Townsend Entrance

Abram’s Creek (Mar.–Oct., $12) has 16 sites located along Abram’s Creek and at the trailhead to Abram’s Falls. Accessible only from the extreme western end of the park, this is usually one of the quietest campgrounds.

Located along the Foothills Parkway, which travels from Tellico Lake to Walland, Look Rock (May–Oct., $14) is the highest-elevation campground on the Tennessee side of the park. Cades Cove (year-round, $17–20) has 159 sites and is located at the head of the Cades Cove Loop.

Gatlinburg Entrance

Elkmont (Mar.–Nov., $17–20) is the largest campground in the park. Its 220 sites are situated in a pleasant mountain valley along the Little River.

Cosby Entrance

From the town of Cosby you can easily access two pleasant campgrounds. Cosby (Mar.–Oct., $14) has 165 sites along the Cosby Creek. Big Creek (Mar.–Oct., $12) is a tents-only campground with 12 sites. It is located just over the North Carolina line along Big Creek.

North Carolina

Other North Carolina sites are Deep Creek (Apr.–Oct., $17), located near Bryson City, and Cataloochee (Mar.–Oct., $17), on the eastern end of the park.

Smokemont (Mar.–Dec., $17–20) is located about two-thirds of the way from Newfound Gap to Oconaluftee.

Balsam Mountain (May–Oct., $14), which at more than 5,300 feet is the highest-elevation campground in the Smokies, is located on the remote Balsam Mountain Road, and is accessible only from the eastern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

© Susanna Henighan Potter from Moon Tennessee, 5th Edition