Cherokee NC campgrounds include private properties and nearby national park sites. Compare camping near Cherokee NC by setting, camping style and reservation requirements. Browse our Cherokee campground directory for property details, or start with the Great Smoky Mountains regional guide for the wider area.
Note on the name “Cherokee”: Cherokee, NC is a town on the Qualla Boundary, the land of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Some campgrounds in this guide are privately operated, while others, such as Smokemont and Balsam Mountain, are run by the National Park Service inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They follow different rules and reservation systems.
Our directory currently lists six campgrounds under Cherokee: Balsam Mountain Campground, Mile High Campground, Indian Creek Campground, Happy Holiday RV Village, Round Bottom Horse Camp and Smokemont Group Camp. Other camps appear on the town’s official tourism list, covered below.
Private campgrounds and national park options
The official Visit Cherokee NC tourism directory lists private campgrounds in the area. Use it to identify properties, then check each operator’s website for amenities, seasons and booking requirements. National park campgrounds use a separate reservation system.
Inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Park Service says it maintains developed frontcountry campgrounds at 10 locations. Smokemont is one of two that are open year-round, according to the NPS Frontcountry Camping page; all others, including Balsam Mountain, are open on a seasonal basis.
Camping near Cherokee NC: Smokemont and Balsam Mountain
For campgrounds near Cherokee NC inside the park, the NPS Frontcountry Camping page says each park campground has restrooms with cold running water and flush toilets, and each campsite has a fire grate and picnic table. Showers are not available in the park. Smokemont has a dump station with potable water, and it is one of three campgrounds with 5-amp electric outlets for medical equipment use only. Heat-treated, certified firewood is sold seasonally at Smokemont (at Smokemont Riding Stables), according to the NPS campground page.
Our directory lists Balsam Mountain Campground as a tent camping option. Read the NPS Balsam Mountain Campground page for its operating dates and the official Smokemont Campground page for the year-round campground.
Campgrounds near Cherokee NC: park rules to know
The NPS lists these general regulations for frontcountry campgrounds around Cherokee, North Carolina:
- Camping is permitted in designated campsites only, not in pull-outs or parking lots.
- Maximum of two vehicles per site and six people per site; at RV sites, only one RV or trailer.
- Check-in is 1:00 pm and check-out is noon.
- Quiet hours are 10:00 pm to 6:00 am; generator quiet hours are 8:00 pm to 8:00 am.
- Only certified heat-treated firewood may be brought into the park; campers may also collect dead and down wood.
- The park-wide camping limit is 14 consecutive days, with no more than 60 total days in a calendar year.
- Pets must be on a leash no longer than six feet and are allowed only on roads, the Oconaluftee River Trail and the Gatlinburg Trail.
- Advance reservations are required, made on Recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.
Tent camping Cherokee NC
Tent camping in the area splits between park and private options. In our directory, Balsam Mountain Campground, Mile High Campground, Indian Creek Campground, Happy Holiday RV Village, Round Bottom Horse Camp and Smokemont Group Camp are all tagged for tent camping. Tent sites at park camps follow the NPS rule that camping structures be placed on the tent pad where one is provided.
Tent camping near Cherokee NC: group sites
For groups, the NPS Group Campgrounds page says group sites accommodate tents only, generators are not allowed, and trailers or other wheeled units are not permitted. The minimum party size is seven and the maximum stay is fourteen nights. The same page lists Smokemont with 3 group sites for up to 20 people each and 2026 dates of 5/8 to 10/31, and says reservations are required (online or 877-444-6777). See Smokemont Group Camp in the directory.
Campsites near Cherokee NC for horses
The NPS Horse Camps page describes five drive-in horse camps in the park. Round Bottom has 5 sites with pit toilets and no potable water, and its directions say to turn off US 441 onto Big Cove Road north of Cherokee, then continue onto a gravel road. That page’s 2025/2026 table lists Round Bottom as “Closed”, so check the NPS page before planning. Horse-camp reservations require that you have a horse. See Round Bottom Horse Camp in the directory.
Campgrounds on Big Cove Road in Cherokee NC
Big Cove Road appears in two official sources: the NPS directions to Round Bottom Horse Camp, and the Visit Cherokee NC campground list, which shows Cherokee Riverfront RV Park with a Big Cove Road address. Neither source gives a full list of the camps along the road.
Places to camp in Cherokee NC with cabins
Camping cabins Cherokee NC
Several camps on the official tourism list include “Cabins” in their names, among them Bradley’s Camping & Cabins, Cherokee KOA Campgrounds & Cabins, Lazy Turtle Campground & Cabins and Indian Creek Camping & cabins. Mile High Campground’s own website lists bunkhouse cabins among its site types. In our directory, Mile High, Indian Creek and Happy Holiday RV Village carry the Cabins tag. Cabin types and amenities vary, so confirm with the camp.
Primitive camping Cherokee NC
Mile High Campground’s website lists “primitive camping, secluded camping sites” alongside sites for tents, pop-ups, trailers and RVs. The directory tags both Mile High and Indian Creek for primitive camping. What “primitive” means (hookups, bathrooms) is defined by each camp, so ask before booking.
Mile High Campground Cherokee NC
Mile High Campground Cherokee North Carolina: location and sites
Mile High Campground’s website says it is located on the Cherokee Indian Reservation just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, with directions that use Heintooga Road near mile marker 458 (from Highway 19 southbound) or 459 (from Highway 441 northbound). The site lists clean bathrooms, hot showers, firewood and a camp store, and says reservations are made by phone. The site does not state a season on the page reviewed, so confirm dates directly. Full details are on the Mile High Campground listing, phone and map.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Park Service unit; its official planning page links to a daily-updated road conditions section showing open and closed sections.
Campgrounds in Cherokee NC on the river
Cherokee NC campgrounds on river: what the sources say
The Visit Cherokee NC list includes a camp named Cherokee Riverfront RV Park. Flaming Arrow Campground’s website mentions trout fishing and tubing on the Oconaluftee River as nearby activities. Whether a particular site sits on the water is not stated in the official sources reviewed, so ask the camp which sites, if any, are riverside.
Confirm river access before booking
Ask the operator whether the particular site you plan to book has river frontage or river access. A property name alone does not establish the location of each campsite.
Campgrounds near Cherokee casino
Flaming Arrow Campground’s website says it is located 1 mile south of Cherokee and 2 miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. The Visit Cherokee list gives addresses only, with no distances to the casino, so use a map to measure for any other camp.
Flaming Arrow Campground Cherokee North Carolina
The camp’s own website lists big rig sites, pop-up sites, group campsites, tent camping and a swimming pool, and says extended, monthly or seasonal campsites are available. It does not mention cabins.
Choosing places to camp in Cherokee NC
Compare tent or RV suitability, cabins, hookups, season and pet policies. Check whether the property is inside the national park, since rules and reservations differ. If a property is missing from this guide, check its operator’s website; absence from a directory does not establish whether it is open or closed.
Things to do nearby
- Oconaluftee area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: the NPS lists a visitor center, campground, picnic area and riding stable, the Mountain Farm Museum, and one of the park’s two main elk herds.
- Blue Ridge Parkway: road conditions are posted by the NPS.
Nearby campgrounds
For more options, see our guides to Bryson City camping and Deep Creek camping, or the broader Great Smoky Mountains hub.
Camping near Cherokee NC: common questions
How long can I camp in the Smokies?
The NPS limit is 14 consecutive days and no more than 60 total days per calendar year across all park campgrounds.
Are reservations required at park campgrounds?
The NPS says advance reservations are required for frontcountry, group and horse campsites, made on Recreation.gov or at 877-444-6777.
Are there showers in the national park campgrounds?
The NPS says showers are not available in the park; they are available in surrounding communities.
Which Cherokee-area campground is open year-round?
The NPS says Smokemont and Cades Cove are open year-round; the others, including Balsam Mountain, are seasonal.
Can I bring my own firewood?
The NPS allows only bundled, certified heat-treated firewood, plus dead and down wood collected in the park.
Are pets allowed on trails?
The NPS allows leashed pets (leash no longer than six feet) only on roads, the Oconaluftee River Trail and the Gatlinburg Trail.
Browse the Cherokee, NC campground listings, phones and maps. Official sources: NPS Frontcountry Camping, Recreation.gov and Visit Cherokee NC. Seasons, fees and closures change, so confirm before you go.
Ready to plan camping near Cherokee NC? Compare Cherokee campground listings and confirm your dates, site type and rules with the operator.
