434 Elkmont Road
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738

Reservations: 1-877-444-6777

Elkmont Campground is the largest of ten campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the closest campground to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is open mid-March to end of November and accommodates tents to motor homes up to 35 feet. Cost is $17 -$23 during peak times. Each site has a fire grate and picnic table and asphalt pad. No electric or water hookups and no showers in the park. Some nearby parks will allow you to pay a fee for use of their showers. There are 5 amp hookups for those with medical needs. You are allowed two tents or one camper and one tent per site for no additional fee.

There is no cell phone coverage in the area.

There is a small camp store with basic items (firewood, ice, novelties) and you can pay nominal fee to charge your devices here.  Additionally, there are well-stocked vending machines with toiletry items, camp necessities, ice cream, snacks, and coffee.

Appearance:

Located in the heart of the Smokies, Elkmont campground is nicely wooded and offers scenic trails throughout. The roads are paved and well-maintained.  They were doing some landscaping work when we stayed in the early spring, so some of the areas were rocky/muddy but overall the campground seemed well-maintained and manicured. There are sites that are along the Little River, that are very beautiful. We tried to focus on the sound of the river instead of the work equipment noise! I am

The 220 sites are nicely shaded in most areas of the campground.  Not all of the loops are available at all times.

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Pet/Family Friendly:

There is no enclosed dog park but dogs are allowed on leashes in the campground.   We like to take our dogs on the Gatlinburg trail near the entrance to the park just outside Gatlinburg.  It is one of only a few dog friendly trails in the park and it is a 10 minute drive to get there.

We don’t recall seeing a playground in the park but the roads are paved and we saw several children biking.

The Little River is well-known for trout fishing, and there are ample sites for fishing within the park.  You will need an additional license endorsement when fishing for trout. many of the local trails offer a variety of skill challenges, wildlife, and wildflower viewing opportunities.

 

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Area Attractions:

This campground is located in a scenic location yet only 8 miles from downtown Gatlinburg. There are many scenic trails nearby including the Elkmont Trail, Laurel Falls, and the Sugarlands Nature Center.  Places we love to visit in downtown Gatlinburg include:  Smoky Mountain Brewery, Mellow Mushroom, Smoky Mountain Moonshine, Ripley’s Aquarium, Christ in the Smokies…just to name a few.

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Restrooms:

There are utility sinks located outside the bath houses for use in cleaning dishes. There was only cold water available when we were there. As mentioned before there are no showers.  We knew this in advance but we feel this would be a nice addition to the park. The restrooms were decently maintained, had flush toilets and were clean.  The park does not allow you to set up portable showers which is a same considering there are no facilities available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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