Campground

Smokemont Campground

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Near Cherokee, North Carolina

Facilities

Smokemont Campground offers an unforgettable outdoor experience with the added convenience of flush toilets, drinking water and sinks. There are campsites for tents as well as RVs available, and tent pads, grills and fire rings are provided. There is also a flat, grassy area that is perfect for group activities like football, volleyball, or simply soaking up the sun.

Natural Features

Smokemont Campground is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges, with pristine mountain streams and rivers setting the backdrop for your camping adventure. Whether blanketed in spring wildflowers or vivid fall colors, the scenery at Smokemont never disappoints.

At 2,200 feet, Smokemont provides a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural history of Southern Appalachia. From the prehistoric Paleo Indians to the early European settlements in the 1800s, the park strives to protect its historic structures, landscapes and artifacts that tell the stories of the people who once called these mountains home.

Recreation

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker's paradise, offering over 800 miles of maintained trails ranging from short, leg-stretchers to strenuous treks, with a number of those trails easily accessible from the picnic area. But hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies: Fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are also popular activities.

Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance. The nearby Bradley Fork River provides a great place to go for a dip or fish for trout.

Wildlife viewing is a popular pastime, and with around 1,500 bears living in the park, it's not uncommon for visitors to spot one. The park is a sanctuary for a magnificent array of animal and plant life, all of which is protected for future generations to enjoy.

The park also holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Over 90 historic structures, including houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools and grist mills, have been preserved or rehabilitated in the park.

Recreation Sites

  • Standard Nonelectric
  • Rv Nonelectric
  • Overnight

Activities

  • Wildlife Viewing
  • Visitor Center
  • Horseback Riding
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
  • Interpretive Programs
  • Camping
  • Historic & Cultural Site
  • Biking

Amenities

  • Drinking Water
  • Dump Station
  • Emergency Phone
  • Parking Area
  • Ranger Station
  • Restrooms (Flush Toilet)
  • Quiet Area
  • Food Locker
  • Picnic Table
  • Tent Pad
  • Generator Free
  • Fire Pit
  • Grills/Fire Ring
  • Accessible Occupant Message
  • Accessibility
  • Electricity Hookup

Nearby Attractions

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Indian Village and Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, located 6 miles away in Cherokee, North Carolina, provides cultural and historical information about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Cherokee also has fuel.

Getting Here

Latitude
35° 33' 11.9999" N
Longitude
83° 18' 31.0000" W

There is no street address for the campground.


From Cherokee, NC: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka US 441) North 6 miles. Turn right at campground sign.

From Gatlinburg, TN: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka US 441) South 27 miles. Turn left at campground sign.

Need to Know

  • Beginning March 1, valid parking tag is required for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Front country campers parked at their designated campsite will not be required to have a parking tag. If they park elsewhere in the park, a parking tag will be required. Please note that parking tags will be required for vehicles in excess of what is allowable for each campsite.

    *For additional park information call 865-436-1200 or visit www.nps.gov/grsm

  • Over the last 10 years, an average of 339 negative human-bear encounters have been reported each year; many more go unreported. Visitors should be aware that high bear activity can occur in any area, and that your safety is not guaranteed. To increase your odds for a safe visit, please follow best practices for living and recreating in bear habitat. Stay alert and be prepared to react appropriately during possible encounters, and always report any unusual bear interactions as soon as possible.

  • Caution: Bears and other wildlife frequent the area. All food and equipment used to prepare and store food must be kept in a sealed vehicle or camping unit of solid, non-pliable material AT ALL TIMES when not in use. All scented items, as well as all water containers MUST be stored. Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. Violators are subject to fines.
  • Dispose of garbage promptly in bear-proof dumpsters. This rule is strictly enforced!
  • 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. This rule is strictly enforced. Campers may also collect dead and down wood in the park for campfires.

  • Heat-treated wood is available from a growing list of private businesses in communities around the park. Please visit www.nature.org/firewoodmap for a list of available vendors near the park. Concessioners at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont will provide heat-treated wood for sale during their operating season. Certified heat-treated firewood is packaged and clearly marked with a state or federal seal. For additional information about these firewood regulations, please visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/frontcountry-camping . 

  • There are no showers or electric, water or sewer hook-ups in the park. Some accessible sites have a 5 amp electric hookup for medical equipment use.

  • Quiet hours are in effect from 10 PM to 6 AM. Generator use is restricted to 8 AM to 8 PM. Some campgrounds have generator free sections. When D and F Loops are CLOSED, Generator Use is allowed in A, B, and C Loops. When D and F Loops are OPEN, NO Generator Use is allowed in A, B and C Loops. Noise level from generator cannot not exceed 60 Decibels.

  • Fires are allowed in fire rings only!

  • A maximum of 6 people may occupy a campsite. The park stay limit is 14 consecutive days. Reservations which exceed the 14 consecutive day limit may be cancelled and refunded.
  • A Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required to fish in the park. Special regulations apply in the park.
  • Pets are permitted but cannot be left unattended. All pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails.

  • Cades Cove and Smokemont campgrounds are the only campgrounds open year round and require a reservation. Reservations may be made up to 6 months in advance.

  • TENTS are NOT allowed in Loop F in Smokemont Campground.

  • You must check-in with the campground office staff UPON ARRIVAL to complete your reservation. If you arrive after the office is CLOSED for the day then you must check-in with the campground staff the following day. Failure to check-in with the office staff by noon following the day of your arrival will be considered a no show. This may result in a forfeit of your reservation. During November-April the office may be open intermittently; during these months campers occupying their site must be able to provide proof of occupancy when requested by park staff. 

    • Contact Information

    Mailing address is c/o Oconaluftee Ranger Station, 60 Enloe-Floyd Bottoms Road
    Cherokee, NC 28719

    For campground inquiries, please call: 828-497-9270

    Additional Information