A terrific campground within Great Smoky Mountain National Park. A creek runs right through the middle. Good walking access to several great trails. I love that there are quiet hours (10pm-6am), that generator use is even more restrictive (only daily 8-8), and if that isn't enough, there are tent-only sites available as well. So it's pretty well guaranteed to be peaceful. I think we hiked about 20 miles over the course of a couple of days and I know I spotted two types of mushrooms from our campsite that I hadn't seen on any of the other trails. Pick your day(s) and site number at recreation.gov. Easy access by car. Running water and flush toilets, but no showers. Good tent pads. Three handicapped-accessible ADA sites have 5 amp electrical service for use of medical equipment. read more

Elkmont Campground - Action shot - Hiking Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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My husband and I really enjoyed our two night stay at Elkmont Campgrounds! We were in the L loop and we loved how peaceful it was. I definitely recommend researching or calling about the features of each loop before booking. After walking about a bit, we were even more pleased with our site in comparison to some of the others. The riverside campsites seem to go the fastest! If that's something that interest you, book early! All the staff we interacted with during our stay were extremely pleasant. The campgrounds were really safe and we have zero complaints. We'll definitely be back! read more

Elkmont Campground - Hiking Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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A beautiful & quiet campground - our site, M01, had a small creek running through it! The restroom was just a hop skip and a jump away (you have to walk over the rocks on the creek). I was disappointed that the restrooms were not as well kept as other parks I've been to, and there aren't any showers in the campground or the entire park as far as I know. The campground has a small camp store, plenty of shade, and the rangers were patrolling as early as 5:30am and as late as 6:30pm - warning us of bears in the area, helping with directions, etc. no cell service- same as most places in the park! About 25 min drive to Gatlinburg read more

Elkmont Campground - Campsite M1 - Hiking Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

This place is amazing. It's in the heart of the great smoky mountains. A lot of hiking and lots to see.

We feel like fate brought us here. You will not find a more peaceful campground! Most of the sites sit right on the river, with the sounds of tranquil water day and night. The bathroom was cleaned, it felt safe, was only a 20 min drive from most hikes and Gatlinburg center. We liked the getaway from the hustle of town. Absolutely fantastic, we will be back. They have a small camp shop for coffee, wood, and essentials you may forget. read more

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We came here for a week back in October 2018. It's an absolutely beautiful campground that has a roaring river that rushes through the middle of it. You can hear the sounds of the mountain winds and the flowing river in the middle of the night which was very soothing. The check-in process was rather simple as the gate is at the front and they are there to answer any questions and assist as much as possible. There is also a station for purchasing food, simple supplies, drinks, and firewood as well. All at a reasonable price if you need something last-minute. It has specific hours though, so be sure to look ahead of time. Our campsite was perfect. It was a quick hike thru a wooded area to get to the restroom and just a hop and skip from the garbage disposals. Our neighbors were all very friendly despite the rainy weather we had the first couple of days. The prices are insanely reasonable and the bathrooms were kept up nicely throughout our stay. They don't have showers though, so prepare accordingly. All in all a great campsite that is centrally located enough to most places in the park. Regardless, driving is required to get to most of the trails as with most of the park. read more

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No cell service, so had to wait until we were home to write a review. We reserved our tent site in February for Father's Day 2019. Camp sites sell out fast, so plan early. We used our America the Beautiful pass (perk of bring over 62) for a 50% discount. The Rangers checked us in - Amanda was friendly & helpful. For personal service, arrive between 1-5PM. We brought our own portable grill for a cookout, but bought firewood for $6 for the fire pit from the store by the entrance (open 9-9). It was plenty. Vending machines at the store offer ice cream and other goodies. Bring soap and towels for the bathrooms, which offer flush toilets and hot/cold faucets. After dinner, we hiked past F camp sites, past the parking lot, and past the dilapidated buildings to watch fireflies in the trees. White lights disrupt their activity, but you need light to see to hike, so cover your phone/flashlight with red or blue gel. We're coming back next year for more than one night, and we'll be better prepared. read more

Because of Covid, we waited 2 years to return to this campground in late May. It is the largest campground in the most popular national park in the county. As expected, there are no hook-ups or a waste station in the campground. It is rated "1" solely because of the rudest ranger and campground host we have ever encountered in over 50 years of camping. There was no excuse for the imitating, belligerent manner that we were treated by the ranger. It felt like they don't really want campers visiting this campground and we were extremely disappointed about the disrespectful way we were treated. read more

Our site was fine, it was a decent size and up against the trees. The bathrooms were decent (no soap or showers, but I expected that). No phone signal or WiFi. What annoyed me about this campground is that there was absolutely no one enforcing the quiet time. Which would be fine if we'd had considerate neighbors- but we didn't. There were 4 guys camping right next to us who pulled in every night at 1-2am on motorcycles, talking loudly. One night they worked on their motorcycles until 4am. Another camper on the opposite side of the campground played music all night one evening that I could clearly hear on the other side of the campground. Eventually we gave up and moved to the Cherokee KOA just outside the park so that we could get some sleep. Maybe none of this would matter if we were in an RV, but if you're in a tent- be prepared for possible noise. read more

My wife and I booked 3 days here at the end of October in hopes to catch the fall colors. When we booked this we were looking for someplace we cold get away from it all and just unplug. All I can say is that this place delivered on all fronts and did not disappoint. We had a site that wasn't right on the river but was close to it. Actually it was about as close as I would want to be to it because it was moving pretty good and was actually kind of loud. I prefer to be able to listen to nature and the river does take away from that a bit, but can't fault the campground for that. This sites are a nice size and very private with a lot of hammock trees for lounging in. The fire rings and picnic tables are in great shape. We enjoyed our site so much we decided to stay another night. I know a lot of people complain about the lack of showers, but you know going into it so not sure how you can complain about it. read more

Great place to stay. Easy registration via online site where you can read and see pics of each camp site. There are areas for RVs and areas for tents. Areas along the river and areas away. We stayed in A7, a creekside tent site. You can go to sleep listening to the rushing water right by the tent. The one downside of A7 (and the nearby sites) are you park 80 feet away and carry/haul your stuff back and forth. Since any food items need to be stored in the car because of bears, you find yourself going back and forth to the car a bit. Not a big deal though. The drive up is amazing. Awesome roads. Check in is easy with very helpful rangers. I registered a site based on the gamble we would end up being here during the right time for the synchronous firefly show, and we nailed it. We were there the night before the public trams start, so fewer crowds (but downside is roads are open so more disruptions from car headlights). The campground is heavily wooded and most sites have a full canopy of trees which is great for a very light rain, you barely feel it, and it keeps the sun from being a problem. There is a camp store that sells bundles of firewood for about $5 a bundle. They also have vending machines and some basic groceries in case you forgot or need something. The restrooms were clean and on the outside was a place to wash dishes and get fresh water. The individual sites did not have water at the tent sites (or electricity). One very cool thing to check out int his campground other than fireflies, is the entire abandoned town here. Many cool old buildings in various stages of falling down. if you stay here and want to see the fireflies during the season... you can just walk to the places. There are of course fireflies all over as one might expect, but the show is really in certain spots you can walk to. Like near the old cemetery. Don't just walk down a trail to some secluded area... you want to be near the trail head parking areas just outside the park, near the end of Little River Road. read more

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Quiet, clean, & beautiful! No showers, but they have restrooms. Perfect place to get in touch with nature! Zero cell service too.

Elkmont Rocks!! I've been coming here for over 30 years. One of my favorite places on Earth. read more

Elkmont Campground - Hiking Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

I needed a nice place to take the family away from the daily hustle and bustle of life, and this was exactly it. Every site has a picnic table, fire pit, and fire grate to cook on. My camp site was very spacious, as they all seemed to be. I never heard anyone being loud and never had to deal with the sound of generators. There are certain loops where generators are not allowed, if that is something you are looking for. Tent pads are gravel, so you don't need to worry about water buildup if it rains. There is no electricity at the sites (except a few for those that require it for medical equipment). This campground is surrounded by old growth forest; picture perfect. There are flush- toilets, and the restrooms were cleaned everyday. Very impressed with the restroom cleanliness. No showers are available, although you can go into town and use showers at various facilities for little cost. The Little River (like a really large stream) runs through the place, and the kids loved playing in it. If you are there on a hot day, it's a great place to cool off... the water was quite cold, actually, and this was in August. Although we didn't, there are great places to go fishing in the river, too. Fishing requires a Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license. A small shop is on site where you can purchase firewood $6 , ice $2.50/ 10lbs bag (which you would be better served getting at the Food City in Gatlinburg, if you go back into town), a few snacks, and many standard camping supplies for a decent price, but small markup. Staff was helpful, knowledgeable, and respectful. In short, skip the KOA (which is more expensive and in the middle of town) and stay at Elkmont in an actual forest. I will be returning here; hopefully many times. read more

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Haven't been in a while absolutely love this place. So nice and wildlife is all around. Barely any cell service

Thieves Targeting Campers Here. We were targeted for theft at this campground while we went to a nearby trail. When we returned our camper lock was damaged. A few items missing from the camper. We did not leave anything out at our campsite provoking this. Our camper is 15 years old as is our truck and we did not appear to be the type someone would wish to target. When we reported the incident to the park officer he stated theft in the Smoky Mountains is a regular occurrence, which we found odd because NO REVIEWS have been posted regarding a theft issue throughout the park. No signs alerting visitors of theft were posted anywhere. I would not camp here again. The campsites are way too close together. The property is lack proper lighting, staffing, and security. You have been warned. Don't forget your handgun.Campers beware! read more

Beautiful campground but sites are tight and most do NOT accommodate campers with slide outs or longer than 30ft. The bathrooms were kind of dirty & not well maintained. The old lady campground host was nasty, rude and hateful driving around screaming at people from her car! Staff was sparse and hard to find when you needed them. Also be prepared for absolutely no cell signal. Rates were kind of high for being primitive and water is a challenge to get. Overall a very pretty place but don't much in way of assistance or resources. read more

This place is great. The sites are great. Nice and cool weather. Tubing is great from bridge to bridge. It does rain a lot so bring some tarps for the tent I have a camper and love pulling it up there but no hook ups. But worth it for the peace read more

It's hard to give any NPS campground less than four stars - $20 to stay in the middle of the most beautiful parts of America leaves little to complain about. Compared to other NPS campgrounds though, this site is more packed and there is less privacy. Still, the facilities are well maintained and rangers are great. Firewood and ice are available for sale during the day, as well as some vending machines. The site is a ~15 minute drive from the main visitor center. read more

The new camp site reservation system is absolute garbage and I am sure is screwing over hundreds of people and probably leaving some stranded. Fix this immediately please read more

We loved it so much! We went a couple of weeks ago and are so thankful for our time there. Everything is a bit of a drive, but that is from everywhere. It is beautiful and close to Gatlinburg read more

Boy i'll tell you what ,that is one stuffy bunch of lady office workers at the campground office.Those female workers acted as if it was a funeral parlor.And no it wasn't me I heard other campers comment on them.They really the NPS really needs to get some people that can smile and actually act like they enjoy their job.After all it is us the campers coming there to spend our money to support their jobs.Lord have mercy SMILE once in as while people.But on a side note their pricing on their camp store prices are very reasonable.WHOOPS i probably should'nt have said that read more

Loved that it was off the beaten path but overall not my favorite smokey mountains campground. Clean bathrooms. Sites are close together and not very private. read more

Camped here for 3 days in a tent in the middle of August. Had a fantastic time. I recommend getting a spot along the creek. The water is as clear as crystal and very cold - even in the summer. A good dip in this is great because there are no showers in the campground. The tent pads are great and were big enough for my 14x7 tent. There is a driveway and a firepit with a grill top. All the rangers at the front were great and helpful. There is a little store at the entrance that has anything you might need such as ice, firewood, snacks. You can only use the firewood they sell there - nothing from outside. You can also use downed deadwood from the campground. I didn't have 1 single mosquito bite the whole 3 days, but my wife got bitten badly on just before we left. But myself and the kids were fine. I didn't even use repellent except for the first day. There are plenty of trails around, and we saw several wild turkeys walking through the campground. Deer on the trails also. It's close driving distance to Gatlinburg and not too far from the main road where you can get to all of the other trails and spots in the park. read more