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Tucked in the mountains under a canopy of cool shade, this campground creates a peaceful and secluded environment for visitors, offering the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National park has to offer. More than 100 campsites are available at Cosby TN Campgrounds on a first-come, first-served basis and 26 campsites are available for advanced reservations. All campsites accommodate tents and, even when all reservation sites are booked, tent campers are likely to find a great site anytime except Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor Day weekends. RV sites are less common and reservations are recommended on busy weekends. Call (423) 487-2683 to check availability. This campground is usually quieter and without the hustle and bustle of the busier campgrounds. Come and give this campground a try! Natural Features: World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian culture, Great Smoky Mountains is Americas most visited national park. At 2,460 feet, Cosby Campground provides a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural history of Southern Appalachia. From the prehistoric Paleo Indians to the early 19th century European settlers, the park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes and artifacts that tell the stories of the people who once called these mountains home. Recreation: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hikers paradise, with over 800 miles of maintained trails ranging from short, leg-stretchers to strenuous treks, with a number of those trails easily accessible from Cosby Campground, including the Appalachian Trail, just three miles away via the Lower Gap Trail. Hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies: Fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are popular activities. Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance. Wildlife viewing is a popular pastime, and with around 1,500 bears living in the park, its not uncommon for visitors to spot one. The park is a sanctuary for a magnificent array of animal and plant life, all of which is protected for future generations to enjoy. The park also holds one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States. Over 90 historic structures, including houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools and grist mills, have been preserved or rehabilitated in the park. Facilities: Cosby Campground provides campers with a secluded environment for traditional camping. Though some RV sites are available, Cosby is mostly a tent campground, with plenty of shade and tent pads at each site, along with fire rings, grills and tables, perfect for family meals and late night smores. The site offers modern amenities like flush toilets and drinking water. Although 26 sites are reservable, an additional 131 sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Nearby Attractions: Cosby, Tennessee, located about five miles from the campground, offers convenience stores and fuel. Gatlinburg, a one of the Smokies famous tourist towns, is located about 20 miles from the site, offering visitors tours, organized rafting trips, museums, restaurants, galleries, an aquarium, skiing and more. ACTIVITIES Historic & Cultural Site: Historic Sites Fishing Hiking Horseback Riding Visitor Center: Ranger Station Wildlife Viewing Day Use Area: Amphitheater
From Cosby, TN, proceed south on TN 32 about 1.5 miles south of the junction with US 321. Turn right at Cosby sign. Campground is another 2 miles.
We stayed at site B19 for one night, Saturday - Sunday, May 20 - May 21. It felt very safe and quiet, but we did experience heavy, steady rain the entire time we were there. I didn't notice any tent pads/ areas that were flooded or held standing water. We were on the outer edge of the B loop and definitely had more space than the inner B loop sites. We were close to the bathrooms but still felt secluded enough (for being close to the bathrooms). The bathrooms were lit up but they didn't feel like an intrusion on our dark evening. Even though we were on the outer edge of loop B, we could easily see loop A campsites, so keep that in mind. The campsites are not next to running water although the campground is. Parking is on the side of the road, parallel to the road, and site B19 definitely did not fit a truck. Neither would many of the sites (too narrow and uneven) Site B20 and B21 did, however. Everyone parking on the road made the campground feel very crowded and claustrophobic. Bathrooms were clean enough and relatively bug free. Sinks were nice and large. No paper towels to dry your hands on.
I highly, highly advise downloading a map of the trails you wish to hike. We could not find the trailhead to Hen Wallow Falls no matter how hard we looked, and that was very disappointing. We hiked to the overhead instead but it was overgrown.
Nice and secluded campsite. Wasn't particularly busy when we went, and it was very quiet. Cosby (the nearby town) is no Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, but if you're looking for something a little (actually a lot) more low-key, it's not bad. Friendly people and very affordable prices in the shops.
As for the campsite, nice flat tent pads. Restrooms were fine; flush toilets, no showers. We hiked Mt Cammerer and the site was short walking distance from the site.
Cosby campground is serene, peaceful and secluded.. it was first time for me and family for camping.. absolutely loved it.. no range and no electricity connection so truly an out of world experience!! Rangers are well mannered and helpful.. would love to go back again
Campsite was an awesome experience. Has just what it needs for a few day excursion. Site 33 was conveniently located next to a restroom facility with a pathway already in place. Enjoyed close access to trails. Will definitely look at this one in the future.
Beautiful and well maintained campground. It’s about 30 minutes from Gatlinburg so you don’t have to deal with nearly as many tourists. The trails were all well kept and had lots of signage to ensure you followed correctly. There were lots of clean bathrooms (though the ones actually in the camping area didn’t have soap from what I saw) as well as picnic areas for day visitors.
The B loop is more uphill from the A loop. We had to split our stay between the loops and they were both beautiful. We brought a small camper and had a great time. We’re normally tent campers and would absolutely go tent camping here as well. The pads are large, level, and had a small layer of very fine gravel. The only negative is there isn’t a shower/bath house.
