Smokemont Campground
The Quick Take
Smokemont is the Smokies' workhorse campground — not the prettiest, not the most secluded, but the one that keeps the lights on year-round when everything else shuts down for winter. Sitting along the Bradley Fork of the Oconaluftee River on the North Carolina side, it offers the kind of reliable, no-surprises camping that families with kids and first-timers actually need. The trade-off is real: you get flush toilets, drinking water, and a six-mile hop from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, but you give up any pretense of wilderness solitude. Summer weekends feel more like a small village than a backcountry escape, and the lack of showers means you'll get creative with baby wipes by day three. Choose Smokemont if you want a base camp for day hikes and waterfall chasing, not if you're looking to disappear into the woods.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 142 sites are reservable.
Book at Great Smoky Mountains LodgesWhat You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
Accessible paths to restrooms and parking areas. Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Rules to Know
- Fires:Campfires are permitted only in fire rings.
- Generators:Quiet hours are 10 pm-6 am.
Pro Tips
Loop A stays open all winter and sits closest to the river — grab sites in the low 20s for the best water access. Winter camping here is genuinely pleasant, with mild temperatures and virtually no competition for sites that sell out months ahead in summer.
The Bradley Fork trailhead launches right from the campground and connects to Chasteen Creek Cascade, a roughly four-mile round trip that most of the campground somehow never discovers. It's the rare Smokies waterfall hike where you won't be jockeying for photo position.
Bear activity here is serious — those food lockers exist for a reason, and rangers patrol aggressively. Store everything scented, including toothpaste and sunscreen, in the provided lockers or your vehicle. A citation will cost you far more than the thirty-dollar campsite fee.
Photos
NPS Photo
NPS Photo
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
From Cherokee, NC: Take Newfound Gap Road (US-441) North 6 miles. Turn right at campground sign. From Gatlinburg, TN: Take Newfound Gap Road (US-441) South 27 miles. Turn left at campground sign.
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