Cosby Group Camp

Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Cosby, TN, TN

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (16 reviews)

Season: May through October

Tucked in the mountains under a canopy of cool shade beside Cosby Creek. This group campground creates a peaceful and secluded environment for visitors, offering the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has to offer. Cosby Group Camp provides campers with a secluded environment for traditional tent camping.

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

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

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

Tucked in the mountains beside Cosby Creek within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this group campground offers a peaceful, secluded environment with access to over 800 miles of maintained trails. Campers praise easy check-in, sweet staff, and basic amenities including flush toilets and drinking water.

Wildlife alert: Bobcat, American Elk, Eastern Red Bat, Worm-eating Warbler, Ruffed Grouse, Blue-headed Vireo, and Canada Warbler documented in the area

Insider tips for Cosby Group Camp: Book early as this is a federal campground with only 3 sites No cell service available—plan accordingly Bring your own shower supplies; bathrooms and dish-washing sink provided but no shower facilities

Skip Cosby Group Camp if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available. You visit outside May through October—seasonal closure. You require shower facilities on-site.

Best time to visit Cosby Group Camp: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Cosby — Great Smoky Mountains NP (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN), Cosby Picnic Pavilion (Cosby, TN), Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) (Gatlinburg, NC), Round Bottom Horse Camp (Cherokee, NC).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cosby Group Camp

Cell signal at Cosby Group Camp (Cosby, 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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CamperWatch›TN›Cosby Group Camp
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cosby Group Camp

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Cosby, TN, TN★ 4.6 (16 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Tucked in the mountains under a canopy of cool shade beside Cosby Creek. This group campground creates a peaceful and secluded environment for visitors, offering the best that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has to offer. Cosby Group Camp provides campers with a secluded environment for traditional tent camping.

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.
ADA sites1 sites
Bear boxesYes — at every site
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Flush Toilets

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 RV hookups—no hookups available✕ You visit outside May through October—seasonal closure✕ You require shower facilities on-site

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with only 3 sites

No cell service available

plan accordingly

Bring your own shower supplies; bathrooms and dish-washing sink provided but no shower facilities

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months 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: Bobcat, American Elk, Eastern Red Bat, Worm-eating Warbler, Ruffed Grouse, Blue-headed Vireo, and Canada Warbler documented in the area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
423-487-2683· Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Getting there →

From Cosby, TN, proceed south on TN 32 about 1.5 miles from junction with US 321. Turn right at Cosby sign. Group camp is another 2.2 miles.

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 Cosby Group Camp cost per night?+
Cosby Group Camp costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Cosby Group Camp open?+
Cosby Group Camp is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cosby Group Camp have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Cosby Group Camp?+
Cosby Group Camp is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Cosby Group Camp?+
Cosby Group Camp 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 Cosby Group Camp?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cosby Group Camp is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cosby Group Camp open, and what are check-in times?+
Cosby Group Camp is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

National Park Services Concessionaire
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★ 4.6 (16)
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 Cosby Group Camp cost per night?+
What season is Cosby Group Camp open?+
Does Cosby Group Camp have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cosby campground Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee cove forest

Cosby — Great Smoky Mountains NP

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

From $30/night

Cosby Picnic Pavilion

Cosby, TN

From $32/night

Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)

Gatlinburg, NC

From $30/night

Round Bottom Horse Camp

Cherokee, NC

From $30/night

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