Community Forums

Dave1956 · 09-13-2011, 06:17 PM

All:
We are planning on visiting the GSMNP in early October (fisrt week). We would like to dry camp in either of the main National Park CGs. Does anyone have any words of wisdom? I am trying to determine if all of the sites are reservable or if some are still first come, first served!

Our arrival date is not set in stone so I was not planning on making reservations, is this a bad idea?

Thanks,

Dave

RVThere · 09-13-2011, 07:49 PM

The GSMNP website provides a good summary of what campgrounds need reservations. Note that some do not allow RV's.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Frontcountry Camping (U.S. National Park Service)

BCook57 · 09-14-2011, 06:50 AM

We have dry camped in the Cades Cove campground. Nice in October, fewer people, great loop road to drive or bike.

GaDawgFan · 09-15-2011, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCook57

We have dry camped in the Cades Cove campground. Nice in October, fewer people, great loop road to drive or bike.

Disagree. Have camped at Cades Cove for a week every October for the last 6 years and have found the park full each year. For "leaf season" reservations are normally made 6 months out.

Dave1956 · 09-16-2011, 07:27 AM

thanks for the advise...I went ahead and booked two nights in Cade's Cove for last week in September. So we are looking forward to our first trip back in 25 years!

GaDawgFan · 09-16-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave1956

thanks for the advise...I went ahead and booked two nights in Cade's Cove for last week in September. So we are looking forward to our first trip back in 25 years!

You will have a great time. The 11 mile road around the cove was repaved about a year and a half ago and made foe a much smoother ride.

Superslif · 09-16-2011, 08:39 PM

Another GSM ?....During the summer, the small rivers / creeks that pass thru the park campgrounds, does the water temperature get warm enough to wade in during July or Aug.?

GaDawgFan · 09-16-2011, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superslif

Another GSM ?....During the summer, the small rivers / creeks that pass thru the park campgrounds, does the water temperature get warm enough to wade in during July or Aug.?

Summers will get hot but the streams are great. Water is a little chilly but great to cool off in

Superslif · 09-16-2011, 09:21 PM

This past early spring I was trying to reserve sites in the park. I would wait till the 6 month period to reserve (10am), a site, but some how the sites I would try to get people were able to reserve them 6 months + 2 weeks earlier. What I'm thinking is happening is, they are reserving a 2 week block and then canceling 12 of the 14 nights they reserved, only to keep the 2 or 3 weekend nights they really wanted in the first place.....This way they get a 2 week jump on everyone else trying to reserve a site. Reserve America lets this happen, because they make more fees when people cancel part of their nights....