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Located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Elkmont Campground is the largest and busiest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, making a great place for camping near Nashville. At an elevation of 2,150 feet, the area enjoys a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Recreation The Little River runs through the campground offering visitors the option to camp waterfront. Campers can enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the Little River and countless other streams and rivers that snake through the mountains. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker's 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 Elkmont Campground. The nearby and popular Laurel Falls Trail leads to a spectacular 80-ft. waterfall. Hiking and fishing are not the only reasons for visiting the Smokies: Picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are popular activities. With around 1,500 bears living in the park, it's not uncommon for visitors to spot one. From the big animals like bears, deer, and elk, down to microscopic organisms, the Smokies are the most biologically-diverse area in the world's temperate zone. 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 Elkmont Campground has 200 tent / RV campsites with paved driveways, gravel tent pads, fire rings, and picnic tables. Although most sites will accommodate tents or RVs, extreme slope or length of driveway make certain sites more suitable for tents than RVs. Please check the descriptions and measurements of individual sites. In addition to these tent / RV sites, Elkmont has 20 walk-in sites for tents. Campers on these beautiful wooded sites will have a short walk from their parking area to their tent pad. Nine of Elkmont's campsites are wheelchair accessible ADA sites. These sites have wide concrete driveways, raised fire rings, and wheelchair accessible picnic tables. All of these sites are located near accessible restrooms. Three of the sites provide 5 amp electrical service for medical equipment. Restrooms at Elkmont Campground have flush toilets, cold running water, and utility sinks. Potable water is available at spigots near each restroom; use of hoses is not allowed. Elkmont Campground does NOT have electric, water, or sewer hook-ups. There is no RV dump/fill station at Elkmont campground. The nearest RV dump/fill station is located across from Sugarlands Visitor Center approximately 6 miles from Elkmont. Elkmont is strictly an overnight campground; there are no day-use facilities. The nearest picnic area is Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, west of Elkmont on Little River Road. Due to its central location and variety of amenities, Elkmont Campground tends to be heavily used during the summer vacation months and in October. Sites along Little River are in particularly high demand. Even when Elkmont is full, campsites are often available at Cosby Campground, located at the northeast corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Natural Features Generations of campers have returned to Elkmont year after year, drawn by the sounds of the river, the tranquility of the forest, and the variety of recreational activities in the Elkmont area. Little River and Jakes Creek run through the campground, offering easy access for fishing or cool summertime splashing. Trailheads for Little River Trail, Jakes Creek Trail, and Elkmont Nature Trail are located adjacent to the campground. Historic remnants of Little River Lumber Company's logging camp and old buildings from the Elkmont resort community offer campers a glimpse of life at Elkmont nearly a century ago. Nearby Attractions Gatlinburg, one of the Smokies' most famous tourist towns, is located about nine miles from Elkmont and offers organized rafting trips, museums, restaurants, galleries, an aquarium, skiing and more. ADA Access: N
From Cherokee, NC: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka U.S. 441) North through the park into Tennessee. Turn left at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Follow Little River Road approx. 4.5 miles. Turn left at the Elkmont Campground sign and proceed 1.5 miles to the campground office.
From Gatlinburg,TN: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka U.S. 441) South into the Park. (If coming from Pigeon Forge, take the Bypass into the park.) Turn a right at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Proceed 4.5 miles to the Elkmont entrance and turn left at the Elkmont Campground sign. Go 1.5 miles to the campground office.
Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
Elkmont in Smokey Mountain National Park is a well maintained primitive campground. The drive there is a winding mountain road but with the autumn leaves changing colors, it is quite beautiful. The camp sites have a level tent pad, nice fire ring with adjustable grate and are spaced far enough apart so you aren't right on top of your neighbor. The rest rooms are warm but you have to provide towels for drying your hands.
There are bear proof trash receptacles throughout the campground. We didn't see any bears during our stay. I would camp at Elkmont Campground again. It would be nice to have showers, but there are none. Oh well, as a fellow camper stated, we just have to be "Stinky in the Smokies".
There are many great hiking trails nearby too plus it is close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge for a touristy experience if you like that sort of thing.
I went to the old, resort that is just above the campground. Which is abandoned at this point, but has been remodeled and restored. It is monitored and it’s nice to see and imagine how it would have been used in the past and how the club house at the end held parties and things to do. Which oddly enough the club house still holds events today, cause one was going on while we were visiting. It’s a nice walk and fun to explore and most of the houses are safe to go into and look around. Some are marked off cause they need repair. If you have the time it’s a fun free thing to do!
Great place to camp. Loved hearing the flow of water in the creek. Bathroom were clean but smelled of mold (probably from being the end of camping season.) Easy check-in and check-out. Bought wood for $10.00 (not much, but burned for about an hour and a half.) Well worth the stay.
Loved Elkmont campground for location. Most were considerate with obeying generator hours posted. Rangers were friendly and helpful....if ONLY I wasn't in a tent and had my trailer and my cleaning supplies, I would have cleaned those bathrooms!! They were absolutely disgusting, come on, do better!
This campground is one of many in Smokey national Park. It's beautiful, with a creek and luxury sized parcels. Flush toilets and a very good camp staff. Our reservations got screwed up at another campsite. These great folks were more than helpful and even let us pick out our site. I would highly recommend.