Cades Cove Group

Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Gatlinburg, TN, TN

Price: From $50 per night

Price range: $50–$94 per night

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 (30 reviews)

Season: May through October

Over 2 million visitors annually come to enjoy the scenic beauty of Cades Cove and its many historic structures, popular biking and hiking trails and scenic waterfalls and streams. Tucked in the mountains under a lush, shaded canopy, this group campground offers the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National park has to offer.Cades Cove Group Camp provides a primitive camping experience, with conveniences such as flush toilets and drinking water, but there are no hookups or showers at the camp

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Drinking Water, Showers, Electric Hookups, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cades-cove-group to be notified when sites open up.

Cades Cove Group Campground offers scenic beauty with access to popular hiking trails including the 5-mile roundtrip hike to Abram Falls, historic structures, and the recreational opportunities of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The group campground is tucked in the mountains under a lush, shaded canopy.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Coyote, Eastern Copperhead, White-tailed Deer present in area. Also: Barred Owl, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hooded Warbler.

Insider tips for Cades Cove Group: Book early as this is a federal campground with high demand Only 4 group sites available Bring self-contained unit or tent - no hookups available at most sites

Skip Cades Cove Group if: You need electrical hookups - no hookups available. You want to camp outside May through October - seasonal operations only. You prefer private campgrounds - this is a federal campground.

Best time to visit Cades Cove Group: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Anthony Creek Horse Camp (Townsend, TN), Cades Cove Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN), Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion (GATLINBURG, TN), Abram’S Creek Campground (Gatlinburg, TN).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cades Cove Group

Cell signal at Cades Cove Group (Gatlinburg, TN): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cades Cove Group

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Gatlinburg, TN, TN★ 4.9 (30 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Over 2 million visitors annually come to enjoy the scenic beauty of Cades Cove and its many historic structures, popular biking and hiking trails and scenic waterfalls and streams. Tucked in the mountains under a lush, shaded canopy, this group campground offers the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National park has to offer.Cades Cove Group Camp provides a primitive camping experience, with conveniences such as flush toilets and drinking water, but there are no hookups or showers at the campground. with the modern conveniences of flush toilets and drinking water.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesShowers
Family & Pets
Flush ToiletsElectric Hookups

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need electrical hookups - no hookups available✕ You want to camp outside May through October - seasonal operations only✕ You prefer private campgrounds - this is a federal campground

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with high demand

Only 4 group sites available

Bring self-contained unit or tent - no hookups available at most sites

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Coyote, Eastern Copperhead, White-tailed Deer present in area. Also: Barred Owl, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hooded Warbler.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
865-448-4103· Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Getting there →

Cades Cove Campground 10042 Campground Drive Townsend, TN 37882 865-448-2472 Lat/Long: N35.6009 W083.7742 From Maryville, TN: Take U.S. 321 North (you'll actually be driving south!) from Maryville to Townsend, TN (about 22 miles). At the traffic light in Townsend, continue straight on TN 73 and follow signs to Cades Cove. From Pigeon Forge, TN take US 321 South (you'll be driving westerly) to Townsend, TN. Turn left (south) at Townsend onto TN 73. Follow signs to Cades Cove.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Great Smoky Mountains National Park fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Great Smoky Mountains National Park before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cades Cove Group cost per night?+
Cades Cove Group costs $50–$94 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What season is Cades Cove Group open?+
Cades Cove Group is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cades Cove Group have hookups?+
No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What is the maximum RV length at Cades Cove Group?+
Cades Cove Group is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Cades Cove Group?+
Cades Cove Group is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cades Cove Group?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cades Cove Group is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cades Cove Group open, and what are check-in times?+
Cades Cove Group is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

National Park Services ConcessionairePrint Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$50 /night★ 4.9 (30)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cades Cove Group cost per night?+
What season is Cades Cove Group open?+
Does Cades Cove Group have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Anthony Creek Horse Camp

Townsend, TN

From $30/night

Cades Cove Campground

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

From $30/night

Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion

GATLINBURG, TN

From $32/night

Abram’S Creek Campground

Gatlinburg, TN

From $30/night

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$50–94 /nightNo booking fees
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