Smokemont Campground

Large beautiful sites. Paved parking pads, large gravel pads for tents, and picnic table. A metal pole extended over the picnic table to hang a lantern. The stream runs through the campground providing tranquil background noise. Trout fishing seconds from your site.
Very clean bath house, no showers. Sink washing station at each bathhouse.
Hiking trail located at camps edge. Great spot to camp.

Stayed here last week of October, in the D loop, and it was lovely! (We've stayed once before, years ago, in the F loop.) The campground is north of Cherokee, NC and is a few miles into the national park. It is a very wooded campground so most sites have shade much or all of the day. There are bathroom facilities with flush toilets, but no other amenities (no showers, electricity, water, sewer or cell service). It is a wonderful place to unplug and relax. The adjacent fast moving creek is absolutely lovely, and there are trails accessible right from the campground. Generators are allowed only in loops D and F and limited to 8 am to 8 pm. Loop F is RV's only (no tents).

It was only a week before our somewhat spur of the moment trip that we made reservations, so availability was very limited. We were able to get site D027 which was described as a paved, curved 89' long pull thru having a slight down hill slope, allows RVs and trailers up to 35', and that there were obstructions that "may limit the use of some RV slide outs." We should have been more thoughtful in interpreting that (we focused more on the size of site)... we arrived in the dark (not recommended) and the obstructions (large boulders and trees [one in particular was on the edge of the paved area]) were very difficult to maneuver around without hitting a boulder or having the tree hit/gouge the top edge of our fifth wheel. We made it, but it was stressful! We would definitely stay at this campground again, but will want the F loop, which is what we recommend for those with larger units.

We spent three nights at Smokemont in the D loop. No hookups but were able to run our generator between 8 am and 8 pm. Very limited cell service. Could only pick up texts and simple emails although I saw a number of starlink set-ups. The campground is along Bradley Fork Creek on the Oconoluftee River. It is very quiet and wooded. The Fall colors were amazing. The campground is 5 minutes from the visitor where the elk show up every evening and 10 minutes from Cherokee, an interesting town full of Cherokee culture and with all the conveniences. Great hiking right from the and a cool nature trail with the longest log bridge across the creek I’ve ever been on. Be sure to Check out Smokemont church located at the entrance to the campground off of Highway 441. It’s a cool 19th century church where you can actually ring the church bell.

We love Smokemont. It’s the third time we’ve visited and we can’t wait to get back.

We were hesitant to pay for boondocking but really wanted to stay inside a National Park (not easy when you're 39') so we went for it and we're SO glad we did. Access to our specific site was a bit tricky due to trees but we managed. The whole campground had a great family friendly vibe. Sites aren't super far apart, but all the people we chatted with were great. The host made sure everyone followed the generators off at 8pm rule. It cooled off at night so we were plenty comfortable without being able to run our AC. There is a ton to do within the park itself, including trails you can hike directly from the campground.

We were able to snag a reservation on a Saturday evening last minute, and think we scored by ending up in site F30. As other reviews indication, F look is the one for RVs - all sites looking spacious and level. Some even backing up to the babbling creek.

F30 is in the back corner with lots of shade and privacy.

The campground itself is a bit large with multiple areas, including lots of tent sites. There was that typical national park campground sound the entire time of families communing, dogs barking, tents being put up/down and food preps. Some sites on other loops suitable for RVs, even several large pull throughs.

There's a great little nature trail right at the campground with a steep climb and lovely timber bridges. And there's a larger circle loop around the campground, but doesn't allow bikes or pets at all.

All and all, easy access to the Cherokee and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway. There's a clean dump station on site.

While we could get a whiff of AT&T signal, it wasn't usable for anything. So we did get Starlink out and was able to get a clear enough line of site for a decent connection with frequent long drop outs. Fine for streaming with a service that buffers well, and getting some online stuff done - but nothing we'd want to rely on for more than that.

We’ve enjoyed our stays at Smokemont over the past twenty years. It’s almost an annual event fir us. F Loop is best for RVs and TTs with a mix of sun and shade sites. A & B are best for tent camping. Like all national park campgrounds, they do show their age and need for maintenance but being in the Smokies is the best part of Smokemont with hiking trails and popular destinations for day trips.

We stayed here for Fall Leaves in the Smoky Mountains in our van. It’s a basic campground. It has bathrooms with running water. No showers. No cell signal whatsoever. The sites aren’t private, which didn’t bother us. There’s a dump and fill station for RVs. Like I said, basic. But well situated. It has a stream running through the campground and there’s hiking trails too.