3609 Bear Cove Way

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863

http://www.bearcovevillage.com

(865) 453-8117

Overview

Bear Cove Village is located off of Veterans Boulevard in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It is within a few minutes of the main road through Pigeon Forge and onto  Gatlinburg. It is open year round. The campground consists of a little over 100 campsites, all of which are full hookup including cable. All sites are back-in. No pull-throughs. However, we saw people with motorhomes and 5th wheelers who adequately fit in their campsite.  There are three parts to the campground. At the top of the hill, Bear Cove has a section of cabins ranging from small rustic cabins to larger ones. The second section (sites 50-102) were seasonal sites and some campers who actually live there. These sites lack grass and are very tight. On the other side of the campground, sites 1-30 are more spaced out and included grass. We stayed at a premium site (#22). At the time of visit, we were having unseasonably warm weather in February. Originally, we were planning to rent one of the cabins at Bear Cove but we decided to just hitch up our camper and make the journey from Cincinnati to Pigeon Forge. This was Bear Cove’s off season and they were running a special; stay three nights and get the fourth night free. So, with that promotion and our Good Sam discount, we paid $94 for 4 nights of camping. What a great bargain!

Bear Cove offers a variety of amenities. A laundry facility is offered in both bathhouses. The washer cost $2 per load and the dryer $1.75. Quarters can be purchased in the office. There is free Wi-Fi which was pretty decent. There is a store with basic RV supplies, limited food, and souvenirs.

Appearance

Bear Cove provides well-manicured sites with concrete pads, flowerpots, and a fire ring. The premium sites have wrought iron patio sets and more space between each site. However, our one disappointment, as with many campgrounds in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area, is that there is limited space between campsites. Our neighbor’s fire ring was way too close to our slideout. There was a trash bin located every other site or so and there was daily trash pickup.

Rating:  (One to five lanterns with five being the highest)

Family/Pet Friendly

The campground includes a fenced-in dog area that is pretty decent in size. Though there were no shade trees in the dog park, there was plenty of space for the dogs to explore and two benches for the owners to sit back and relax. The campground has a few short trails to walk the dog. There are two pools at Bear Cove and one playground for the kids to enjoy. Cornhole sets were provided in the cabin area. A small fish pond is available and requires a permit purchased at the store. There is also a basketball hoop located in the cabin section.

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Area Attractions

The location is very convenient to many downtown Pigeon Forge attractions.  There is even a trolley service that comes near the campground and can take you to the Dollywood theme park.  It is within a short drive to the popular Old Mill Restaurant.  We had lunch there during our stay and were impressed.  Take home some of the hush puppy or corn fritter mix from the general store, you will be glad you did.  There is a grocery store (Food City) which was very convenient for the week-long stay.  It is also conveniently located at the end of the strip closest to the entrance to the National Park.  (Stoplight 8).

Of course, Pigeon Forge is near the Smoky Mountain National Park. There is plenty to do in the park including hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, etc. For more information about the Smokies, visit https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

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Restrooms

Bear Cove provides private bathrooms including a toilet, sink, shower, and dressing area. They are climate controlled. They were clean and up-to-date. The water was generally hot. The water pressure was good. The dressing area had three hooks for your towels and clothing. There was not bench in the shower area. However, one of the private rooms did have a chair. In some of the baths, the water would run out onto the floor creating a slippery situation getting in and out of the shower. We like campgrounds that have private shower rooms and found this one to be nice, clean and up to date.

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