Elkmont Campground

Lots of folks in the campground, but sites spread out enough to not feel too close. Sounds of wind in the pines and little streams flowing by either side of the campsite were very soothing. Bathrooms were clean, also had a sheltered dishwashing area. Was glad to be able to collect enough firewood to have a campfire, was nice to be nestled in the Great Smoky Mtns.

This campground is truly amazing. As it was off season, it was mostly empty. Our site was nice and level and felt private as we were the only ones on our little road. I would guess that when it is full, it wouldn't feel so private. Great hiking in the area and the old resort town of Elkmont is not to be missed. Bathhouses were nice and clean, There is a very small store at the entrance for those things that you may have forgotten.

Be prepared for generator noise. Some of the people either don't read the hours or don't care about the hours. Solar was ineffective due to the trees and sun angle this time of year.

Starlink worked in our site despite the trees, but there are sites on the south end where it would have worked better.

First, be prepared. Camping in the Great Smokey Mountains is fairly primitive. There are basic bathrooms with outdoor sinks for dishwashing, but that is all. The beauty of the campground makes the experience well worth it. Sites are nicely spaced apart, and even though we weren't on a river, there were plenty of river access spots. Our site was level and well-maintained. Short walk to the clean bathrooms.

The campus nestled in the mountains, 7 miles from Gatlinburg. Getting there on an afternoon is slow because of Dollywood! The traffic was crazy! The camp has no hookups. The sites are mostly flat. Ours was not. There was a nice stream directly behind us. Unfortunately, we could not enjoy the area because it rained, and snowed both days that we were there!
Having said that, we saw more wild turkeys foraging a few feet away from our rig in the early morning!
The bathrooms were clean, and the campground appeared well cared for. No cell reception!!

We stayed here for Fall Leaves in the Smoky Mountains in our van. It’s a basic campground. It usually has bathrooms with running water but since they are doing maintenance on the sewer system they had porta potties. No showers. No cell signal whatsoever. The sites aren’t private, which didn’t bother us.

There isn’t a dump/fill station here. However, there is one at the the Sugarland Visitor Center. I’ve attached a map of where it is. I asked the information desk at the visitor center where it was. Q

Get your water at the Sugarlands Visitor Center (dump station) on the way to Elkmont. No threaded faucets or dump station at the campground. Some sites are right along Little River as ours was (C2). Sites are nicely spaced. Check in was easy, just get your tag from the board, stop at ranger window and you are out. RVs limited to 35 feet, we had no problem with our 30' Class A. There are some low branches to watch out for.

Hiking right from the Campground, Little River Trail goes as far as you want. Lots of wild turkeys in the area.

Wood is $10/bundle at the campground so get some in town if you can.

Most sites are very wooded, so solar collection is limited. Generator hours are 8AM-8PM so that helps.

Campground road has large potholes, so be careful.

No AT&T service, must go to overlooks about 3 miles away to get service.

Nice ranger at check in. No restrooms right now. Port o potties. Firewood was $10 for a small bundle. Don't buy it at Marathon outside of park. Half the size for half the price plus it's not the correct type. Bagged ice is $4.97 in park. I asked her if it was frozen spiritual water. The river is very shallow next to sites. No phone signal at sites. You can drive a couple miles to Laurel Falls to get signal.

What can you say about this magnificent National park? Such fabulous scenery, lots of traffic because everyone wants to enjoy it. Campground with huge trees, lots of space between sites, sites laid out in interesting pattern rather than parallel rows. Many tenters (sadly in the rain).

A few hints: we entered the park from the north, took backroads through Wares Valley to the west of Sevierville & Pigeon Forge to avoid the traffic but 9 miles or less from the campground found ourselves on road which did not allow trailers. That meant we had to go back into Pigeon Forge & south into the park. Fortunately there is a bypass around Gatlinburg.

While we were there in late June, Laurel Falls was mobbed - at least a hundred cars parked along road to traverse trail that is uneven & very narrow in sections. We went at 7:30 am our last day & had good hike with minimal traffic on the trail, but by the time we got back the crowds were building quickly. We enjoyed Little River Trail near Elkmont and Gatlinburg trail near Sugarlands visitor center.