Camping in Great Smoky Mountains
- Campgrounds
- 13
- Sites
- 939
- Reservable
- 943
- Longest RV
- 40 ft
- 8 dump stations
- Cell service
- 0/13
- campgrounds
- From
- $26
- per night
Every campground
Sites, rules and amenities
| Campground | Sites | Reservable | First-come | RV max | Cell | Showers | Dump | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkmont Campground | 211 | 211 | 0 | 35 ft | No | No | No | $30 | Reserve |
| Cades Cove Campground | 161 | 164 | 0 | 40 ft | No | No | Yes | $30 | Reserve |
| Cosby Campground | 157 | 157 | 0 | 25 ft | No | No | Yes | $30 | Reserve |
| Smokemont Campground | 142 | 142 | 0 | 40 ft | No | No | Yes | $30 | Reserve |
| Deep Creek Campground | 92 | 92 | 0 | 26 ft | No | No | Yes | $30 | Reserve |
| Look Rock Campground | 68 | 68 | 0 | Yes | No | No | Yes | $30 | Reserve |
| Balsam Mountain Campground | 43 | 43 | 0 | 24 ft | No | No | No | $30 | — |
| Cataloochee Campground | 27 | 27 | 0 | 31 ft | No | No | No | $30 | Reserve |
| Abrams Creek Campground | 16 | 16 | 0 | Yes | No | No | No | $30 | Reserve |
| Big Creek Campground | 12 | 12 | 0 | No RVs | No | No | No | $30 | Reserve |
| Elkmont Group Campground | 4 | 4 | 0 | No RVs | No | No | Yes | $26 | Reserve |
| Cades Cove Group Campground | 3 | 4 | 0 | No RVs | No | No | Yes | $35 | Reserve |
| Smokemont Group Campground | 3 | 3 | 0 | 40 ft | No | No | Yes | $50 | Reserve |
When booking opens
Booking windows for campsites and lodges
Campground booking · Recreation.gov (National Park Service)
Cades Cove Campground, Smokemont Campground
6 months
Reservations may be made up to 6 months in advance (Recreation.gov notice on the Cades Cove and Smokemont pages). These are the park's only year-round campgrounds and require a reservation.
“Reservations may be made up to 6 months in advance.”
Campground booking · Recreation.gov (National Park Service)
Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby, Deep Creek, Elkmont, Look Rock
“Advance reservations are required year-round at all campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Lodging booking · LeConte Lodge (private concessioner; hike-in only)
LeConte Lodge
Season-by-season release (2027 season opened Oct 1, 2026)
Booked one season at a time. For the 2027 season (March 19 to November 21, 2027) phone bookings opened Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 8:00 am EDT; the written-request period closed September 24, 2026. The lodge's page says no phone calls for 2027 were accepted before October 1.
“Phone calls will be accepted for 2027 bookings Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 8:00 am EDT.”
What the NPS says
Reservations, in the park's words
Elkmont Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Cades Cove Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Cosby Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Smokemont Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Deep Creek Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Look Rock Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Balsam Mountain Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Cataloochee Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Abrams Creek Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Big Creek Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Elkmont Group Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to twelve months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Cades Cove Group Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to twelve months in advance.
Recreation.gov →Smokemont Group Campground
Campsite reservations are required and may be made up to twelve months in advance.
Recreation.gov →About this data
Site counts, reservation splits, RV limits and amenities are the National Park Service’s own records for each campground, retrieved from the NPS Data API and shown without edits (a dash means the park did not state it). Seasons, fees and availability change — the campground’s Recreation.gov page is the authority for what is open and bookable today.
Sources · 3
- 1.NPS Data API — /campgrounds · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Reservation, permit, lottery and camping pages of each park on nps.gov and Recreation.gov, read and quoted · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 3.Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Camping (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Great Smoky Mountains camping questions
- How many campgrounds does Great Smoky Mountains have?
- The National Park Service lists 13 campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with 939 sites in total: 943 reservable.
- Do I need a reservation to camp in Great Smoky Mountains?
- Every campground reservations. For Cades Cove Campground, Smokemont Campground: 6 months.
- Can I bring an RV to Great Smoky Mountains?
- Yes. 8 campgrounds allow RVs; the longest stated limit is 40 feet (Cades Cove Campground, Smokemont Campground and Smokemont Group Campground). 8 campgrounds have a dump station. Hookups are rare in national parks — check each campground's details.
- Is there cell service at Great Smoky Mountains campgrounds?
- The NPS reports no cell reception at any of the park's campgrounds. Download maps before you arrive.
Park'd · free on iPhone & Android
Save the campsite, the sunset and the trip.
Park'd keeps trip dates, photos and the places you want to come back to, park by park.
