Community Forums

Baqpack · 05-22-2005, 10:17 AM

Looking for a recomendation for a campground in Smoky mountain N.P. We would prefer a smaller campground and we are pulling our popper.

Baqpack · 05-22-2005, 10:17 AM

Looking for a recomendation for a campground in Smoky mountain N.P. We would prefer a smaller campground and we are pulling our popper.

Frank P. Martin · 05-22-2005, 11:23 AM

Little River Village Campground

We stayed here back in 1988 with our pop-up. I can't vouch for how the place might be today, but it was a nice campground back then. My boys really liked it. The entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was about a thousand feet away from the campground's entrance. Here's the link for more information.

Little River Village Campground

Gunner · 05-24-2005, 04:56 AM

Your post said in Smoky Mountains NP. Are you interested in the Tennessee side or the North Carolina side? Do you plan on touring the NP or mainly Gatlinburg or Cherokee or all? I can better answer your request after knowing this information. Thank You. Oh by the way, I LOVE the GSMNP.

Baqpack · 05-24-2005, 04:19 PM

I've never been to GSMNP b-4 so I want to do some touring of the area but concentrate on the park. I prefer the smaller campgrounds but I can stay anywhere. I'm looking at going in Sept. to beat the crowds and the heat. Probably around 7 days. I willbe coming in from the Tenn. side. Thanks for the help Gunner.

floridacamper · 05-25-2005, 04:00 AM

We stay at Tremont Hills located in Townsend Tennessee and love it there. It is the very last private campground before you enter the park. Nice campground with clean showers and bathrooms.
You might want to think about one of the National parks themselves, Cades Coves or Elkmont or even Smokemont located near Cherokee, North Carolina . Those three campgrounds has no electric or water on site but water is available along with bathrooms and a dump station..
I have pictures of both in my photo album
Pictures

Gunner · 05-26-2005, 03:46 AM

floridacamper gave you some excellent advice. I have never camped outside the NP. I prefer Elkmont Campground inside the park. You can go Right once you get out of the CG on Little River Road and go to Sugarlands VC - don't forget to see their movie of the NP, and then turn Right over the mountains to Clingman's Dome (highest point in the park) with a 1/2 mile walk to the observation tower, and then over to the NC side of the park which is Smokemont CG, Oconaluftee VC where you can see a pioneer farmstead with all the usual buildings and then to Cherokee, NC. If you turn Left once out of the Elkmont CG on Little River Road you can go to Cades Cove and exit the park at Townsend which use to be the quiet side of the Smokies. You can make reservations for NP campsites at 1-800-365-2267 or online at www.nps.gov. Depending on what time in September you would be going, it can be busy as well with the starting of Fall colors in the higher elevations. If you want more information on my favorite hikes, etc., please let me know. We are going to be camping at Elkmont the last week in June. We have been away for almost 3 years living in Southern CA and it is so gooood to be back on this coast and I can't wait for our family trip. My family will be coming from FL to join us. Have a wonderful time and don't forget to call the NP and have them send you their newspaper of activities or read on their website again at www.nps.gov and select the park you are interested in. floridacamper - your pictures where great and brought back some wonderful memories. They brought sunshine to what has been cloudy and rainy days here in VA. Thank You

jayhawk · 05-26-2005, 04:23 AM

Hi Gunner,
We are going to spend a week at GSMNP in July. We would like some information on your favorite hikes in the area.

TIA,
Jim
just4laptop@wmconnect.com

Lorna · 05-26-2005, 05:25 AM

Summer & Fall in the Smokies area... MAKE RESERVATIONS!!!! The whole area fills up during this time. I am currently sitting in one of the tourist trap areas (Frankin, NC). Most of the campgrounds are pretty nice. We stayed at on in Whittier (between Bryson City and Cherokee) called Timberlake Campground with the Appalachian Campers this past spring (3 days..shortest camping trip in the past 2 years). It was pretty decent. You will need a holding tank for your grey water (we stayed in a pop-up) but the showers were clean. Place was quiet and you can "daytrip" to anyplace you want in the area. The best way to do the area is to pick out one or two campgrounds to use as bases (opt for quiet for resting up and sleeping) and daytrip where ever you want to go. The GSMNP covers a rather large area and you will not see it all in one trip (or even 2). The air is much thinner here and you will get tired easily because of that. If you go to Cherokee you got to go thru the Museum of the Cherokee and see the play "Unto These Hills" (they do have a page on the Cherokee website).

Kiwi · 05-26-2005, 12:00 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Baqpack:
Looking for a recomendation for a campground in Smoky mountain N.P. We would prefer a smaller campground and we are pulling our popper. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Stay in the park. Elkmont is actually a collection of small campgrounds. The place was full of popups. Much much cooler there. We were there in July -- Pigeon Forge temp on truck mirror was 97. 20 minutes later in Elkmont, it was in the 70's. We were pulling for blankets at night in the 60's. We had our fifth then, but previously had a Coleman Mesa. I would not consider staying down in the valley in one of the commercial campgrounds.
Walt

Gunner · 06-13-2005, 10:44 AM

Hi Jayhawk
I would like to know a little about the people that will be hiking.
1. Will there be small children?
2. Ability of hikers?
3. Miles per hike roundtrip?

In July the pine/oak forest will be very warm so I prefer to hike in the higher elevations but there are some nice hikes along the streams as well. Once I get your answers back, I would be more than happy to give you more suggestions that you wanted. Hee Hee

I am a member of the 900 Miler Club which means that I have hiked all 900 miles of trails in the GSMNP. You have to hike thousands of miles to complete the 900 miles. I lack 60 miles from having them completed the second time but will have to hike 200-300 miles to get the 60. Hope to hear from you soon.

You said you would be there in July - over 4th of July weekend by any chance? If so, Gatlinburg, TN has a 4th of July parade at midnight July 3. They advertise it as the first 4th of July parade.

jayhawk · 06-15-2005, 03:24 AM

Hi Gunner---thanks for the reply.

There are just the two of us. We are both seniors but in good shape. Depending on the difficulty, we would probably be comfortable with 10 to 15 mile hikes.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Jayhawk