A Complete Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Camping, Hiking & Things to Do

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is known for its rolling blue mountain ranges, great hiking trails, diversity of plant and animal life, and stunning waterfalls. With so much natural beauty, its no wonder that Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the United States! This guide will give you all the information you need about camping, hiking, and other fun things to do in Great Smoky Mountain National Park!

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Camping in the Smoky Mountains

There are plenty of camping options in the Smoky Mountains . Backcountry camping requires a permit and advanced reservations. For frontcountry camping, reservations are not required but are recommended to guarantee a spot, as the campsites tend to fill up.

Frontcountry Camping

There are 10 frontcountry campgrounds (meaning car camping, with amenities like restrooms and running water) in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park:

• Abrams Creek Campground
• Balsam Mountain Campground
• Big Creek Campground
• Cades Cove Campground
• Cataloochee Campground
• Cosby Campground
• Deep Creek Campground
• Elkmont Campground
• Look Rock Campground
• Smokemont Campground

The reservation fee varies by location, ranging from $17 to $25 per night per campsite. The campgrounds are equipped with basic amenities, including restrooms, bear resistant dumpsters, and running water for rinsing dishes. At most campgrounds, each individual campsite has a private picnic bench and fire grate.

During our visit to the Smoky Mountains, we stayed at Cosby Campground. While it was beautiful, quiet, and clean, getting to the national park’s main entrance required driving through the center of Gatlinburg, which could add 20-30 minutes of sitting in traffic to a drive that was already 40 minutes without traffic. Therefore, we would recommend picking a campground that doesn’t require you to drive through the main street of Gatlinburg, such as Abrams Creek, Cades Cove, Deep Creek, Elkmont, or Smokemont, particularly during peak season and holiday weeks (note: we were in the Smoky Mountains for Labor Day weekend).

For the quickest drive to the trailheads for Charlies Bunion, Mount LeConte and Alum Cave, Smokemont and Elkmont are the best options, located between 20 and 30 minutes away. If you plan to hike Mount Cammerer, the trailhead is conveniently located inside Cosby Campground.

Backcountry Camping

If you prefer backpacking over frontcountry camping, you have plenty of options as well. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov up to 30 days in advance of the start of your trip, for a fee of $4 per person per night (with a maximum cost of $20 per person). You can find more information on backcountry camping in the Smoky Mountains on the NPS website.

Tips for camping in the Smoky Mountains:

• To prevent the introduction of invasive species, you cannot bring firewood into the park. You may purchase certified firewood at a select few campsites or numerous local convenience stores – find a complete list here.
• The campgrounds do not have showers. Some shower facilities are available in the communities around the park for a small fee. We opted for bathing in the creek near Cosby Campground.
• Book campsite well in advance. While there are many campground options in the Smoky Mountains, they are very popular and fill up fast, particularly at the most convenient campsites like Smokemont and Elkmont. We waited until only a few weeks in advance and had trouble finding a campsite.

Hiking in the Smoky Mountains

There is no shortage of incredible hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here are a few great options, ranging in difficulty from easy to challenging:

• Clingman’s Dome: 1.2 mile moderate hike to an observation tower offering 360 degree views at the highest peak in the national park.
• Alum Creek and Cave: 2.7 mile easy hike along a rambling creek leading to Alum Cave.
• Charlies Bunion: 8.6 mile moderately hard hike to a rock formation with sweeping views of the Smoky Mountains.
• Mount Leconte: 11 mile hard hike to a stunning viewpoint, via the Alum Creek Trail to Alum Cave.
• Mount Cammerer: 11.9 mile steep, challenging hike featuring panoramic views of the Smokies.
• Ramsey Cascades: a tough 8 miles roundtrip hike that winds through a beautiful old growth forest to the tallest waterfall in the park.

Other Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains

Looking to take a break from hiking? There are plenty of others fun things to do in the Smoky Mountains and surrounding area:

• Winery hopping: There are several wineries conveniently located in the heart Gatlinburg, great for unwinding after a long hike.
• Horseback Riding: In the national park, there are several stables that offer guided trail rides. I’d be amiss not to warn that I do not recommend riding at Sugarland Stables (I can’t speak for the other two stables, Caves Cove and Smoky Mountain Stables). We visited on a hot summer day, and the horses were clearly overworked and exhausted from carrying people up and down the mountains all day with no break between rides. Further, the trails were muddy with ruts so treacherous that the horses were lucky not to break a leg. Please don’t give your money to a place that condones such poor treatment of animals.
• Camping: There are 10 frontcountry campgrounds in the Smoky Mountains – pitch a tent, build a fire, grab a beer, sit back and relax. Just be sure to clean up after yourself to avoid an unwelcome visit from a black bear!
• Walk across SkyBridge: The longest suspension footbridge in North America, with awesome views over the Smokies.
• Fishing: The park has over 700 miles of streams for fishing, where you can expect to catch brook, brown, or rainbow trout.

Other Useful Resources

Planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains? You don’t want to miss these awesome hikes:

Have you been to the Great Smoky Mountains? What was your favorite hike? Let us know in the comments below.