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Home/Great Smoky Mountains National Park/Elkmont Campground
Recreation.govTN

Elkmont Campground

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Upcoming Availability

14 of 14 days currently show available sites.

View releasing sites

Sun, Jul 26

74

sites

Mon, Jul 27

80

sites

Tue, Jul 28

82

sites

Wed, Jul 29

76

sites

Thu, Jul 30

65

sites

Fri, Jul 31

52

sites

Sat, Aug 1

45

sites

Sun, Aug 2

87

sites

Mon, Aug 3

82

sites

Tue, Aug 4

93

sites

Wed, Aug 5

93

sites

Thu, Aug 6

79

sites

Fri, Aug 7

60

sites

Sat, Aug 8

52

sites

Campground guide

What to know before booking

Located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Elkmont Campground is the largest and busiest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Elkmont Campground has 200 tent / RV campsites with paved driveways, gravel tent pads, fire rings, and picnic tables. 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.

Official campground details, summarized

Concise planning notes based on the public Recreation.gov campground information.

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.

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.

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.

Campsite map

Site markers come from Recreation.gov campsite coordinates.

214 mapped sites

Campsites

A sample of official campsite metadata for scanning equipment fit before booking.

Site G18

Generator Use

TENT ONLY NONELECTRIC

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site E08

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

35 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site F01

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

35 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site J15

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

35 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site B34

Generator Free

WALK TO

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site F11

Generator Use

TENT ONLY NONELECTRIC

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site L07

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site E17

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

35 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site G21

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

21 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site E05

Generator Use

TENT ONLY NONELECTRIC

vehicle

6

people

shade

Site C11

Generator Use

MANAGEMENT

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site B29

Generator Free

WALK TO

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site B15

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site F08

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site C05

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site M03

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

15 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site C01

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

35 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site L13

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site B09

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

12 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site B21

Generator Free

WALK TO

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site A13

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

35 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site B16

Generator Free

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

24 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site G13

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Site D14

Generator Use

STANDARD NONELECTRIC

27 ft

vehicle

6

people

Yes

shade

Important notices

A valid parking tag is required for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Front country campers parked at their designated campsite will not be required to have a parking tag. If they park elsewhere in the park, a parking tag will be required. Please note that parking tags will be required for vehicles in excess of what is allowable for each campsite.
Over the last 10 years, an average of 339 negative human-bear encounters have been reported each year; many more go unreported. Visitors should be aware that high bear activity can occur in any area, and that your safety is not guaranteed. To increase your odds for a safe visit, please follow best practices for living and recreating in bear habitat. Stay alert and be prepared to react appropriately during possible encounters, and always report any unusual bear interactions as soon as possible.
Caution: Bears and other wildlife frequent the area. All food, coolers, and equipment used to prepare and store food must be kept in a sealed vehicle or camping unit of solid, non-pliable material AT ALL TIMES when not in use. All scented items (candles, soap, etc.) as well as all water containers, MUST be stored. Dispose of garbage promptly in dumpsters provided. Unattended or improperly stored coolers, food and/or scented items may be impounded by campground staff. Violators are subject to fines.
Firewood Restriction: Only heat-treated firewood bundled in its original packing and bearing a certification seal from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state department of agriculture may be brought into the park. This rule is strictly enforced. Campers may also collect dead and down wood in the park for campfires.

More at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Other tracked campgrounds from the same park or area.

Surrounding campgrounds

Other tracked campgrounds within driving distance, nearest first.

Common questions

Is Elkmont Campground available right now?

Kestrel's most recent scan found openings on 14 of the next 14 days, starting Sun, Jul 26. Availability changes constantly — check the calendar above, then confirm on Recreation.gov.

How do I book Elkmont Campground?

Reservations are handled by Recreation.gov, not by Kestrel. Use the official reservation link on this page to book. Kestrel only watches availability and tells you when a site frees up.

How quickly will I hear about a cancellation?

Kestrel rescans every two minutes, and every 30 seconds during the provider's daily release window. Alerts go out by email as soon as a matching site appears.