Smoky Mountains campgrounds include national park sites and private properties in nearby towns. Plan Smoky Mountains camping by choosing your setting and camping style first, then compare reservation requirements and facilities. Start with our Great Smoky Mountains regional guide. For detailed park planning, use the national park camping guide.
A note on names: “Smoky Mountains” is a region, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a National Park Service unit. This is not a state park and not a national forest. Campgrounds inside the park are NPS campgrounds; campgrounds in Bryson City, Cherokee, Maggie Valley and other towns are separate, privately run businesses.
For a specific camp, open its listing. Examples are Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground listing, phone and map or Balsam Mountain Campground listing. For the park’s own camping rules and reservations, the NPS is the source to check.
Camping in the Smokies: park campgrounds and nearby campgrounds
The NPS states that Great Smoky Mountains National Park maintains developed frontcountry campgrounds at 10 locations in the park (NPS frontcountry camping). Frontcountry camping is car camping: you drive to a numbered site. The NPS campground pages name Smokemont, Deep Creek, Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, Big Creek, Cosby, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Abrams Creek and Look Rock. The first five are on the North Carolina side, which matters if you are searching for camping smoky mountains north carolina; Cosby, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Abrams Creek and Look Rock are on the Tennessee side. Outside the park boundary, camping in the smokies also means private campgrounds, RV parks and cabin camps, covered further down.
Smoky Mountains camping reservations
For the national park campgrounds, the NPS pages for Smokemont, Cades Cove, Elkmont, Cosby, Cataloochee, Deep Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, Abrams Creek and Look Rock each state that campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance. The NPS directs visitors to Recreation.gov (or 877-444-6777) for frontcountry, group and horse campsites. The NPS pages for group campgrounds say reservations may be made up to twelve months in advance.
Great Smoky Mountains camping reservations and reserving a campsite
For Great Smoky Mountains camping reservations inside the park, follow the NPS links to Recreation.gov. Book private campgrounds directly with their operators. Check the current reservation window, dates and availability before traveling.
Backcountry camping is different. The NPS states that a permit and advance reservations are required for all backcountry camping in the park, issued through Recreation.gov (NPS backcountry camping).
Campgrounds in the Smokies on the North Carolina side
Compare Smokemont, Deep Creek, Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee and Big Creek using the NPS campground pages. Check each campground’s current season, access, site type and vehicle limits before booking. Our Deep Creek camping guide offers more specific trip planning.
Campgrounds near Smoky Mountains: Bryson City and Cherokee
Campgrounds great smoky mountains visitors use fall into the two groups above, park and private.
People who search camping near smoky mountains or campgrounds near the smokies are often looking outside the park gate. Our directory currently lists four campgrounds in Bryson City and six in Cherokee. A smoky mountain campground in Bryson City, NC is typically one of these:
Smoky mountain campground Bryson City NC
- Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground: listed for cabins, RV camping and tent camping.
- Grumpy Bear Camp Ground & Gem Mine: listed for cabins and RV camping.
- Sun Retreats Nantahala: listed for cabins and RV camping.
- Big Bear's RV Park: listed for RV camping.
Great Smoky Mountain campground, Cherokee NC
For a great smoky mountain campground cherokee nc search, the directory lists Mile High Campground and Indian Creek Campground (both listed for cabins, primitive, RV and tent camping), Happy Holiday RV Village (cabins, RV and tent camping) and Round Bottom Horse Camp. The same applies to a great smoky mountain rv park cherokee nc search: use the RV Camping type on each listing, then confirm hookups with the campground. More areas: Turkey Creek Campground in Almond (RV and tent), and in Maggie Valley Stonebridge RV Resort & Campgrounds, Hillbilly Creekside Campground and Cross Creek RV Park. Our Cherokee campgrounds guide goes further.
Campgrounds around Smoky Mountains: other towns
Campgrounds around smoky mountains also include cabin-focused listings such as Moonshine Creek Campground in Sylva and Balsam Lake Lodge in Tuckasegee, and the Robbinsville group listings Rattler Ford Group Campground and Swan Cabin Group Camp. Search for a campground near the great smoky mountains by town on the destinations page.
Choosing a campsite in or near the Smokies
Developed park campsites, backcountry sites and private campgrounds have different facilities and booking requirements. Choose whether you need vehicle access, RV services or a cabin, then check the appropriate official reservation page or operator website.
Camping cabins, RV hookups and showers
Camping cabins in the Smoky Mountains
For smoky mountain campgrounds with cabins, compare private listings tagged Cabins, such as Grumpy Bear, Sun Retreats Nantahala, Mile High and Indian Creek. Confirm facilities and minimum stays directly with each operator.
Smoky mountain campgrounds with electric and full hookups
The NPS states that some Look Rock sites provide electric and water hookups, while the small outlets at Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont are for medical equipment only. For smoky mountain campgrounds with full hookups, compare private RV parks and confirm the service at the particular site you book.
Smoky mountains campgrounds with showers
The NPS states that showers are not available in park campgrounds. For smoky mountains campgrounds with showers, compare private properties and confirm their current facilities before booking.
Car camping in the Smoky Mountains
Car camping in developed park campgrounds means staying near your vehicle at a designated site. Check current occupancy, vehicle limits and campsite dimensions on the NPS and booking pages.
Season: camping in Smoky Mountains in October and November
The NPS says Cades Cove and Smokemont Campgrounds are open year-round and that all other park campgrounds are seasonal. The NPS Cades Cove page adds that Loop B and parts of Loop C are open from mid-spring through November 30, and that in winter only some sites remain open. For camping in smoky mountains in october, most seasonal campgrounds are covered by their NPS pages, which give exact dates. For camping in smoky mountains in november, the NPS-listed year-round options are Smokemont (Loops A and B) and Cades Cove. NPS pages do not give foliage or weather forecasts for these months, so check the park’s current conditions before you go.
Rules to know in park campgrounds
- Food and equipment used to prepare or store food must be sealed in a vehicle or in a camping unit made of solid, non-pliable material when not in use (NPS campground pages).
- Campfires are allowed only in fire rings. Only heat-treated firewood certified by the USDA or a state agency may be brought into the park; dead and downed wood in the park may be collected.
- Quiet hours are 10 pm to 6 am; generator use is prohibited 8 pm to 8 am.
- Stay is limited to 14 consecutive days at a time, and the NPS frontcountry page gives a park-wide limit of 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.
- Park campgrounds are not gated; the NPS says you may check in after hours.
Looking for a specific property or campsite?
Use the operator’s own website to check private properties missing from this guide. For numbered park campsites, follow the NPS booking links and check the site description before reserving. National forests and state parks are separate systems; this guide focuses on the Smokies region and the national park.
Smoky Mountains camping: common questions
Do I need a reservation to camp in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
The NPS campground pages state that campsite reservations are required, up to six months in advance, via Recreation.gov.
Are there showers in the park campgrounds?
No. The NPS states showers are not available in the park.
Which campgrounds are open year-round?
The NPS lists Cades Cove and Smokemont as open year-round; the others are seasonal.
Are there hookups?
The NPS says only some sites at Look Rock have electric and water hookups. Private campgrounds near the park are listed in our directory.
How long can I stay?
The NPS limit is 14 consecutive days at a campground and 60 total days per calendar year.
Can I bring my dog?
The NPS allows pets on a leash no longer than six feet, only on roads, the Oconaluftee River Trail and the Gatlinburg Trail.
Browse the full Bryson City campground listings, then use the official sources: Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Recreation.gov. Seasons, openings and rules change, so confirm before you go.
Ready to plan Smoky Mountains camping? Compare the Bryson City campground listings and Cherokee campground listings, then confirm your stay with the operator or official booking service.
