Elkmont Campground is one of 10 campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and one of the most popular, probably because it is one of the biggest and one of the most developed. RVs should stop at Sugarlands before checking into their site to dump and to stock up on water. C2, and others in that area are really nice. Walk to campsites B2 and B3. This is due to features of that specific campsite, such as steep or short drive ways. Sites are nicely spaced apart, and even though we weren't on a river, there were plenty of river access spots. 1608 26th St, Sheffield, Colbert County, AL, 35660 has 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and a total size of 1,100 square feet. Recreation.gov is your gateway to explore America's outdoor Elkmont Campground has 200 tent / RV campsites with paved driveways, gravel tent pads, fire rings, and picnic tables. Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains. Skateboards, scooters, and roller blades are prohibited in the campground. Dunkin' was slated to open today at 2536 Helena Road, Suite D, and the location at 5413 US Highway 280, Suite 100 . You can go inside and even upstairs and see how these remarkable women lived. 124 Mill View Drive, Moores Mill, Madison County, AL, 35761 has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a total size of 1,436 square feet. If you are looking for a fun day out with the family that combines some inexpensive outside time with views of the mountains, good food, and even a chance to run across a swinging bridge, then the Townsend Historical Trail might be just the thing. The Little River is super cold, even in the summer, so rock hopping and wading are popular but the kids will want towels as soon as they get out. VISITING THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS IN WINTER. On June 12, a bear ripped into a tent at Elkmont Campground in search of food, according to officials. Although most sites will accommodate tents or RVs, extreme slope or length of driveway make certain sites more suitable for tents than RVs. Elkmont is the largest, with 220 sites. From Cherokee, NC: Take Newfound Gap Road (aka U.S. 441) North through the park into Tennessee. The bathrooms were clean, and the campground appeared well cared for. Takes cash or credit card. Elkmont Campground Rd. Reset Tents must be pitched on the pad. Best pictures I have ever gotten from Clingmans. Looking over J and K loops from campsite L2. Somebody built their daughter a kid-sized play cabin adjacent to the familys cabin in Daisy Town. Short but powerful afternoon thunderstorms in the summer are very common. The school is another 0.5 miles up this one lane gravel road that you should drive really slow on because there are only a couple of passing spots. The Little River runs through the campground offering visitors the option to camp waterfront. Smoky Mountain loop hikes are popular options for day hikers and backpackers alike. No showers. Elkmont Campground does NOT have electric, water, or sewer hook-ups. . January and February are typically the coldest months of the year in the Smokies. Check NOAAs website for a detailed weather forecast before you go so you have an idea of whats coming and then check the daily weather forecasts on the bulletin board outside the Ranger Station while you are at Elkmont and have 0 cell service. If you have forgotten your assigned site, check the Arrival List posted on the bulletin board at the kiosk for your name and site number. There are many, many more hikes but we have narrowed down our recommended hikes for kid-pleasing, shorter, easier walks in the woods! No cell reception!! In addition to traditional campsites, the Elkmont campground is also host to some historic buildings most frequently used for weddings. Bryson City is a fantastic mountain town in western North Carolina that seems to fly under the radar of most visitors to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I asked her if it was frozen spiritual water. "], open_seasonally_text => ["March-Nov.", "March - Nov."], phone_reservation => ["(877) 444-6777", "877-444-6777"], website => ["https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232487", "https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/elkmont-campground.htm"]. The tourism industry in Elkmont started small, with an open-air observation car on the back of the logging train. I would hike the trails first and then come back to Metcalf Bottoms for a picnic while the kids splash in the river. Restrooms at Elkmont Campground have flush toilets, cold running water, and utility sinks. The Elkmont Historic District is a collection of preserved and not so preserved cabins leftover from Elkmonts early days in the early 1900s as a logging town and a resort for well- heeled Knoxvillians. This is a wonderful site as there aren't immediate neighbours on either side and the river is just beyond the tent pad. ", "Reservations required. There are 4 group campsites for parties larger than 6 people (the max that can stay on one regular campsite). Home Tours. Nice ranger at check in. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. It is open from mid-March to late November each year. But they tend to book up immediately after opening up for reservations (6 months in advance of the day you are looking to reserve) so good luck. They dont sell them in the park. Answered: Hi , we are a group of 8 persons 4 adults and 4 children ( 11-14 years) next August we will make tour of the Deep south . Well tell you everything you need to know about Elkmont Campground in exhaustive detail- what campsites are the best, how to reserve, and all the little things that will help you plan your trip. Have younger kids look for #5 as it was built as little girls playhouse. The river is often also moving fast and flip flops easily get swept away. Little Brier Gap trail is wide, has a very slow gradual incline, and is pretty short at 1.1 miles long between the Little Greenbrier School and the Walker Sisters Cabin. Toilet paper is usually okay but I would bring a roll just in case. This is a wonderful camp with some great sites along the river. 6. And every time I explain it to people like that, I feel like I am setting up some sort of east side/ west side campground rap battle scenario that happens, which to be fair, would be absolutely fantastic and we should make that happen. This is an extremely popular campground and is almost always completely booked. He has backpacked in some of the most remote areas in the world and has written extensively on the subject of camping. Elkmont Campground is located just 8 miles from Gatlinburg inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This rule is strictly enforced. Elkmont has had trouble getting a regular vendor to run the store since the long-time concessionaire retired at the end of 2020. This is the kind we like. The sites are mostly flat. Three handicap accessible ADA sites have 5 amp electrical service for use of medical equipment only.Proof of medical equipment required for use of electric hookup,. When setting goals for the year ahead, its common to think about ways to further invest in your Signup for Roadpass Pro to get premium access to all of these great road travel apps. You need a minimum of 7 people to use any of the group sites. This is one of the big complaints on TripAdvisor so I thought I would keep mentioning it so people arent surprised when they get to the campground. After the park service purchased the land and the leases expired, over 70 buildings stood in the park with nobody to maintain them. This is a wonderful camp with some great sites along the river. You will find a good number of flush bathrooms spaced around the campground with mens and womens sides that each have 3-4 stalls inside and sinks. The walk in sites are grouped near each other- (B2, B3, and B4), (A5, A7, A9, and A11), and (B21- B36). Even non food items like candles and scented soaps count because bears think they smell super interesting and are curious to know if they are, in fact, food. Reservations are required to camp in Elkmont Campground, which is typically open from mid-April to late November. This blog was originally published in Aug 2020 but was updated and republished in Nov 2022 with new pictures and information. It was a long time before I tried again. GP 03 is also good although smaller than GP 04 and a little closer to the other 2 group sites. 6.1 miles long but most people hike 2.5 miles up to intersection with Cucumber Gap and then return. The sites along the river are highly recommended -- seek those out. In season, no walk0ins are allowed, and camping is strictly by reservation - go here to check availability and book online. This monster is about the max you can fit on a tent pad. Elkmont Ghost Town isn't hard to find! a kemping autplyk vltozatos hossza s lejti miatt egyes helyek jobb strak, mint az RVs. The call center will complete an application for the caller and results will be mailed on May 9th. There arent any tent only loops at Elkmont much to my chagrin as a dedicated tent camper, but they do forbid generator use on loops A, B, L, M, and N. There are 20 walk in campsites in Elkmont where the tent pad is located a short distance away or up/down a few stairs from the parking area. Lots of wild turkeys in the area. That means it is 5 -10 degrees cooler than Knoxville but it is still hot during the middle of the day in the summer months when the sun is directly overhead. Thank you for helping us protect our resources for future generations by, Parking it Forward!. Reservation Rules Located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Elkmont Campground is the largest and busiest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You'll turn here until you see the ranger station about 4 miles down the road. "], pet_restrictions => ["", "Pets are allowed in the campground but must be confined or on a leash (6' maximum). Even when Elkmont is full, campsites are often available at Cosby Campground, located at the northeast corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All you need to know about the most visited national park in the country. Open year-round, Cades Cove Campground borders wild meadows where turkey and bear strut their stuff. Ive attached a map of where it is. Shower facilities are available in the communities surrounding the park just ask the campground host about the nearest facilities when you check in. Aim for an 8am arrival at the trailhead at the very latest. If you walk a little ways up Jakes Creek trail and the Little River trail, you can find the remnants of these vacation cabins that were dismantled by the park in recent years. Reservations are required to camp in Elkmont Campground, which is typically open from mid-April to late November. The campus nestled in the mountains, 7 miles from Gatlinburg. Be a Redfin Agent. We provide tools and tips to discover After that many of the cabins fell into disrepair. These are our familys top 10 favorite activities when we camp at Elkmont. Ice and snowfall are probable, especially in the higher elevations. It has 2 tent areas on opposite sides of the picnic tables and tons of room. Or is glamping more your style? Drive to Little Greenbrier School during the summer months when the road is open. The National Park Service maintains over 800 miles of trails and more than 100 backcountry campsites and shelters where you can go winter camping in the Smoky Mountains. The sites are mostly flat. Cost of ice is around $3. Elkmont Campground is usually open from mid-March until the end of October, though not all sections of the campground are open until May. 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. Want a cabin with a view? Kids must wear helmets on bikes. RVs and trailers should access Elkmont campground from either the Gatlinburg or Townsend entrances. There was a nice stream directly behind us. There are also no showers or laundry in the campground. However, please be considerate of your neighbors while setting up camp by keeping noise and light to a minimum. Map courtesy of OpenStreetMaps with my own additions. Don't buy it at Marathon outside of park. as well as all water containers, MUST be stored. Gatlinburg Empty trail up to Clingmans Dome at 8am on weekday in the summer. Almost all of the campsites on the outer loop of the west side are pretty good but L1 is a fantastic site that is my favorite non-riverfront site. Our site was nice and level and felt private as we were the only ones on our little road. Where can I shower near the Smoky Mountain National Park? I would guess that when it is full, it wouldn't feel so private. It's an excellent home base for a fun weekend any time of year. PSA over now. Campers on these beautiful wooded sites will have a short walk from their parking area to their tent pad. See the NPS website for more info about Laurel Falls. The fireflies are best viewed in late May or early June. The National Park has a great section on Elkmonts history and it is well worth a read to understand why the buildings are there and why some only have chimneys and foundations left. On a particularly sunny da Winter hiking in the Smoky Mountains is a unique experience for a handful of reasons. You can put up hammocks as long as you stay within your campsite and dont drill anything into the tree. We stayed here for Fall Leaves in the Smoky Mountains in our van. Explored Elkmont cabins and did trails in that area. Rangers said it happened about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Elkmont Campground. I drove around the campground a couple of times and settled upon Camp Site B10 which I felt was the best one available as it was backed up right next to the river.. Each and every year in the Smoky Mountains, for a magical few nights in June, one of the 19 species of fireflies (lightning bugs) in the park - the Photinus carolinus - synchronize their flashing pattern. . You may check in after hours. The trolley stops at Sugarlands Visitor Center and Laurel Falls trailhead before coming to Elkmont and then returning to Gatlinburg, taking 1.5 hours to do the complete loop. , All that's really left of the Wonderland Hotel are some chimneys. Otters were released here in the 1990s so keep an eye for them. NO. Agent. Campers may also collect dead and down wood in the park for campfires. Go for the newer lights with the red light option as it really saves your night vision and is way less annoying for your tent mates and campsite neighbours on that late night bathroom run. This year (2022), the recreation.gov website had availability for May 2023 in Nov 2022 so it looks like the 6 month release is working. Great Smoky Mountains National Park Archeological evidence recovered from sites in Elkmont date human use of the area to at least the Middle Archaic Period - 8000 to 5000 years before the present time. A limited selection of groceries, camping supplies, visitor convenience items, and food and beverage service are available in the park. I would take about any site on the western side of the campground over A or B loop campsites if I had a choice (excepting the river front campsites). Beach Cave Forest Swimming hole Waterfall Hipcamp makes it easy to find unique camping experiences. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. We love Elkmont and they'd made a lot of progress since we were there 3 yrs ago. I repeat- There is no electricity/ water/ sewer hookups at any campsite in Elkmont. Upon the creation of the national park in the 1930s, most of Elkmont's cottage owners were given lifetime leases. These two historic structures have been restored and are kid favorites, especially the old schoolhouse). Unfortunately, we could not enjoy the area because it rained, and snowed both days Free and open to the public, . At an elevation of 2,150 feet, the area enjoys a moderate climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, humid summers. There are basic bathrooms with outdoor sinks for dishwashing, but that is all. It does not, however, have heat or air conditioning; there is a room with ceiling fans and a as fireplace. Lots of room and privacy. This campground was our choice for our first night camping in our "new to us" truck camper. The road leads not just to the campground but also to the trailheads for the popular Little River Trail and Jakes Creek trails so you can have lots of people during the day plus a surprising amount of early morning hikers. The nearest picnic area is Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, west of Elkmont on Little River Road. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. One of the most popular trails in the park, this is an old logging road/railroad bed so it is wide and fairly flat, at least for the first few miles. The sites arent private, which didnt bother us. Bug spray is necessary. I repeat- There is no electricity/ water/ sewer hookups at any campsite in Elkmont. Sites are nicely spaced apart, and even though we weren't on a river, there were plenty of river access spots. There isnt a dump/fill station here. No cell signal whatsoever. What are the Smoky Mountains like in January? Natural features you'll find at Elkmont Campground. It is the closest campground to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The campground is also host to 20 walk-in campsites. Or go in the shoulder months of April and November. more. These are popular trails in the park and Metcalf Bottoms is an extremely popular picnic area, but you can get an early start because Elkmont Campground is only 5 miles away. All scented items (candles, soap, etc.) Potable water is available at spigots near each restroom; use of hoses is not allowed. Mostly used as a connecting trail to other trails (Meigs Mountain or Cucumber Gap), this trail is worth an exploration, especially for the first mile. Townsend, TN is a great basecamp to explore the Smokies. It has a glass bottom section at the highest point that reinforces all my instincts that people were not meant to be this high up. For older kids, it is super fun to walk through in the evening because it does definitely feel like a ghost town.. Some sites are right along Little River as ours was (C2). Take a left at the sign for Elkmont Nature Trail, where you . There is an official 8 day long festival during the peak of the mating season when trolleys bring loads of people in and the place is a zoo. There were port-a-potties which were serviced almost daily while we were there and the water fountains and spigots outside the restroom buildings were still operational. The walk in sites B2, B3, and B4 are grouped right next to each other and a little away from everyone else so get some friends and get these if you can. You will find more remnants of the cabins that once stood here, leftover from a resort community at Elkmont founded in 1910. The beauty of the campground makes the experience well worth it. According to when most visitors come to the Smoky Mountains, the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains national park is during the months of June, July, and October. The Elkmont Campground is a beautiful place that is located in the heart of the Smoky Mountains! No phone sig We have details, tips, and hacks to help you hike this spectacular trail, one of the most popular and iconic hikes in the Smokies. 107 Park Headquarters Road This was the first campground we have been to where the firewood would actually burn and wasn't overly priced. The sites arent private, which didnt bother us. 4. Simplify your life with weekend getaways (already planned for you), summer destination itineraries, and travel hacks to help you and your kids have a Simply Awesome Trip. And snowed both days Free and open to the public, facilities when you check in or sewer hook-ups of... 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