites are wheelchair friendly, and three of these have electrical hookups for medical equipment. Beginning March 1, valid parking tag is required for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. . Answer 1 of 7: Hi , we are a group of 8 persons 4 adults and 4 children ( 11-14 years) next August we will make tour of the Deep south . 1 Show alert Elkmont Campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee (1,554) No Service Reservation Rules *A couple of notes from the past 2 years: The ice cream vending machine has been out of order in summer 2020, much to the dismay of kids who love watching its mechanical arm pick their treat out of the cooler. Elkmont is a large campground with 220 sites on either side of the Little River. Firewood Restriction: Only heat-treated firewood bundled in its original packing and bearing a certification seal from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state department of agriculture may be brought into the park. The campground is well maintained, the bathrooms were clean and the park ranger at the checkin station was very pleasant and answered all our questions. Thank you! Hiking and fishing are not the only reasons for visiting the Smokies: Picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are popular activities. Does Elkmont Campground have hookups? Somebody built their daughter a kid-sized play cabin adjacent to the familys cabin in Daisy Town. West Side of the Little River- Loops G & H are on the north half and the loops J- N are on the southern half with the group campsites and the ampitheater in between. Almost all of the campsites on the outer loop of the west side are pretty good but L1 is a fantastic site that is my favorite non-riverfront site. WANTED! What is the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains? This section of the Elkmont Historic District was called Millionaires Row. Front country campers parked at their designated campsite will not be required to have a parking tag. It then suffered a series of fires and is now almost completely gone except for the chimney and some foundations. as well as all water containers, MUST be stored. Does It Have Electricity/ Water/ Sewer Hookups? Reservation Rules Located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Elkmont Campground is the largest and busiest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We wont beat around the bush here January is typically the coldest month of the year in the Smokies. Along the Tennessee/North Carolina border stretching from the Pigeon River to the Little Tennessee River you CSGM Theme by carodactyll | Digital Marketing by YlliB, Inc. By continuing to use our website, you are accepting the use of cookies. The Elkmont Historic District is a collection of preserved and not so preserved cabins leftover from Elkmonts early days in the early 1900s as a logging town and a resort for well- heeled Knoxvillians.